Award Facts
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply for a Boren Fellowship if you are:
- A U.S. citizen at the time of application.
- Either enrolled in or applying to a graduate degree program at an accredited U.S. college or university located within the United States. To receive the award you must provide evidence of admission and enrollment in such a program. Boren Fellows must remain enrolled in their graduate programs for the duration of the fellowship.
Length of Study
Boren Fellowship awards are made for a minimum of one semester and maximum of two academic years. Overseas programs can be no longer than 12 months. Summer programs must be equivalent to an academic semester to be considered. Programs can begin no earlier than May 15, 2008 and no later than June 1, 2009.
Fellowship Benefits
Fellowships provide support for overseas or domestic study, or a combination of both. The maximum level of support for a combined overseas and domestic program is $30,000. A maximum of $12,000 per semester for up to two semesters ($24,000) is available for overseas study. A maximum of $12,000 is available for a program of domestic study only. Support for domestic study is limited to language or area studies that enhance a degree program; it is not intended to support the general tuition costs of obtaining a degree.
Funding from other sources may be combined with the fellowship, but Fellows must inform IIE/NSEP of any additional funding they receive. Budget line items cannot be duplicated.
Bridge Awards
NSEP is collaborating with the National Bureau for Asian Research (NBR) to sponsor an add-on award to one's Boren Fellowship. Up to 10 Boren Fellows will be placed at the NBR to work as research associates with staff in the NBR offices in Seattle, Washington, or Washington, DC. Bridge awards are available to Boren Fellows studying in Eurasia, South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. To apply, applicants should mark "yes" to indicate interest in the Bridge award and complete the optional one-page essay, #4, in the program proposal section of the application. Successful candidates receive the award in lieu of the domestic portion of NSEP funding. All 2008 awardees will begin their NBR work no earlier than the summer of 2009. For more information visit http://www.nbr.org/nextgeneration/BorenBridgeAward/Boren06.html
Application
All applications must be submitted online.
Applicants design their own programs and may combine domestic language and cultural study with overseas study. Study of a foreign language appropriate to the identified country or region must be an integral part of each application proposal. (Note: Boren Fellowship support may not be used for study of French or Spanish unless such language instruction is at an advanced level or combined with the study of science, engineering, or business.)