Undergraduate Research/Language Fellowship

Source: https://africanstudies.stanford.edu/resources/resources-undergraduate-students/undergraduate-researchlanguage-fellowship Parent: https://africanstudies.stanford.edu/academics/academic-programs/undergraduate-minor

Applicants may apply for both fellowships, but can only be rewarded one. Please apply for each fellowship separately.

Undergraduate Student Research Fellowship

The Undergraduate Student Research Fellowship awards up to $5,000 for expenses related to research in Africa. All research proposals must be for research that will be carried out in Africa.

Undergraduate Student African Language Fellowship

Are you an undergraduate student? Does your academic development and/or research require knowledge of an African language? The Center for African Studies African Research/Language Fellowship offers up to $5,000 for an intensive language study course, in an African country or at an accredited institute in the U.S.

The Center for African Studies African Research/Language Fellowship is open to all undergraduate students. This intensive language fellowship may be used for study in the U.S. or abroad.  The proposed course of language study must be integral to the applicant's academic development and/or research. Priority will be given to students in need of language skills for research and to training in languages not offered on campus or for advanced training in languages where the student has exhausted campus resources. The course of study must be six weeks or more and must meet or exceed 140 contact hours for beginning and intermediate and 120 contact hours for advanced language instruction. Please visit the Center for African Studies office for a list of recommended U.S. based study institutions and programs.

Eligibility

Undergraduates in need of language training for honors research are eligible to apply for a language fellowship.

Award

The fellowship rewards up to $5,000. Requests must be for expenses that are not covered through other sources of funding. Applicants may simultaneously apply for other sources of funding, but may not accept multiple sources of funding for the same expenses. The itemized budget should clearly list sources of confirmed and/or pending funding.

Application Instructions

Applicants are required to submit a complete application packet for review by the selection committee, including:

• A 2-3 page project proposal describing the research or language program to be undertaken, its relevance to African Studies, and its significance for the student's research and academic development. For language study applicants, please include a brochure or program guide from your intended institution and verification that the hours of instruction meet or exceed the guidelines.
• Timetable for completion of research and degree.
• An itemized budget specifying overall project costs, amount of funding requested from the Center for African Studies and sources and amount of confirmed/pending financial support for the project. For the pending financial support, please indicate the date by which funding decision will be announced. If you are ineligible for other financial support, please explain why.
• Curriculum vitae of no more than two pages.
• A current transcript from Axess (unofficial is fine).
• One letter of reference from the applicant's primary faculty advisor:
• Have your reference email the letter to africanstudies [at] stanford.edu (subject: CAS%20Research%2FLanguage%20Fellowship%20Application) (africanstudies[at]stanford[dot]edu) as a PDF on official letterhead; or if they prefer, they can give you a hard copy in a sealed envelope, stamped or signed over the back seal, for you to deliver to the CAS office.

Email applications to africanstudies [at] stanford.edu (subject: CAS%20Research%2FLanguage%20Fellowship%20Application) (africanstudies[at]stanford[dot]edu) with the subject line CAS Research (or Language) Fellowship Application.

Deadline

• Applications for the winter quarter are due by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time) on November 7, 2025.
• Applications for the spring quarter are due by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time) on March 6, 2026.

Please email Joel Cabrita at jcabrita [at] stanford.edu (jcabrita[at]stanford[dot]edu) with any questions. Decisions will be made within a week of applicant submission.