Supplemental Grants for the Collection of Oral Literature

Sponsor: Firebird Foundation

Contact Information George N. Appell
PO Box A
Phillips ME 04996 USA
Email: firebird@tdstelme.net

Eligibility Requirements: Those with a Ph.D. in anthropology, linguistics, oral literature studies or related disciplines; those in a post-graduate program in similar disciplines; or those whose life experience is equivalent. Also local organizations of indigenous peoples or individuals that are collecting oral literature of their own society are eligible.

Field(s) of Study: oral literature, indigenous peoples, endangered languages

Description

The unique oral literatures of indigenous peoples are rapidly being lost through the death of the traditional practitioners and through the schooling of the next generation. The Program for Oral Literature of the Firebird Foundation has initiated a project to fund the collection of this body of rapidly disappearing literature.

This literature may consist of ritual texts, curative chants, epic poems, musical genres, folk tales, songs, myths, legends, historical accounts, life history narratives, word games, and so on.

Supplemental funds are available to anthropologists and linguists going into the field to support a collection of oral literature. Grants of up to $10,000 will be made to applicants for purchasing recording equipment and covering the expenses of collecting this material. Applicants are encouraged, where possible, to foster the development of local teams of collectors to continue the work of recording these materials. Transcriptions of the recordings are encouraged.

Application guidelines may be requested from the Firebird Foundation: firebird@tdstelme.net.

Applications are accepted throughout the year.

Centre for the Study of Culture and Society Fellowship

The Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (CSCS) offers a fellowship awarded by SEPHIS to a student from any country in the South to spend one academic year in Bangalore, India, beginning July 2009.

The main purpose of the fellowship programme is to help develop alternative frameworks for research and teaching as well as new theoretical paradigms that take into account the specific experiences of non-Western societies.

The student can either register with CSCS for the Ph.D. in Cultural Studies (validated by the Manipal University and Kuvempu University ) or register in his/her own country and do the CSCS coursework for two semesters.

Click here for complete information, including eligibility requirement.

Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships

The Southern Asian Institute is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Resource Center an is authorized to award Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships. FLAS awards can be for Academic Year study at Columbia, or for intensive summer language study. SAI is authorized for Bengali, Hindi, Persian, Punjabi, Tamil and Urdu FLAS, but other modern South Asia languages can be authorized with the approval of the Department of Education. Academic Year awards consist of full-time tuition and a stipend of $15,000. Summer awards cover tuition up to $4,000 and a stipend of $2,500. The annual FLAS competition at Columbia is open to students in GSAS, SIPA, and Teacher's College. You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident in order to apply. For information and general guidelines, please view our announcement guidelines. The Summer 2009 and Academic Year 2009-2010 deadline is march 6, 2009. Applications are available on-line, for SIPA students here and for GSAS and Teacher's College Students at here.

Summer Intensive Language Programs for FLAS Fellowships & Other Summer Language Fellowship Opportunties

Southern Asian Institute
Travel Grants for Columbia Grad Students

Call for Applications - Academic Year 2008-2009

The Southern Asian Institute is currently accepting applications for travel grants from graduate students who are presenting papers at professional meetings and conferences. Applications will be accepted for conferences held during the period September 1, 2008 - August 31, 2009 (i.e. you may apply retroactively). Paper presentations must focus on South Asia, and must be accepted for presentation by a peer-review committee. A limited number of grants are available; awards for travel within the U.S. will be up to $500; awards for international travel will be up to $800.

Eligibility:
Applications are invited from all graduate students in any school at Columbia University.

Deadline:
SAI will begin accepting applications immediately and will award the travel grants on a rolling basis, until the funding for 2008-09 is depleted.

Application:

1. cover letter with your contact information, school and department information, anticipated date of degree, and UNI or student ID number.
2. current transcript
3. title and precis or abstract of your paper
4. copy of letter or email accepting your paper
5. documentation of conference schedules (brochure, flyer, website or email print-out)
6. budget covering all expenses for your trip: hotel, airfare, local transportation, and food.

Award:
For retroactive awards, awardees will be required to submit documentation of expenses to be reimbursed.

