External Funding for Graduate Students

 

Academic Year Scholarships
The American Association of University Women Educational Foundation awards fellowships for graduate and postgraduate studies to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.  Selection criteria include an outstanding academic record, professional potential, and the potential of the field of study to improve lives of women and girls in the country of origin. Awards: postdoctoral fellowships – $30,000; doctoral fellowships – $20,000; master’s fellowships – $18,000.

The American Council for Polish Culture provides a $5,000 award to a qualified student to support graduate studies. Applicants must be American citizens of Polish descent who have completed one year of studies at the graduate level.

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Diversity Fellowships provide funding of $17,000/year (plus tuition remission and health insurance) for three years of study in Ph.D. and Sc. D. programs. The awards are made regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation, however, membership in one or more of the following groups will be considered a positive factor in the application process: Alaska Natives (Eskimo or Aleut), Black/African Americans, Mexican Americans/Chicanas/Chicanos, Native American Indians, Native Pacific Islanders (Polynesian/Micronesian), Puerto Ricans.

Jacob K. Javits Fellowship is a multi-year award for graduate study. Awardees are selected on the basis of demonstrated achievement, financial need, and exceptional promise, to undertake graduate study in selected fields in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

The Kosciuszko Foundation Tuition Scholarship provides funding for full-time graduate studies in the United States or Poland.  Scholarships range from $1,000 to $7,000. Applicants must be of Polish descent, and a U. S. citizen or permanent res­ident of Polish descent; an undergraduate senior or graduate student; and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.

National Security Education Program (NSEP), David L. Boren Fellowship awards fellowships to graduate students to study a contemporary language and culture in an area of the world other than western Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Awards are made for a minimum of one and a maximum of six academic semesters (24 months). Support for language or area study coursework at your home university is $2,000 per semester. Overseas study is based on program expenses for a maximum of $10,000 per semester for up to two semesters.  All recipients of Boren awards must seek employment with an agency or office of the federal government involved in national security affairs.

The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans provide funding of $20,000 and partial tuition remission for up to two years of graduate study in professional or academic programs. Eligible candidates must be a Green Card holder, a naturalized US citizen, or the child of naturalized parents; be no older than 30 years of age; demonstrate the relevance of graduate study to their long-term career goals and potential to contribute to society.

The School of Russian and Asian Studies (SRAS) celebrates of the return of VESTNIK, The Journal of Russian and Asian Studies, the world's first online journal focused on showcasing student research on Eurasia.

Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship supports students preparing to enter the United States Foreign Service. The award includes tuition, room, board, and mandatory fees during the junior and senior years of college and during the first year of graduate (Master’s) study.

Internships
The Alfa Fellowship Program provides U.S. professionals with a year-long opportunity to live and work in Russia. Qualified candidates will have Russian language skills, as well as a graduate degree or at least two years of professional experience in business, economics, journalism/mass communications, international relations, political science, government, or public policy.

Central Intelligence Agency Graduate Studies Programs offers paid student internships of various duration for undergraduate and graduate students. Applicants must be US citizens and should have a strong academic record (3.0 GPA or better).

The New Voices National Fellowship Program offers leadership and employment opportunities to recent graduates of undergraduate and graduate programs, and others interested in pursuing a career in social justice. The prospective fellow should apply for the fellowship jointly with a nonprofit organization that would host her/him.
 
Research and Study Abroad
American Councils for International Education ACTR/ACCELS is now accepting applications for its Title VIII Grants for Research and Advanced Language Training programs in Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Southeast Europe, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine. See a full list of countries eligible for each research fellowship. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for these awards. Fellowships will be offered in two categories. Funding for these programs is available through American Councils from the U.S. Department of State’s Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII). All competitions for funding are open and merit based. All applications will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, or disability. Read the application instructions
 
  • Title VIII Research Scholar Program provides full support for three- to nine-month research trips to Russia, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Southeast Europe, Ukraine, and Moldova. Fellowships include roundtrip international travel, housing and living stipend, visa support, medical insurance, archive access, and logistical support in the field. Open to U.S. graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, and faculty.
  • Title VIII Combined Research and Language Training Program provides full support for research and up to ten academic hours per week of advanced language instruction for three-to-nine months in Russia, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Southeast Europe, Ukraine, and Moldova. Fellowships include roundtrip international travel, housing and living stipend, tuition, visa support, medical insurance, archive access, and logistical support in the field. Open to U.S. graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, and faculty.

