Industry and Fulbright sign agreement for training scholarships in the US.

The Official State Gazette publishes this Friday, August 28, 2026, in issue number 212, the Resolution of August 26, 2026, of the Undersecretariat, which publicizes the framework collaboration agreement between the Ministry of Industry and Tourism and the Commission for Cultural, Educational and Scientific Exchange between Spain and the United States of America (the Fulbright Commission). The agreement, signed on July 27, 2026, regulates the call for training grants in the United States for the 2027/2028 academic year and subsequent years.

The resolution, issued by the Undersecretary of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts, Alberto Herrera Rodríguez, is published in compliance with article 48.8 of Law 40/2015, of October 1, on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, and its official reference is BOE-A-2026-18275 (Sec. III, page 117107).

A new framework for personnel training

The agreement replaces the one signed on September 20, 2019, between the then Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism and the Fulbright Commission, which had been extended until September 19, 2027. Since the grant for the 2027/2028 academic year will extend until August 2028, beyond the validity period of the previous agreement, both parties considered it necessary to sign this new instrument to serve as the basis for future calls.

The agreement is part of the department’s human resources policy, which considers the technical-professional improvement of its employees a priority, and is governed by Law 38/2003, of November 17, General Law on Subsidies. Until new regulatory bases are approved, the calls will be drafted in accordance with Order ICT/642/2022, of July 4.

Up to five annual grants

The Ministry of Industry and Tourism, in collaboration with the Fulbright Commission, will annually announce a maximum of five grants intended for public employees of the department or its linked or dependent bodies and entities under public law. The grants may be new or renewals, for full or partial amounts, within the Grant Program for the expansion of postgraduate studies in the United States.

• The grants will be allocated to the Ministry’s areas of competence, adaptable by the Monitoring Committee according to changes in structures and competencies.
• The cost of each grant covers maintenance, tuition, insurance and fees, international travel, initial installation, books, and family allowances.
• Indirect management costs are set at 14% of the annual budget, revisable up to 16%.
• Funding is provided by the credits of the Undersecretariat and, where applicable, the State Secretariats of the department.

Program management and services

The Fulbright Commission acts as a collaborating entity and is responsible for the management of scholarships, pre-registration and enrollment, the verification of studies, and the justification of funds to the Ministry. The Fulbright Program also offers services funded by the United States Government, including:

• Support and guidance through a network of regional offices in the US.
• Seminars and cultural and scientific activities.
• Issuance of documentation for the “Exchange Visitor (J-1)” visa.
• An academic orientation course prior to the start of the scholarship.
• Liaison with US institutions to seek co-financing for tuition.

The agreement, signed by the Undersecretary of Industry and Tourism, Pablo Garde Lobo, and the co-chairs of the Fulbright Commission, Santiago Herrero Amigo and Michelle L. Riebeling, will be valid for four years, extendable up to a maximum of six. The final granting of each scholarship corresponds to the holder of the Undersecretariat of Industry and Tourism, following the ratification of the projects by the Fulbright Commission and the United States Department of State.

Relevance of the agreement

This agreement consolidates a line of educational cooperation between Spain and the United States that allows public employees of the Ministry of Industry and Tourism to expand their training at US universities, reinforcing the technical capacity of the department in a context of increasing internationalization of industry and tourism. Publication in the BOE guarantees the transparency and legal certainty of the scholarship program for the coming academic years.

Source: Official State Gazette (BOE), no. 212, Friday, August 28, 2026, Sec. III, p. 117107 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-18275).