Undergraduate Funding Opportunities

For Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellowships, see our dedicated FLAS page. Graduate students, please see our Graduate Student Funding page.

Deadline

Spring

Who is Eligible?

Full-time, Degree-Seeking Student, Undergraduate.

Requirements/Intended Use of Funds

Must have GPA 3.0 & studying abroad through the University of Exeter exchange program are eligible.

Max Funding

£630.00

More Information

To learn more and apply contact the Study Abroad Office.

Deadline

Summer beginning March & Full year Mid February

Who is Eligible?

Pitt Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Requirements/Intended Use of Funds

To devote full time attention to their chosen modern foreign language and area studies specialty.

Max Funding

Summer Tuition $5,000 Stipend $2,500.00 & Full year Tuition $10,000.00 Stipend $5,000.00

More Information

To learn more and apply see https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/main/FLAS-fellowships.

Deadline

Fall and spring.

Who is Eligible?

U.S.-based undergraduates.

Requirements/Intended Use of Funds

Must have at least a 2.8 GPA with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study overseas in East or Southeast Asia. The program’s goal is to increase the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents with first-hand exposure to and understanding of Asia and its peoples and cultures.

Max Funding

Summer $3000 | Semester $5,000 | Year $7,000

More Information

To learn more and apply contact the Study Abroad Office.

Deadline

Spring

Who is Eligible?

Full-time, Degree-Seeking Student, Undergraduate.

Requirements/Intended Use of Funds

Study abroad program must be eligible for credit at the student’s home institution. Study abroad program must be at least 4 weeks (28 days) in country/countries.

Max Funding

Varies

More Information

To learn more and apply contact the Study Abroad Office.

Deadline

Spring - to be announced

Who is Eligible?

Undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in a GSC academic program.

Requirements/Intended Use of Funds

Must be currently enrolled in, and must demonstrate progress towards completing, one of the following: Undergraduate Certificate, Graduate Certificate, or Bachelor of Philosophy in International and Area Studies (BPhil-IAS), Global Studies Track. Minimum QPA: Undergraduate Certificate students: 3.0; Graduate Certificate and BPhil students: 3.5. Note: First-term students are not eligible to be GSSAs; please apply after grades for the first term have been received.

Max Funding

Partial term's tuition.

More Information

To learn more and apply visit the Global Studies Center.

Deadline

Variable

Who is Eligible?

Any student currently enrolled in an American institution who wants to study abroad.

Requirements/Intended Use of Funds

Study abroad.

Max Funding

$500.00

More Information

To learn more and apply contact the Study Abroad Office.

Deadline

Early March

Who is Eligible?

Undergraduate students (though preference is given to students enrolled in the West European Studies, European Union Studies, Mediterranean Studies, and Transatlantic Studies programs, as well as the Related Concentration in European and Eurasian Studies program).

Requirements/Intended Use of Funds

This award supports participating in study abroad (both Pitt and non-Pitt programs), internships and directed research in Europe..

Max Funding

$1,000.00

More Information

To learn more and apply visit the European Studies Center.

Deadline

Mid March
 

Who Is Eligible?

Students must be enrolled in an approved degree program at the University of Pittsburgh.
 

Requirements/Intended Use of Funds

Funding for undergraduate students conducting research on the INPAC region.

Max Funding

$1,000.00
 

More Information

To learn more and apply visit the Asian Studies Center.

Deadline

Early March

Who is Eligible?

Swanson School of Engineering undergraduate, graduate or doctoral students.

Requirements/Intended Use of Funds

Must be attending a university in the United States and whose minor, major, masters or doctoral degree is in the field of engineering, and who will seek to participate in global learning experiences in Asia.

Max Funding

$1,000.00

More Information

To learn more and apply contact the Study Abroad Office.

International Studies Fund (ISF)

The International Studies Fund (ISF) is intended to help students at the University of Pittsburgh conduct research on international issues or in international settings and/or with international collaborators. “International” is defined as relating to another country or culture, comparative analysis covering more than one country or culture, studies of international relations or of transnational activities, or studies which examine topics related to global issues or collaborative projects with partners around the world.

