Top 10 opportunities for teachers: fellowships, scholarships and prizes
Ten international opportunities for teachers, including Fulbright TEA, the Hornby Scholarship, MEXT Teacher Training, CERN's teacher programmes and the Global Teacher Prize, checked on official pages.
Teachers spend their careers opening doors for other people, and are rarely told about the doors open to them. Yet governments, universities and foundations run serious programmes for teachers: funded master’s degrees, months of professional development abroad, weeks at the world’s best-known laboratory and prizes that recognise great teaching.
These ten opportunities for teachers are open to educators from many countries. Every detail was checked on the official programme page.
The list at a glance
| # | Programme | Where | Next deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program | United States | Not announced yet |
| 2 | A.S. Hornby Educational Trust Scholarship, MEd TESOL at the University of Exeter | United Kingdom | November 22, 2026 |
| 3 | Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching for International Teachers (DAI) | United States | Not announced yet |
| 4 | Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship for Teacher Training Students | Japan | Not announced yet |
| 5 | CERN International High-School Teacher Programmes 2027 | Switzerland | Not announced yet |
| 6 | Global Teacher Prize 2027 | Several countries | Not announced yet |
| 7 | Japan Foundation Training Programs for Teachers of the Japanese Language (Urawa), FY2027 | Japan | December 1, 2026 |
| 8 | Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program | United States | Not announced yet |
| 9 | Perkins Educational Leadership Program (ELP) | United States | Rolling |
| 10 | Nobel Prize Teacher Summit 2027 | Sweden | Rolling |
1. Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program
A six-week professional development programme at a U.S. host university for secondary-level educators from 76 participating countries and territories, administered by IREX. The page does not state what costs are covered.
- Who can apply: Full-time secondary-level teachers of English, EFL, maths, science, foreign languages, social studies, journalism or communications, or special education in those subjects, with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent and English proficiency. Applicants apply through the U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission in their country.
- Deadline: Deadlines vary by country or territory and are set by the local U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission; the programme page lists no dates.
- Funding: Funding: see the official page
2. A.S. Hornby Educational Trust Scholarship, MEd TESOL at the University of Exeter
Up to ten fully funded scholarships for the one-year MEd TESOL at Exeter, covering full tuition fees, a monthly stipend for accommodation and living costs, and return international travel. Not available for the PGCert or PGDip.
- Who can apply: English language teachers who live and work in a country classed as Least Developed, Low Income, Lower Middle Income or Upper Middle Income on the OECD DAC list.
- Deadline: The University of Exeter page gives 22 November 2026 as the application deadline for 2027/28 study (September 2027 entry).
- Funding: Fully funded
3. Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching for International Teachers (DAI)
A U.S. government funded programme of about four months in the United States, administered by IREX, for primary and secondary educators from 15 participating countries. Participants receive a professional learning allowance for a conference, workshop or school visit.
- Who can apply: Full-time primary or secondary educators (including counselors, curriculum and library specialists) with at least three years of student-facing experience, living and working in Botswana, Brazil, Finland, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, the Philippines, Senegal, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom or New Zealand. Teacher trainers may also apply in some countries.
- Deadline: Deadlines vary by country or territory; applicants are told to contact their local U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission. No dates are listed on the programme page.
- Funding: Funding: see the official page
4. Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship for Teacher Training Students
A non-degree MEXT scholarship for in-service school teachers to do research on school education at Japanese universities for up to 1 year and 6 months, including Japanese language training. Selection is by embassy recommendation with documents and interviews.
- Who can apply: Under 35 (born on or after 2 April 1991 for the 2026 intake), a graduate of a university or teacher training college, with at least five years of teaching at primary or secondary schools or teacher training schools in the home country. Current university teachers are not eligible.
- Deadline: Applications go through the Japanese embassy or consulate in each country, and dates differ by country; for the 2026 intake, for example, the Kuwait embassy deadline was 5 February 2026 and the Pakistan embassy deadline was 12 February 2026. No 2027 dates were published on the pages checked.
- Funding: Funding: see the official page
5. CERN International High-School Teacher Programmes 2027
Two-week programmes in English at CERN on particle physics and engineering for in-service science teachers from around the world. There is no participation fee, CERN pays for the CERN Hotel and gives a meal allowance, but travel is not covered except for a small number of travel grants.
- Who can apply: In-service teachers, ideally of STEM subjects, with good working English who can attend the full two weeks; preference goes to teachers with extracurricular experience such as organising olympiads or contributing to curricula. Applications include a short CV and a one-minute English video.
