Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships
For general study abroad funding and scholarship opportunities: ACTFL: Lead with Arabic
Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) Research Grant
To stimulate new and diverse lines of discourse about the Middle East and Africa, ASMEA’s Research Grants Program supports research on topics that deserved greater attention. Grants of up to $2500 are awarded. Applicants must be enrolled in a Ph.D. program or serve in a post-doc capacity.
AIYS US Scholars Fellowship for Yemini Studies
The American Institute for Yemini Studies (AIYS) holds an annual fellowship competition supporting research on Yemen and the Yemini Studies for U.S. citizens funded by grants from the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
The Gilman Scholarship Program broadens the student population that studies and interns abroad by supporting undergraduates who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints. The program aims to encourage students to study and intern in a diverse array of countries or areas and world regions. The program also encourages students to study languages, especially critical need languages (those deemed important to national security).
This fellowship funds research and language study proposals by U.S. graduate students in world regions critical to U.S. interests. Maximum awards are determined by duration abroad: Up to $24,000 for 25-52 weeks abroad (preferred), up to $12,000 for 12-24 weeks, or up to $12,000 for domestic language study (optional). In exchange for funding, Boren Awards recipients commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation. Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate a longer term commitment to government service.
NSEP awards Boren Scholarships to America's future leaders - undergraduate students committed to long-term, overseas immersive language study and to public service. This scholarship funds study abroad for U.S. undergraduate students in world regions critical to U.S. interests. Maximum awards are determined by duration abroad: Up to $20,000 for 25-52 weeks (preferred), up to $10,000 for 12-24 weeks, or up to $8,000 for 8-11 weeks (STEM majors only).
CAORC Multi-Country Research Fellowship Program
This fellowship supports advanced regional or trans-regional research in the humanities, social sciences, or allied natural sciences for U.S. doctoral candidates and scholars who have already earned their PhD. Applicants are eligible to apply as individuals or in teams. Scholars must carry out research in two or more countries outside the United States, at least one of which hosts a participating American overseas research center. Approximately nine awards of up to $12,000 each will be given.
CAORC National Endowment for the Humanities Research Fellowship Program
This fellowship supports advanced research in the humanities for U.S. postdoctoral scholars, and foreign national postdoctoral scholars who have been residents in the U.S. for three or more years. Scholars must carry out research in a country which hosts a participating American overseas research center. Fellowship stipends are $5,000 per month for four to six consecutive months.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program
Each year the endowment offers approximately 10-12 one-year fellowships to uniquely qualified graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year. They are selected from a pool of nominees from close to 400 participating colleges. Carnegie junior fellows work as research assistants to the endowment's senior associates. Those who have begun graduate studies are not eligible for consideration. See your school’s nominating official to learn more about the college application process.
Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowships
The Rangel Graduate Fellowship is a program that aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State in which they can help formulate, represent and implement U.S. foreign policy. The Rangel Program selects outstanding Rangel Fellows annually in a highly competitive nationwide process and supports them through two years of graduate study, internships, mentoring, and professional development activities. This program encourages the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, women, and those with financial need. Fellows who successfully complete the program and Foreign Service entry requirements will receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers, in accordance with applicable law and State Department policy.
In addition to CAORC Fellowships, each Overseas Research Center offers fellowships, grants, and language and cultural programs specific to its region. Browse their website to learn about opportunities in your region of interest.
Council on Foreign Relations Fellowships
The Council on Foreign Relations’ (CFR) International Affairs Fellowship Program offers unique opportunities for mid-career professionals focusing on international relations. Established in 1967, the International Affairs Fellowship (IAF) is the hallmark fellowship program of CFR. It aims to bridge the gap between the study and making of U.S. foreign policy by creating the next generation of scholar-practitioners. The program offers its fellows the unique chance to experience a new field and gain a different perspective at a pivotal moment in their careers. Academics are thus placed in public service and policy-oriented settings, while government officials are placed in scholarly settings. The duration of each fellowship is generally twelve months. The program awards a stipend, which varies with each fellowship. Fellows are considered independent contractors rather than employees of CFR.
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a summer study abroad opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages essential to America’s engagement with the world. The CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. Students of diverse disciplines and majors are encouraged to apply. Participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period, and later apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.
