Doubt, apply, win: Two Bangladeshi women on the Fulbright journey

You probably know someone who applied for the Fulbright scholarship but did not get it. You might be the person who has been convincing yourself you are not ready yet, that your profile is not strong enough, or the person who wins it is a different kind of person entirely. 

Nazia Hoque and Benazir Elahee Munni were both that person once. Both were Bangladeshi women who doubted themselves initially, applied anyway, and won the Fulbright. 

Where it all began 

Growing up, Nazia did not think she would become a researcher, but she was always curious. She was fascinated by Biology and Chemistry as they connect something important: how the body functions. That curiosity guided her academic journey through a BPharm, an MS, a PhD at Jahangirnagar University in collaboration with BCSIR. 

After a brief stint at Orion Pharma as a Production Executive, she moved fully into academia at East West University, where she has been involved in pharmacy education and research for 15 years. 

That industry phase was really important because it gave her an understanding of what happens after the formal theoretical education in pharmacy — mechanism of drug action, pharmaceutical manufacturing, quality control, and the gap between theory and practice. "It helped me teach students not just the theory, but also the practical aspects of pharmaceutical sciences," she says. 

Benazir Elahee Munni comes from a family of educators, and teaching was almost always close to her. Her first MA was in Applied Linguistics and ELT at the University of Dhaka. Then came early teaching years at Jagannath University and East West University, and eventually a faculty position at DU itself. 

She also wrote for leading English national newspapers. Not as a side project, but as an extension of the same instinct that makes her a teacher: the need to put something real into words. When asked whether her academic work and her creative writing are separate, she said, "My academic work and my creative writing feed into each other more than they exist as separate pursuits."

The decision to go 

Nazia had always known she wanted to pursue advanced postdoctoral training abroad. After her PhD, she began looking for opportunities to go deeper into the mechanisms of drug action, something she felt she could not accomplish fully without access to more advanced laboratory environments. 

When she came across the Fulbright Visiting Scholar program, it really matched her aspirations and dreams. She had spent her doctoral years studying therapeutic potential of chemicals produced by endophytic fungi and had grown increasingly fascinated by the connection between microbial compounds and cardiovascular diseases. 

Dr Raquibul Hasan's lab at Mercer University College of Pharmacy in Atlanta, USA, was working on exactly those questions. When she saw the alignment, she knew this position would allow her to build on her previous research experience. 

Munni's road was equally deliberate. "Fulbright had been at the top of my list since I knew I wanted to pursue higher studies in the United States," she says. Her teachers, people she considers mentors, had been Fulbright scholars. She watched what that fellowship did to them, how it sharpened their thinking and widened their reach. She also had a clear answer to the question Fulbright always asks: why does this matter beyond you? 

She had been watching students struggle to find their own voice in writing, and the question that kept returning to her was this: in an age where a machine can produce a passable essay in seconds, how do you help a student believe that their particular way of seeing the world is irreplaceable? She knew what she needed to study, and she knew why. 

What the application actually looks like 

The Visiting Scholar Program, which Nazia applied to, requires an original and meritorious research proposal, a comprehensive CV, a letter of invitation from a U.S. institution, three reference letters, and a letter of support from the home institution. Applications are evaluated based on academic credentials, the quality and feasibility of the proposed project, its potential impact, and its contribution to mutual understanding between countries. 

No TOEFL or IELTS is required, but the assumption is that your English is strong enough to do research, teach, and live in the United States. Typically, applicants are senior faculty or researchers with a PhD, around ten years of professional experience, and a solid publication record. 

The Foreign Student Program, which Munni applied to, requires a valid IELTS score of 7.0 or a TOEFL of 90, along with at least two years of professional experience. Three letters of recommendation are essential, as are personal statements tailored to the specific program. Munni's scores (an IELTS of 8.0 and a TOEFL iBT of 109) were not taken specifically for the application. The TOEFL was funded by Fulbright after she was shortlisted. The GRE was too. The point is not to stress over perfect scores before you begin. The point is to get started. 

University selection also works differently for the two programs. For the Visiting Scholar Program, Nazia identified Mercer University herself as a strong fit, reached out to Dr Hasan directly, and subsequently developed an original research proposal. She also secured a formal letter of invitation from the host institution – both of which were submitted as part of her application package. Munni did not have to contact universities herself as Fulbright handles placement for the Foreign Student Program. She listed Michigan State as her first choice because of its faculty and its curriculum in Rhetoric and Writing. Fulbright placed her there. 

The research proposal 

If there is one thing both scholars agree on, it is this: your application needs to read like a story. Nazia thoughtfully connected her doctoral work on endophytic fungi to her evolving interest in microbial metabolites, then carried that trajectory forward into cardiovascular research, with a focus on vascular inflammation, and hypertension. She explained why Dr Hasan's lab was not just a good lab but the right environment to pursue this specific question. In parallel, she sought to contextualize the broader regional impact of her research, highlighting its potential to improve understanding of cardiovascular disease pathogenesis in regions where the disease burden is high. 