The American Councils Eurasian Regional Language Program (ERLP) provides graduate students, advanced undergraduates, scholars, and working professionals intensive individualized instruction in the languages of Eurasia. Participants may enroll in semester, academic year, or summer programs. All courses are conducted by expert faculty from leading local universities and educational institutions. American Councils currently offers study abroad programs in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine. Participants can study Armenian, Azeri, Buryat, Chechen, Georgian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Persian (Dari, Farsi, Tajiki), Romanian, Tatar, Turkmen, Tuvan, Ukrainian, Uzbek or Yakut.

The American Councils Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) serves both graduate and undergraduate students. The academic program is designed to improve participants’ oral, listening, reading, and writing proficiency in Russian language and to develop their knowledge of Russian history, politics, culture, and society. The academic year, semester, and summer programs provide approximately twenty hours per week of in-class instruction in Russian grammar, phonetics, conversation, and cultural studies at Moscow International University, the Russian State Pedagogical University (Gertsen Institute) in St. Petersburg, and the KORA Center for Russian Language in Vladimir. One day per week of the academic program is set aside for local cultural excursions.

Central European University is a US-style, internationally recognized institution of post-graduate education in the social sciences and humanities. The summer school is an international program in English for graduate students, junior or post-doctoral researchers, faculty and professionals in the social sciences and humanities. It draws its student body of around 500 participants annually from more than 80 countries and its faculty from over 40 countries. The summer school offers 19 high-level, research-oriented, interdisciplinary academic courses as well as workshops on policy issues for professional development, taught by internationally renowned scholars and policy experts (including CEU faculty). Application from all over the world is encouraged. Financial aid is available.

Council for European Studies Pre-dissertation Fellowship Program provides students with the opportunity to develop the skills required to undertake doctoral research through preliminary library research and field-site investigations.  Eligibility is limited to doctoral students who have completed the majority of their coursework and whose universities are members of the Council.

Institute of Current World Affairs / John O. Crane Memorial Fellowship provides fellowships for self-designed independent study abroad for a minimum period of two years to young women and men under 36 years of age who demonstrate initiative, integrity, outstanding character, good communications skills, seriousness of purpose, and enthusiasm for their chosen fields.

The International Research and Exchange Board (IREX) offers multiple programs for U.S. and foreign scholar.

  • Individual Advanced Research Opportunites (IARO) provide grants of two to nine months for doctoral students and senior scholars for research at institutions in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia.
  • Short Term Travel Grants (STG) provide grants for scholarly projects of up to two months focusing on Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia.

The School of Russian and Asian Studies (SRAS) lists scholarships, aid, and grant programs that can help fund study abroad to Russia and other former Soviet states. Most are specifically for US citizens.

  • Charles Braver Language Exploration Grant is intended to offset the costs of SRAS study abroad programs for students who demonstrate clear goals in gaining an understanding of Russia or Central Asia, the people who live there and the languages they speak. Grants may be used to study Russian, Kyrgyz, and/or Mandarin Chinese.
  • Research Abroad Grant will award $1,000 to upperclassman and graduate students who will conduct research in Russia or Kyrgyzstan over the 2011-2012 school year.

United States Institute of Peace (USIP): Jennings Randolph Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellowship supports one year of dissertation research and writing on international conflict, conflict resolution, and peace initiatives. Successful candidates must be A.B.D. by the time their fellowship begins. The award carries a $17,000 stipend. There are no citizenship requirements.