Fulbright U.S. Student Program
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs in over 140 countries. A candidate will submit a Statement of Grant Purpose defining activities to take place during one academic year in a participating country outside the U.S. A network of over 1,650 volunteer Fulbright Program Advisers on campuses nationwide assist in the recruitment and advisement of applicants.
Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) Scholarship
The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) invests in promising students with financial need who wish to study abroad. Potential applicants who meet their eligibility requirements may participate on any international education program that meets their academic objectives. Scholarships range from $1,250 – $5,000 and can be applied for programs that run for at least 28 days.
Golden Key Study Abroad Awards
This is a listing of Golden Key’s funding opportunities to travel abroad. Golden Key offers unique scholarships, awards and grants to members, alumni and advisors all over the world. Please check back regularly as scholarships are added throughout the year.
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation - the federal memorial to our thirty-third President - awards merit-based scholarships to college students who plan to pursue careers in government or elsewhere in public service. Truman Scholars receive up to $30,000 for graduate or professional school, participate in leadership development activities, and have special opportunities for internships and employment with the federal government.
Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship
The Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship Program invites recent college and graduate school alumni to apply for full-time, six- to nine-month fellowships in Washington, DC. Outstanding individuals will be selected to work with nonprofit, public-interest organizations addressing peace and security issues. Applications are especially encouraged from candidates with a strong interest in these issues who have prior experience with public-interest activism or advocacy.
HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Fellows Program, National Council on US-Arab Relations
In 2015, the National Council established the HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Fellows Program to enable emerging American educators to visit Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf countries. The fellowship program is designed to expose a new generation of American college and university faculty members to the Arab world through National Council study visits. The visits empower the educators to become ambassadors of goodwill who can transmit increased knowledge and understanding of the Arab world so as to counter any imagined "clash of civilizations" as well as counteract false stereotypes of Arab culture and civilization that have tainted American understanding of Islam and the Arab world.
Phi Kappa Phi Society Study Abroad Grants
Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants are designed to help support undergraduates as they seek knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad. One hundred twenty-five $1,000 grants are awarded each year. Applicants do not have to be Society members but must attend an institution with an active Phi Kappa Phi chapter.
The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program is a program funded by the US Department of State that attracts and prepares outstanding young people for Foreign Service careers in the US Department of State. It welcomes the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the State Department, women, and those with financial need. Upon successful completion of a two-year master’s degree program and fulfillment of Foreign Service entry requirements, fellows agree to a minimum five-year service commitment in the Department of States Foreign Service.
As part of its ongoing effort to inform public policy and decision making, the RAND Corporation offers a number of internship and fellowship programs. The Graduate Student Summer Associate Program allows outstanding students to conduct short-term independent research within the framework of an ongoing RAND project; these summer associates are mentored by RAND staff. Pardee RAND Graduate School students pursue their Ph.D. in policy analysis while working as assistant policy analysts on a variety of research projects at RAND. RAND also provides postdoctoral candidates with the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills through several RAND fellowships and programs.
Rotary Foundation Global Grants
Global grants support large international activities with sustainable, measurable outcomes in Rotary’s areas of focus. By working together to respond to real community needs, clubs and districts strengthen their global partnerships. Both the district or club in the country where the activity is carried out and the international partner district or club must first become qualified before applying for a global grant. Your club and district Rotary Foundation chairs can help you plan how to use your District Designated Funds and learn how to qualify your club.
Rotary peace fellowships are available to candidates who want to participate in a master’s degree or certificate program at one of our six partner universities. Through training, study, and practice, Rotary Peace Fellows become catalysts for peace and development. Many go on to careers with governments, NGOs, the military, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank.
Washington Institute for Near East Policy Soref Fellowship
The Washington Institute's Soref fellowship, a one-year research position with full stipend, is designated primarily for individuals who have already earned a master's or doctoral degree in U.S. foreign policy or Middle East studies. The fellowship is designed for those who are considering a career in government or journalism rather than in academia; it is not meant as a dissertation fellowship. Soref fellows conduct independent research and acquire first-hand knowledge of U.S. Middle East policymaking, contributing written analyses to the Institute's PolicyWatch series and publishing longer studies as monographs. The Washington Institute studies the Middle East in order to better support U.S. policy in the region, not to better understand its peoples. Research proposals, therefore, should cover a topic relevant to U.S. Middle East policymakers. Nationals of all countries are welcome to apply.