"Fulbright does not require a Nature paper or an extensive list of first-author publications. What it values instead is coherence—a focused research direction, a well-designed proposal with clear, measurable outcomes, and a strong alignment between your past work, your chosen host lab, and your future goals. Ultimately, it is about demonstrating consistency, relevance, and a compelling research narrative, rather than simply the quantity of publications."

Nazia Hoque

Munni's advice for the personal statement is quite sharp. "Ground yourself in your essay and think about your reader," she says. What she is warning against is writing that tries to be everything to everyone and ends up meaning nothing to anyone. "We always learn on the fringe of what we know," she says, quoting a professor. "What has your understanding of the world taught you? Bring that in." 

Nazia's most practical piece of advice was, "Tell a clear scientific story in simple language. Clearly explain the problem you care about, why it matters, what you have done so far, and what you want to do next. When a proposal feels like a journey rather than a list of facts, it naturally sounds more authentic." 

The interview and the waiting period 

Both programs include an interview for shortlisted candidates. Nazia recalls that the panel focused on her motivation, the clarity of her goals, and the potential impact of her project. They were not trying to trip her up. They were trying to understand whether she genuinely believed in what she was proposing. 

Munni's interview board had four members, and the questions ranged widely: Why this program? How will you implement what you learn? What distinguishes you from other candidates? How would you relate your field to the US-Bangladesh cultural exchange? Her advice to prospective students is: prepare your answers, engage with the board as people rather than performing for them. 

Then came the waiting. For the Visiting Scholar Program, Nazia describes a span of roughly five to six months from submission to confirmation. Munni's timeline stretched nearly a year. She submitted in mid-May 2024, was shortlisted in September, outcomes published in October, and university placement confirmed in April 2025. 

"The anticipation and uncertainty feel very real, and you are bound to be consumed by negative thoughts and doubts," she says. She does not dress it up. But she also describes the moment of confirmation with a word: cathartic. "By then, you have invested so heavily and tirelessly into the whole process. It feels like a reward you have genuinely earned." 

A year at Mercer, a semester at Michigan State  

Nazia's research at Mercer is the kind that can be explained simply, even though it deals with a very important discussion of human health. Certain harmful bacteria release a toxin called LPS, which once it enters the bloodstream, can damage blood vessels. If not detected and treated early, the damage can be severe and may progress to vascular blockages, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. 

Nazia's work focused on a compound called Indole-3-Acetic Acid, or IAA, produced naturally by some good bacteria in the gut. Her research found that IAA reduces the harmful effects of LPS on blood vessels, pointing to an important and practical implication: diets rich in vegetables and foods that support a healthy gut microbiome may contribute to long-term cardiovascular health. She presented this work at the 2025 Mercer SOM-COP Joint Research Conference and won first place in Oral Presentation category. "It not only validated my research but also gave me confidence that I can compete at an international level," she says. 

Munni's semester at MSU has been harder to summarise. She is a graduate student, and it came with coursework, deadlines, grades, and the particular weight of being 8,000 miles from home in an academic space that operates on entirely different rhythms. She earned a 4.0 GPA in her first semester and also says that the first semester is the hardest. The imposter syndrome crept in. On the days it did, she reached out to her teachers and peers. "Everyone around me felt it too," she says. "It is a normal part of the process." She is also a Writing Center Consultant at the MSU Writing Center, working directly with students on their writing. 

You do not need a Nature paper 

One of the most persistent myths about Fulbright is that you need a sky-high CGPA, a first-author paper in a prestigious journal, a profile so extraordinary it almost doesn't feel real. Both scholars push back on this directly. 

"Fulbright does not require a Nature paper or an extensive list of first-author publications," Nazia says. What it values instead is coherence- a focused research direction, a well-designed proposal with clear, measurable outcomes, and a strong alignment between your past work, your chosen host lab, and your future goals. Ultimately, it is about demonstrating consistency, relevance, and a compelling research narrative, rather than simply the quantity of publications. 

Munni adds: the scholars she has met at Fulbright events have come from research institutes, government institutions, banks, and universities. Different disciplines, different profiles, different starting points. "It really comes down to why you think you need this degree, why it matters for your career, and how you envision your expertise contributing to your country and community." 

What comes next 

Nazia is back at East West University. She wants to continue building on her work in cardiovascular pharmacology, secure research funding, establish her independent lab, and train the next generation of pharmaceutical researchers in Bangladesh.

Munni is currently at Michigan State, still mid-journey. She is committed to returning and working on the writing infrastructure that Bangladeshi students need and don't have yet. She sees the Writing Corner at DU as a starting point, and the broader network of writing centers across Bangladeshi universities as a community she wants to serve. 

Near the end of the interview, Nazia was asked what question she wished we had asked but didn't. Her answer was: What advice would you give specifically to women pursuing research careers? "The path is not always easy for women, as it often comes with additional responsibilities alongside professional duties," she says. "However, it is important to stay focused, be patient, and keep trying without giving up."

Munni ends by saying that if you are considering applying for Fulbright, you are already on the right track. Something brought you here, to this article, to this thought. That curiosity is worth following. 

She is right. And so is Nazia. Both of them were, once, exactly where you are now.