- Deadline: Registration opens on 1 November 2026 and, according to the CERN FAQ, closes in mid-January of the programme year; no exact closing date is given. The 2027 sessions run 4 to 17 July and 1 to 14 August 2027.
- Funding: Partly funded
6. Global Teacher Prize 2027
A US$1 million award from the Varkey Foundation for an exceptional teacher. Teachers can apply themselves or be nominated through the online awards platform.
- Who can apply: Educators of any nationality in any country with at least 5 years teaching students aged 4 to 18, including classroom, early years, non-formal (for example refugee) and digital educators; part-time and contract staff are eligible. Purely administrative roles and teachers in further or higher education are not eligible.
- Deadline: The Apply or Nominate page says the 11th Global Teacher Prize (2027) is now open and that applications and nominations close soon, but no exact closing date is published.
- Funding: Funding: see the official page
7. Japan Foundation Training Programs for Teachers of the Japanese Language (Urawa), FY2027
Onsite training in Japan for teachers of Japanese, including a 6-month Basic Training Program (31 August 2027 to 24 February 2028), a 7-week Japanese Language Program and a 6-week Japanese Teaching Methods Program. Accommodation, meals and insurance are covered, and participants from listed countries also receive round-trip economy airfare.
- Who can apply: Japanese-language teachers employed by an overseas institution who will continue teaching there, nationals of a country with diplomatic relations with Japan; the three main programmes are open worldwide with set teaching experience and JLPT or JF Standard levels. Two further programmes are limited to institutions in 15 Asian countries and do not take individual applications.
- Deadline: Apply through the Online Application Portal by 1 p.m. on 1 December 2026, Japan Standard Time. The same deadline applies to all five programmes.
- Funding: Partly funded
8. Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program
A non-degree, U.S. government funded grant of one academic year in which assistants work up to 20 hours per week at a U.S. host institution and take two courses per semester. Around 60 countries across all regions take part.
- Who can apply: Early-career English teachers or educators in related fields (or those training to become one) with a bachelor’s degree equivalent, TOEFL iBT 79 to 80 or IELTS 6.0, living in the nominating country. U.S. and dual U.S. citizens are not eligible, and independent applications are not accepted.
- Deadline: The official page lists no deadlines; applicants must contact the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in their home country, which nominates candidates.
- Funding: Funding: see the official page
9. Perkins Educational Leadership Program (ELP)
An individualised advanced training programme at Perkins School for the Blind for professionals serving children who are blind or visually impaired with additional disabilities, including deafblindness. The page does not state funding details.
- Who can apply: Preference for specialists or team leaders with at least five years in the field who train or mentor teachers in visual impairment, multiple disabilities or deafblindness, are proficient in English and have their organisation’s support.
- Deadline: Applications for 2026 to 2027 are closed; inquiries are accepted on a rolling basis, but processing for the 2027 to 2028 class does not begin until after 1 January 2027. Applicants first submit an interest form.
- Funding: Funding: see the official page
10. Nobel Prize Teacher Summit 2027
A one-day conference in Stockholm run by the Nobel Prize Museum on the theme “Why Stories Matter”. The conference fee is SEK 300, or SEK 2,000 including the Extended programme for teachers travelling from abroad.
- Who can apply: Teachers and school leaders from all over the world.
- Deadline: Registration is open with limited seats and no stated closing date. The summit takes place on 16 April 2027 in Stockholm.
- Funding: Funding: see the official page
How we ranked them
This is an editorial selection, not a formula. We looked at how much each award pays (full funding ranks above fee reductions), how open it is to international applicants, and whether the official page is clear and current. Every detail was checked on the official page on October 30, 2026. No university or funder paid to be included.
For a full list organised by subject, see opportunities for teachers by subject. To teach abroad, see the Top 7 teach abroad programmes.
Frequently asked questions
Are there fully funded opportunities for teachers?
Yes. The A.S. Hornby Scholarship describes full funding for an MEd TESOL at Exeter on its official page. Fulbright programmes are funded by the U.S. government, but their pages do not list every cost covered, so ask your local Fulbright office.
Can teachers of any subject apply?
Some programmes are open to all subjects, such as the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching and the Global Teacher Prize. Others target specific subjects, such as English for Hornby or science for CERN. Each entry lists the subjects.
Before you apply
Read how to write a scholarship motivation letter, check which English test you need in IELTS vs TOEFL vs Duolingo, and see every upcoming date in the scholarship deadline calendar.