Send application materials to:

William Carrick
Southern Asia Institute
1128 International Affairs Building
420 West 118th Street
New York, NY 10027
Email: wac2112@columbia.edu

Institute for Religion, Culture and Public Life at Columbia University

GRADUATE Summer Research Fellowships
Call for Applications - Summer and Fall 2009

The Institute for Religion, Culture and Public Life is currently accepting applications for GRADUATE research fellowships for Summer and Fall 2009. Up to five fellowships are available to doctoral students who are preparing dissertation proposals for research related to the Institute's broad intellectual mission. The fellowship will provide each student $4000 to cover expenses directly related to the development of his/her dissertation prospectus.

Eligibility:
Applications are welcome from any student in a Ph.D. program in the Arts and Sciences or in the law school's J.S.D. program, who has completed his/her exams and needs to conduct preliminary research to formulate a dissertation prospectus. Preference will be given to students who are doing international research and need to travel abroad. In compelling cases, travel within the U.S. to consult archives or conduct research in particular communities will be considered.

Application Process:
Please provide

1. a letter of reference from a faculty member who will serve on your dissertation committee;
2. a three-page description of the research project, including travel plans, an itemized budget and a schedule for completion of the dissertation.

Please include your departmental affiliation and up-to-date contact information.

**Applications are due to Emily Brennan no later than February 6, 2009 at 5pm**:
Emily Brennan: eb422@columbia.edu

Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life, 80 Claremont Avenue, Room 306, MC 9611, New York, NY 10027

Tel. 212-851-4145
Fax. 212-851-078
http://www.ircpl.org

Institute for Religion, Culture and Public Life at Columbia University

UNDERGRADUATE Summer Research Fellowships and Assistantships
Call for Applications 2009 - 2010*

The Institute for Religion, Culture and Public is soliciting applications for summer fellowships and semester-long assistantships from undergraduate students interested in conducting research on the role of religion in culture and public life. Ideally, the students' research projects will advance their senior theses as well as well the academic interests of the Institute and its affiliated faculty.

1. Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship - Summer 2009
   IRCPL will offer up to five summer fellowships to undergraduate students to conduct independent research projects, which should contribute to the development of their senior theses in the 2009-2020 academic year. The fellowship will provide each student $4000-5000 to cover expenses directly related to his/her research, including travel, lodging and materials. The student should select a faculty member, who would help develop the details of the project and potentially serve as a thesis adviser. In Fall 2009, the students are expected to make oral presentations on the results of their research and the progress of their senior theses.
   
   
2. Undergraduate Research Assistantships - Academic Year 2009 - 2010
   IRCPL will offer several research assistantships to undergraduate students to work with faculty members involved in the Institute's programs. Each student will be awarded $3000 per semester for up to two semesters in the 2009-2010 academic year . Each student will assist a faculty member or a working group in conducting research, organizing faculty seminars, hosting public events, and developing curricula for new courses. The students are expected to assist in administration and programming for all lectures and conferences organized by the faculty member. Students are entitled to the full amount of $3000 per semester but will be paid on an hourly basis of $20 per hour at 10 hours per week. All students will be hired as casual employees so as not to interfere with work-study grants they may have received. Preference will be given to students, who intend to write their senior theses with faculty members affiliated with IRCPL.

Application Process:

Applications are welcome from Columbia College, General Studies and Barnard juniors in good academic standing. A student may apply for both the Summer Research Fellowship or the Research Assistantship. Research-related questions should be directed to Professor Karen Barkey, at kb7@columbia.edu. Otherwise please direct all queries to Emily Brennan (contact information below).

As part of the application, please provide

1. a letter of reference from a faculty member who knows your research and may serve as your senior thesis adviser;
2. a printed DAR report;
3. a two-page prospectus, in which you address the following questions:
   • Name, Departmental Affiliation and School (CC or GS)
   • Which fellowship you're applying for (you may apply for both).
   • List the courses you have taken you feel are relevant to IRCPL's mission.
   • List all the languages you speak and your level of proficiency in each of them.
   • Describe in one paragraph your interest in this field.
   • Describe a potential project for summer research and where you propose to do the research.
   • Describe a potential senior thesis topic and provide a rationale for how working at the Institute would help your thesis research and writing. (If you are applying only for a summer research fellowship, you do not have to respond to this question.)