Please note: the application requires a faculty recommendation. The online application system will only prompt your selected faculty to submit the required recommendation upon your submission of the application. You should, therefore, aim to submit your application with ample time for faculty to submit the recommendation by the deadline (the last Monday of March).

Important: ISF grants may not be used for tuition, language study, internships and other non-research related expenses. Conference, workshop or symposium travel is not eligible for funding under the ISF program.

See below for application form and procedure.

Eligibility

Full-time graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Pittsburgh from all Schools and Campuses are eligible to submit a proposal, including international degree-seeking students. Visiting, non-degree, and post-doctoral students are not eligible to apply.

Awardees must be enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh when applying and when using the award.

Only one International Studies Fund award per student and fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) is allowed.

Evaluation Criteria

The ISF selection committee uses the following criteria in evaluating proposals:

  • Is this an original and important project?
  • Does the proposal include sufficient information about the project?
  • Is the information clearly presented and understandable to non-specialists?
  • Are the activities proposed appropriate to the overall project?
  • Will the project lead to or conclude a larger overall agenda?
  • Is the proposed budget reasonable for the activities proposed?
  • If there is research involving interventions or interactions with individuals or the collection of identifiable private information concerning living individuals, has the applicant enclosed proof of IRB clearance?

Amount of Grant

The maximum grant amount is $1,000. Because of the limited availability of funds, smaller requests may be more likely to be funded. Grants awarded must be used by June 30 of the next calendar year.

Allowable Expenses

  • Ground and air transportation to and from research site.
  • Lodging and meal expenses while conducting research.
  • Copy and other duplication costs.
  • Books and subscriptions, if justifiably necessary for the research project.
  • Foreign language tutoring or translation if justifiably necessary for research.
  • Visa and immunization expenses.

Non-allowable Expenses

  • Travel expenses for individuals other than the applicant.
  • Equipment.
  • Membership fees.
  • Tuition or course fees.
  • Travel and living expenses for non-research related activities

Travel Warnings and Restrictions

Student applicants should carefully consider requesting funds to travel to countries with a level 3 State Department travel advisory; UCIS may use that as one criterion when considering applications.  No requests for support for travel to countries with a level 4 State Department advisory will be considered.

Grantee Obligations

  • All research involving interventions or interactions with individuals or the collection of identifiable private information concerning living individuals requires prospective Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Grantees are responsible for obtaining IRB approval when required, and must provide documentation of IRB approval before a grant can be awarded. For further information, check the IRB web site at www.irb.pitt.edu. Priority will be given to the applicants who include proof of IRB clearance with applications.  Applicants who are in some stage of the review process with IRB are also encouraged to provide proof of this process.  If IRB approval cannot be obtained prior to the ISF deadline due to circumstances outside the applicant’s control, a written explanation with expected approval date must be attached to the application.
  • Grantees are required to submit a final report explaining the use of the funds and the outcomes of the supported activity no later than one month after the activity is completed. Failure to submit a final report will disqualify the ISF recipient from future ISF competitions.
  • Grantees may be invited to present their work, or otherwise share their expertise, by any of the centers or programs housed within UCIS.

Application Procedure

Applications are to be completed online.  The first time that you access one of the following application forms, you will be directed to a welcome screen at our partner, Submittable.com and invited to create a new user account.  After completing this simple process, you will be shown the application form.

Please note:

  • This application requires that you upload multiple pieces of supporting documentation, notably the ISF Budget Spreadsheet, evidence of Institutional Review Board clearance, and an 1100-word (maximum) proposal narrative.  Preparing those documents in advance will likely simplify the application process for you.  You will be able to save your application mid-stream and then return to it before final submission.
  • We are now requiring a letter of recommendation from a faculty member (at Pitt or from another accredited institution) as part of your application materials. Faculty are expected to attest to their willingness to mentor the applicant and elaborate on the originality of the research project.

ISF Application Form

Applications will be reviewed by committee. Awardees will be notified approximately four weeks after the deadline.

Deadline

Last Monday of March, annually.

Contact

Allyson Delnore
adelnore@pitt.edu
University Center for International Studies
4400 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15260