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Summer FLAS Fellowships

CLAS Summer Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships

We are pleased to announce the opening of competi­tion for the SUMMER Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (F­LASFs) for 2023.  The FLASFs are authorized under Title VI of the Higher Education Act and are administered by the U.S. Department of Education.  The purpose of the FLASF program is:  "To assist in the development of knowledge, resources, and trained personnel for modern foreign language and area studies, to stimulate the attainment of foreign language acquisition and fluency, and to develop a pool of international experts to meet national needs."  These fellowships are for U.S. citizens or permanent residents only.

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), University of Pittsburgh, will award FLASFs to undergraduate and graduate students for an intensive program of language study in Portuguese, Quechua, or Haitian Creole (for other languages check with the CLAS Academic advisor first).  The study program is to provide the fellowship recipient with the equivalent of one academic year of foreign language study.

 

DEADLINE: Friday, February 17, 2023

 

Eligibility

  1. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents
  2. Candidates must be enrolled as full-time undergraduate or graduate student during the period of award

Requirements

  1. The language program must consist of:
    1. at least 140 hours for beginning/intermediate courses
    2. 120 hours for advanced level courses.
  2. The language program must last a minimum of 6 weeks.
  3. The course must be taken for a letter grade that is based on tests administered during the course.
  4. Programs in the U.S. and abroad:
    • Fellowships may be used in the U.S. for any level.
    • Fellowships can only be used abroad for advanced level. The only exception is if the beginner/intermediate language level program is not being offered domestically (e.g. if there are no Quechua programs being offered in the U.S. a beginner level student may go to a program abroad).

Program Option:

  • An intensive program in beginning, intermediate and advanced Ecuadorian Kichwa taught in a community where Kichwa is the language of everyday conversation. This program is offered by the Andes and Amazon Field School. Program web site: https://www.andes-fieldschool.org/

Selection

The selection of fellowship recipients and alternates will be made by a ­committee composed of three CLAS faculty members from the departments of languages and linguistics.  Luis Van Fossen Bravo, Assistant Director of Academic Affairs of the Center for Latin American Studies, will be the non-voting coordina­tor.  The committee will meet in late February or early March; applicants will be ranked accord­ing to the contents of their files.  All applicants will be notified of the committee’s decisions in late March or early April.

The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has indicated that preference must be given to applicants who will study a less or least-commonly-taught language (which includes Portuguese, Haitian Creole and Amerindian languages). 

The Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships are funded by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE).  Final approval of the candidates and their proposed language program will be done by the Latin American Program Officer of USDE.

Benefits

Recipients will receive a stipend of $2,500 and up to $5,000 for tuition and fees for the proposed program of study.

To Apply

The following documents comprise a complete application:

  1. Fill out the online Summer FLASF application form
  2. Curriculum vitae (maximum of two pages)
  3. Undergraduate and graduate transcripts (submitted separately via e-mail to bravo@pitt.edu
  4. Brief statement (3 page maximum): history of languages previously studied (number of years of study and current ability in those languages) AND how the language that you propose to study with this fellowship fits into your study plans and career objectives.
  5. Two letters of recommendation from faculty members
  6. Webpage of the language program in which you intend to study
    (NOTE: The number of contact hours, the dates, and the cost of tuition and fees only must be clearly specified.  If this information is not contained in the webpage, an e-mail or fax from the school giving this data can supplement the flyer.)

DEADLINE: Friday, February 17, 2023