Privacy Policy

Our commitment

The Australian-American Fulbright Commission (the Commission) is committed to protecting the privacy of all those who apply for Fulbright scholarships. The Commission voluntarily complies with the National Privacy Principles (NPPs) embodied within the Privacy Act, 1988 (Cth). The Commission respects your privacy, and all personal information will be handled in a sensitive manner. All applications are treated as confidential.

How we collect your personal information

There are two main sources of personal information about applicants: the information you provide us in your application form and the information that your nominated referees provide to us. If your application is successful, you will also be required to provide us with a medical report addressing health issues. We also maintain contact details for past recipients of Fulbright scholarships, drawn from information provided to the Commission by these Alumni.

The purposes of collection

Information collected on the application and Referee Report Forms is used for the purpose of selecting Fulbright Scholars. Information regarding Fulbright Alumni is used to contact Alumni regarding forthcoming events and to facilitate networking between past and present Fulbright scholars. If you do not provide all the information requested on the forms, the Commission will be unable to process your application.

Ensuring we hold accurate information

The Commission aims to ensure that the personal information we retain is accurate. The requirement that you provide us with certified copies of relevant documentation is part of this quality assurance procedure. Please ensure that you provide us with complete and accurate information. Applicants and Alumni should not hesitate to contact us to update contact details and other relevant information should your circumstances change.

Data security

Safeguarding your personal information is important to us and we have taken steps to protect it from misuse, loss and unauthorised access.

Disclosing your personal information

The information applicants provide us, together with reports from your referees will be provided to Commission staff members, Selection Committee members, the Commission’s sponsors and the Commission’s Board of Directors. Should your application be successful, this information and your medical report will be forwarded to the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Scholarship Board in the U.S.A. It will also be forwarded to either the Institute for International Education (in the case of Postgraduate Awards) or to the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (in the case of awards to Postdoctoral Fellows, Professionals, Senior Scholars, or Distinguished Chairs).

The name, contact details, employment details of successful applicants and the subject of the Award will be provided to the media as part of a media release, usually at the time the Awards are announced. You will be given an opportunity to edit and approve any media release that concerns you before it is released.

Details regarding successful applicants will also be published in the Commission’s Annual Report and a successful applicant’s name and subject area will be published on the Commission’s website. Excerpts from Grantee Reports, with approval of the Grantee, may also be published on the website.

Accessing your personal information

You may request access to your personal information at any time. Please note that the Commission will not provide access to the contents of referees’ reports or to any evaluative information produced in the course of assessing your application. Requests for access to referees’ reports should be made directly to your referee.

How to contact us

If you have any privacy concerns or would like to vary information held about you, please contact:

Privacy Officer
Australian-American Fulbright Commission
PO Box 9541 Deakin ACT 2600
Email: fulbright@fulbright.com.au

Refund and cancellation policy

We understand that sometimes circumstances change and you may not be able to attend an event that you have paid for.

Event cancellation and refund policy

• Ticket cancellations, received by 5.00pm seven days prior to the event, will be refunded in full.
• Full payment is required for any cancellation received within seven days of the event or for non-attendance on the day.
• Attendee substitutions, for the originally booked event, may be made until the event commences.
• All cancellations and changes must be forwarded in writing, by email to fulbright@fulbright.com.au
• Refunds will be processed within 21 days of cancellation via the same method used for payment.
• In the unlikely event that we are forced to cancel an event you will promptly receive a full refund.
• If we need to postpone an event we will contact you immediately and either give you a full refund or transfer your credit to the new event date.