**Applications are due to Emily Brennan no later than February 6, 2009 at 5pm:**
Emily Brennan: eb422@columbia.edu

Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life, 80 Claremont Avenue, Room 306, MC 9611, New York, NY 10027

Tel. 212-851-4145
Fax. 212-851-0781
http://www.ircpl.org

SEPHIS

International Institute of Social History
South-South Exchange Programme for Research on the History of Development Grants Announcement 2009

Post-Doctoral Fellowships
Dissertation Research
Grants for "Preserving Social Memory: History and social movements"
Deadline: April 2009

See attached PDF file or visit http://www.sephis.org.

The American India Foundation

The American India Foundation is currently accepting applications for its 2009-2010 Service Corps Fellowship. The Fellows will serve with Indian NGOs from September 2009 to June 2010.

About the Service Corps Fellowship
The Service Corps Fellowship builds bridges between America and India through the exchange of technical skills and intellectual resources. The program serves as an exchange of technical skills and intellectual resources which aims to build the capacity of Indian NGOs while developing a new generation of NGO leaders and social entrepreneurs. Every year, AIF sends approximately 25 outstanding young American professionals to work for ten months with leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in India. Since its inception, AIF's Service Corps Fellowship has sent 190 Fellows to serve with over 80 NGOs, with the primary focus of improving livelihoods, enhancing primary education, promoting public health and human rights. http://www.aif.org/serve/servicecorps/default.htm

About the American India Foundation
AIF works to accelerate social and economic change in India. By mobilizing people and resources across the United States, AIF has invested in over 90 NGOs in India. AIF awards grants to improve education, livelihood, and public health projects in India, with a specific emphasis on promoting elementary education, empowering women, accelerating health literacy, and strengthening health systems.

More information at www.aif.org

Application Criteria
Fellows are selected from a competitive pool of applicants with a diverse range of backgrounds.

Fellows are required to:
Have demonstrated a strong interest in India's development sector
Be between the ages of 21 and 35 on September 1, 2009
Have achieved an undergraduate degree prior to starting the program
Be a US Citizen or US Permanent Resident

Fellows are preferred to:
Have prior work experience or a graduate degree
Have worked/lived in a developing country
Application Process
Online Application Deadline: January 1, 2009
Decision Notification to candidates: April 2009

Fellowship Support
Pre-screened host organization and mentor
Modest monthly stipend for living, housing, food and transport
Supplemental health insurance coverage
Travel expenses to and from India
Orientation in India and ongoing trainings

To apply
Please find the online application at http://www.aif.org

For more information
Contact Ann Levy at ann.levy@aif.org

Canadian Asian Studies Association award for the best Ph.D. dissertation on SOUTH ASIA

The South Asia Council of the Canadian Asian Studies Association would like to inform you that we are offering again this year a prize for the best Ph.D. dissertation on SOUTH ASIA successfully defended between October 2006 and September 2008 by a Canadian citizen studying anywhere in the world or by a (recent) student in a Canadian institution. We have sent out a notice to our members but would like to know if your department would be able to help us in any way to further spread the word. We are interested in reaching all individuals linked to Asian Studies at Universities across the world.

Please see all the details at: http://canadianasianstudies.concordia.ca/htm/fellowsac.htm (french version also avaliable)

Posting this announcement in your department, on your website, in any newsletters, or forwarding this email on would be very valuable to us. It would be greatly appreciated if you could inform me of any actions you are taking in regards to this matter.

To learn more about the Canadian Asian Studies Association please visit our website at : http://canadianasianstudies.concordia.ca

State Department sponsored summer program for SA languages

The State Department sponsored programs to study various critical languages through the overseas research centers of CAORC are now open for application.

Languages include: Bangla, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu for South Asia (AIIS, AIBS) and Arabic and Turkish for our Middle Eastern colleagues.

Please go to: http://www.caorc.org and see the bold faced announcement on the left hand side of the page. Or go directly to http://www.caorc.org/language.

Undergraduates, MA, and PhD students are all eligible as long as they are US citizens. ALL EXPENSES ARE PAID for those accepted into the programs.

Tony K. Stewart
Professor of South Asian Religions
Dept. of Philosophy and Religion
Campus Box 8103
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-8103 USA
ph. 919.515.6335
email tony_stewart@ncsu.edu