Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships
Deadline: January 29, 2010, 5 PM
NEW! FLAS FAQ-Please review before applying.
FLAS fellowships fund the study of Less Commonly Taught Languages and area studies coursework. This program provides academic year and summer fellowships to assist graduate students and advanced undergraduates in foreign language and area studies. The goals of the fellowship program include: (1) to assist in the development of knowledge, resources, and trained personnel for modern foreign language and area/international studies; (2) to stimulate the attainment of foreign language acquisition and fluency; and (3) to develop a pool of international experts to meet national needs.
There are two types of FLAS grants offered by CGI:
- Summer intensive language study. Grants provide ~$2,500 in stipend and full tuition (up to $4,000) for approved intensive summer language courses in the US or abroad.
- An academic year course of study that includes both language and area studies courses. Academic year grants provide ~ $15,000 in stipend plus full tuition and fees.
*NOTE: Stipend and tuition amounts are estimates only and may change for the 2010-2011 AY.
The Center for Global Initiatives' priority languages are Kiswahili, Arabic and Lingala. CGI is also accepting applications on behalf of the African Studies Center and the Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations (priority languages include Arabic, Lingala, Swahili as well as Wolof, Persian, Turkish, Modern Hebrew and Urdu. In addition to priority languages, the Center for Global Initiatives will also consider applications for FLAS awards in other Less Commonly Taught Languages not covered by other Area Studies Centers (ex-Vietnamese, Korean, Indonesian, Thai, Chinese, etc). Applications for summer FLAS are especially encouraged. CGI will ONLY ACCEPT applications from UNDERGRADUATES for the support of Swahili, Arabic, Wolof and Lingala and study must be at the intermediate or advanced level.
Eligibility:
- Recipients must be full-time enrolled graduate students (UNC-Chapel Hill graduate students receive priority). Students in professional schools are encouraged to apply. Full-time enrolled undergraduates who are at the intermediate or advanced level are also eligible to apply.
- Only US citizens or permanent residents may apply.
- Recipients must enroll in the formal study of a language at UNC-CH or at an institution that can be verified as offering performance-based instruction.
****IMPORTANT: CGI currently has funds in hand to award Summer 2010 FLAS Fellowships ONLY. We are curently in competition to receive funding for the 20010-2011 AY. (ie-We cannot guarantee 2010-2011 AY FLAS funding).
Award notifications for Summer 2010 FLAS will be made in late February/early March.
Application Process
The application is available through our Online Application Center. Please note that the online application will only accept attachments in PDF format. The newest versions of Microsoft Word allow you to save your documents in PDF format, or you may visit http://www.freepdfconvert.com/ or http://www.bullzip.com/ for free conversion.
To apply for this award, please submit the following materials by 5:00 pm on Friday, January 29, 2010
Materials which should be submitted by the deadline, via the ONLINE APPLICATION CENTER are:
- Part 1:
- Basic demographic application data
- Part 2:
- FLAS Program-check either Academic Year, Summer or both
- Academic Year Details
- Proposed Language: self explanatory
- Proposed Area Studies Courses: add area studies courses in which you are interested which will satisfy fellowship requirements. Area studies courses can be identified via UNC's course catalog. These courses are for information only, to inform the Review Committe of your area studies interests. If awarded a FLAS, area studies courses will be approved by the FLAS Coordinator.
-
- Project title and abstract (Enter "FLAS Fellowship" for title)
- Summer Program Details: if applicable, enter in the proposed summer program you wish to attend
- Country of focus (enter the countries associated with your research/major)
- A project narrative in PDF format, which consists of:
- AY Applicants: an essay (no more than 3 pages, single spaced, 12 pt font, 1 in margins) describing how the proposed language study fits in with your thesis, dissertation research project or degree program, how you intend to use the language, and how the language and area study will contribute to your ultimate career goals. Please also describe your previous language learning experiences (formal and informal).
Summer Applicants: Submit a one-page essay (single spaced, 12 pt font, 1 in margins) explaining how the proposed language study fits in with your overall course of study and how this will contribute to your ultimate career goals.
Applicants for both AY and Summer:You may combine both statements into a single 4 page essay
- Curriculum Vita/Resume in PDF format
- Funding Requested from CGI
- Summer: Enter $6,000
- AY: Enter $27,000
- Both AY and Summer: Enter $33,000
- Project start and end dates:
- Summer: Enter July 1, 2010 through August 31, 2010
- AY: Enter September 1, 2010 through May 8, 2010
- Both AY and Summer: Enter July 1, 2010 through May 8, 2011
- List of sources of alternative funding requested and received
- Part 3:
- Please enter the contact information for the letters of recommendation and for your language reference form.
In addition to the online application, please drop off the following HARD-COPY materials to the Center for Global Initiatives by the deadline in a large clasp envelope. You should have your letter writers give/send the letters to you sealed and signed across the back for you to hand-deliver to the center with your transcript. Letters and transcripts must be SINGLE SIDED and UNSTAPLED.
(
A special box for FLAS applications will be located in the reception area the week of the deadline.)
- Two letters of recommendation
It is in your interest that these letters are specific to the FLAS Fellowship.
- Language Reference Form (download WORD DOC or PDF) from a qualified language instructor. No form needed if you have not yet studies the language.
- Current UNC transcript. An unofficial transcript from Student Central is acceptable, or you may request a free internal transcript from the registrars office.
For more information, please call Beth-Ann Kutchma at 843-6842, or email her at bkutchma@email.unc.edu. |
