American Councils Research Fellowships Title VIII Combined Research and Language Training Program

Designed to expand the accessibility of overseas research while increasing U.S. knowledge and expertise on the region, the CRLT Program supports fellows who, in addition to conducting overseas, policy-relevant research, seek to increase their language proficiency through targeted language instruction. Fellowships last three to nine consecutive months and include round-trip international travel; housing and living stipends; visa support; overseas health, accident, and evacuation insurance; archive access; weekly language instruction in the host country language; and logistical support. Following the completion of the research term, fellows will return to the U.S. and share their findings through presentations, articles, and lectures in order to strengthen and broaden current scholarship on the region.

Annual Deadline

October 1

Award Components

The total value of each fellowship, administered by American Councils, ranges from $9,000 to $26,000, with actual levels of support depending on the duration of the overseas research period. Typical awards include:

• International airfare from the scholar’s home city to their host city overseas

• Up to ten academic hours per week of advanced language instruction in Russian, the host-country language, or a combination of the two

• Academic affiliation at a leading local university or educational institution

• Visa(s) arranged by American Councils in direct collaboration with academic host institutions in order to facilitate archive access and guarantee timely visa registration

• A housing stipend

• A monthly living stipend

• Health insurance of up to $100,000 per accident or illness

• Ongoing logistical support from American Councils staff, including in-country orientation and 24-hour emergency aid

Language Classes

The CRLT Program provides fellows with up to ten academic hours per week of advanced language instruction during the course of their overseas research program. Fellows can choose to study the host-country language, Russian, or a combination of the two, all taught by expert faculty. Classes are often conducted as private tutorials, focusing on each participant’s individual needs and interests.

Locations

Applicants should indicate their proposed research location(s) in the application. Applicants to the Research Scholar Program may only apply for research in a total of two countries maximum. Programs are available in:

Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

Eligibility

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens

• Graduate students, Ph.D. candidates, faculty, and post-doctoral scholars

• Applicants must be at least 18 years old by the application deadline