American Councils Research Scholar Program

Website: www.americancouncils.org
Application deadlines: October 1 for spring and summer programs; January 15 for fall and academic year programs

American Councils is pleased to announce that applications for its 2008-2009 Research Scholar Program are now available. Applications for spring and summer programs are due October 1; applications for fall and academic year programs are due January 15.
The American Councils Research Scholar Program provides full support for graduate students, faculty, and post-doctoral scholars seeking to conduct policy-relevant research for three to nine months in Belarus, Central Asia, Russia, the South Caucasus, Ukraine, and Moldova. Scholars may apply for support for research in more than one country during a single trip, provided they intend to work in the field for a total of three to nine months.

Post-doctoral scholars interested in policy-relevant, field-based research in Central Asia and the South Caucasus should apply for the Title VIII Special Initiatives Fellowship. Graduate students, faculty, and post-doctoral scholars interested in advanced language instruction in addition to support for field research in Belarus, Central Asis, Russia, the South Caucasus, Ukraine, and Moldova should apply for the Title VIII Combined Research and Language Training program.

Award Components: The total value of Title VIII Research Scholar fellowships, administered by American Councils, ranges from $5,000 to $25,000. Typical awards include:

• International roundtrip airfare from the scholar's home city to his/her host city overseas
• Academic affiliation at a leading local university
  Visa(s) arranged by American Councils in direct collaboration with academic host institutions in order to facilitate archive access and guarantee timely visa registration
• Opportunity for housing with a local host family
  A living stipend
• Financial and logistical support for travel within the region as required by research
• Health insurance of up to $100,000 per accident or illness
• Ongoing logistical support from American Councils offices throughout the region, including in-country orientation and 24-hour emergency aid

Application Requirements: Scholars in the social sciences and humanities are eligible to apply for the program. While a wide-range of topics receive support each year, all funded research must contribute to a body of knowledge enabling the U.S. to better understand the region and formulate effective policies within it. All applicants should clearly describe the policy-relevance of their work, be it in anthropology, history, international relations, political science, or some other field.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. All competitions for funding are open and merit based. All applications will receive consideration without regard to any non-merit factors such as race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, age (with authorized exceptions), political affiliation, or disability. Funding for this program is made available by the U.S.

Department of State’s Program for the Study of Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII).

Applications are available for download at www.americancouncils.org or by contacting the American Councils Outbound Office.