Dissertation Writing and Post-Doctoral Fellowships
The American Research Center in Sofia (ARCS) invites applications for its new “Residential Fellowship for Southeast European Scholars.” The Fellowship is available to PhD candidates and young postdoctoral scholars whose research specialties are in archaeology, history, art/architectural history, cultural anthropology/ethnography, museum studies, or cultural heritage management with a geographic focus on the Balkans (prehistory to present day).

Council for European Studies offers three different kinds of pre-dissertation research fellowships, all designed to support early dissertation research on topics in European Studies, as well as a dissertation completion fellowship, designed to aid late-stage graduate students in completing their dissertation and completing their graduate studies.

The Havighurst Center Post Doctoral Fellowship supports junior scholars of exceptional promise in all areas of academic study related to Russia and other post-Soviet countries.  Fellowships are for one year, but may be renewed for a second year.  Fellows normally teach four 15 week courses in the field of their primary research interest per year and assist in developing Havighurst programs in the area of their interest.  There are no citizenship requirements.

Human Rights Watch Fellowship Program awards paid fellowships with benefits to recent graduates of law schools or graduate programs (master's degree and above) in journalism, international relations, area studies, or other relevant disciplines.  Fellows work full time for one year at Human Rights Watch, based in New York City or Washington, D.C., and monitor human rights developments in various countries, conduct on-site investigations, draft reports on human rights conditions, and engage in advocacy aimed at publicizing and curtailing human rights violations.

The Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies offers multiple grant opportunities for research related to Russia and the Soviet successor states, as well as paid research assistant positions.

  • Title VIII Research Scholarships lasting three to nine months are available to academic participants in the early stages of their career (before tenure) or scholars whose careers have been interrupted or delayed.  Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or permanent residents.  The Title VIII Research Scholar grant offers a stipend of $3,000 per month, research facilities, word processing support, and some research assistance.
  • Short-Term Grants (up to one month's duration) for scholars who demonstrate a particular need to utilize the library, archival, and other specialized resources of the Washington, D.C. area.  Short-Term Grants provide a stipend of $100 per day.  There are no citizenship requirements.

The Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships are designed to assist graduate students in the humanities and social sciences during the last year of Ph.D. dissertation writing.  Applicants must complete their dissertations within the period of their fellowship tenure or shortly thereafter.  Awards include university fees, research support, and stipend up to $33,000.

Presidential Management Fellows serve 2-year internships with federal departments and agencies, with assignments related to domestic or international issues, technological changes, criminal justice, health research, financial management, and many other fields of public service.  Graduate students who are completing or are expecting to complete a master’s or doctoral degree during the current academic year are eligible to seek nominations from their academic program.

The Wilson Center East European Studies Short-term Grants support scholars, including advanced graduate students, who require specialized access to Washington, DC and its research institutions.  Grants are for one month and do not include residence at the Wilson Center.

Workshops and Other Training Opportunities
East European Studies Junior Scholar Training Seminar was organized by the East European Studies of the Woodrow Wilson Center and the Committee on Eastern European Studies of the American Council of Learned Societies and brings together junior and senior scholars for a week of presentations and constructive feedback on junior scholars’ research, advice regarding publishing, and discussions about the state of the discipline and employment possibilities.

The Summer Research Laboratory on Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia (SRL), held at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is a multi-week program of workshops and independent library research. Associates are given full access to the collection and resources of the University of Illinois Library, the largest Slavic collection west of Washington, DC, and are able to seek advice from the reference librarians of the Slavic and East European Library. Participation is open to graduate students, Ph.D. recipients employed within and outside of academia, regional specialists, area librarians, and other specialists.

The Summer Translation Program (STP) is hosted by the Department of Foreign Languages at Western Michigan University and offers a unique opportunity for advanced language learners and professionals to improve their translation skills while working on their language proficiency. This program is unique in that it provides intensive translation training in Arabic, Japanese, and Russian, which is only available in a handful of graduate programs in the United States, despite the high demand for translators. In order to do translation accurately and efficiently, it is necessary to develop special skills above and beyond the skills you have already developed in your language studies. Come join us at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo for a four-week summer intensive program that will teach you about the business and practice of translation.