The following types of fellowships are available. Please note that the amounts listed below are maximum amounts for each category—the actual award amount may be less depending upon available funds.
Summer Language Training Fellowship*: Offered to affiliated graduate students for the study of one of the languages of the former Soviet Union or East Central Europe. Up to $4,000 to cover expenses for foreign**, U.S. domestic, or online programs. Preference is given to students enrolling in intensive programs of at least 3-4 weeks in duration. Please be sure to specify the language program, language level, and the need to learn the language in relation to your research. (A student may not receive more than two Summer Language Training Fellowships for the same language during their time at ISEEES.)
Summer Research Fellowship *: Available to affiliated graduate students for field research abroad** or special research projects in the United States that contribute to the dissertation. Up to $4,000 to cover expenses. Preference is given to candidates near the completion of their dissertations. Please be sure to specify the nature of your research in your application. (A student may not receive more than two Summer Research Fellowships during their time at ISEEES.)
Academic Year Dissertation Fellowship*: Affiliated graduate students who have advanced to candidacy may apply. Available for one or two semesters of support during the Academic Year (the two semesters do not need to be consecutive). Up to $8,000/semester to cover tuition, fees, or other expenses. (A student may not receive more than two semesters of Dissertation Fellowship support during their time at ISEEES.)
The online application (early-March) will ask you for the following:
1. A statement of purpose, including academic plans for the period of the award and, if appropriate, a brief summary of the dissertation project. An application for a Summer Language Training Fellowship must also indicate the language program, language level, and the need to learn the language in relation to your research.
2. A statement indicating ways in which, over the past year, you have actively participated in the ISEEES community, including contributions to the ISEEES Newsletter, attendance at ISEEES-sponsored talks or seminars, participation in ISEEES-sponsored student working groups, etc.
3. A budget of estimated expenses that the award is meant to cover, e.g., tuition, fees, airfare, living costs, language program fees, research-related materials and incidentals, etc.
4. If you are applying for a Dissertation Fellowship, include a list of all other fellowships and grants for which you’ve applied for the upcoming academic year, the expected amount of those grants, the current status of those applications, and whether you have a commitment from your department to a GSI/GSRship or the possibility of a GSI/GSRship (or any other possible sources of funding that you are exploring). If you are applying for a Summer Language Training Fellowship or a Summer Research Fellowship, include a list of all other summer fellowships and grants for which you have applied this year, e.g., Summer FLAS, Title VIII, Title VIII "portable," departmental support, other campus unit support, other external support, etc.; the expected amounts of those grants; and the current status of those applications. For Summer Language Training Fellowships, you must demonstrate that you have also applied for funding from other sources for which you would be eligible, e.g., Summer FLAS at a domestic institution, Title VIII funding, etc.
5. A graduate transcript (a non-official copy is sufficient).
6. If you are applying for a Dissertation Fellowship, a letter of recommendation from your Faculty Adviser. Support from your faculty adviser is weighed heavily in the selection process, as is participation in ISEEES programs and events. You may provide the letter of recommendation with your application, or you may have your faculty adviser e-mail the letter directly to ISEEES Executive Director Jeff Pennington at jpennington@berkeley.edu.
If you are applying for a Summer Language Training Fellowship or a Summer Research Fellowship, no letter of recommendation is required at this time. Instead, provide the name and email address for one Faculty Reference whom the selection committee could contact for further information about your proposed project. This should be someone who is familiar with your research and academic progress.
As you know, in addition to attendance at ISEEES events and active participation in ISEEES programs, e.g., student working groups, occasional seminars, contributions to the ISEEES Newsletter, we weigh “due diligence” heavily, so do your best to explore and apply for alternative funding. ISEEES funds are limited, and we operate on a "funder of last resort" principle.
Decisions are typically made before the end of the Spring semester - the announcement will include an official deadline. For academic year fellowships, we will wait until all applicants have heard from other possible funding sources before making our final decision (in accordance with our “funder of last resort” philosophy). We therefore probably will not make final decisions for AY funding until early June or possibly later. ALL fellowship recipients will be expected to submit a 1-to-3-page “Field Report”*** following the conclusion of their fellowship, in which we ask recipients to write about their experiences while conducting research or learning the language in the place they were. We ask that this be in a form that could eventually be published as a vignette in the ISEEES Newsletter.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact ISEEES Executive Director Jeff Pennington at jpennington@berkeley.edu.
*It is the applicant’s responsibility to consult with their department’s Graduate Student Advisor to determine if the registration status they will be in during the time of the fellowship will allow them to receive a fellowship.
**Funding for travel abroad is dependent upon university policy. Any student considered for a research project or language program abroad must be in compliance with university policy regarding foreign travel, found on the International Travel Resources of the Berkeley Global Engagement website and the International Travel Protocol & Essential Travel page.
***For more information about possible formats of a field report, please feel free to contact ISEEES Executive Director Jeff Pennington (jpennington@berkeley.edu).
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