Boren Fellowships - Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What can I do under my Boren Fellowship?

    Boren Fellows design their own programs for the Fellowship. Most Fellows either conduct research, participate in an internship (as long as it is an integral part of their graduate program), or formally study the language and culture of the area in which they are located. Usually Fellows combine at least two and sometimes all three of the above. In all cases, study of a foreign language appropriate to the identified country or region must be an integral part of the proposal.

  2. Must I be an enrolled graduate student to receive a Boren Fellowship?

    You must be enrolled at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education located within the United States, and be in the process of pursing a graduate degree at the time the award begins. Boren Fellows must remain enrolled in their graduate programs for the duration of the fellowship. Universities will usually allow students to maintain enrollment while they are abroad pursuing curricula outside the standard requirements. The option of registering for independent study or directed reading credits during the semester(s) of absence from the home institution is available. Please consult with your campus representative or academic advisor for more detailed information on the specific requirements of your university.

  3. What if my U.S. university does not allow me to remain as an enrolled student while I am overseas?

    You should obtain a letter from you academic advisor or the chair of your academic department verifying that you are a student in good standing, and that it is expected that you will return as a student following your overseas work.

  4. May I apply for a Boren Fellowship if I have applied to graduate school but have not yet been accepted?

    If you are not currently enrolled but are applying to graduate school, you may apply for a Boren Fellowship. If you are a graduating senior and are applying to graduate school, you are eligible for the program. Your application must indicate the graduate school programs to which you have applied. If you are selected for a fellowship, the award will be contingent upon your acceptance into a graduate program, and you will be required to provide IIE/NSEP with proof of your intent to enroll in that program. Complete proof of actual enrollment must be provided before any NSEP funds are disbursed. Examples of evidence of intent to enroll include copies of your acceptance response to the graduate program or evidence of your enrollment deposit. Proof of actual enrollment may be established by providing an updated transcript from your university or official correspondence from the registrar's office, your academic department, or the graduate school in which you are enrolled.

  5. If my proposed country/ language is not on the preferred list, should I still apply?

    NSEP is interested in encouraging applications for study in non-preferred countries, languages, and fields of study when the applicant can make a compelling argument that that increased understanding and appreciation of that particular country, and/or language, contributes to U.S. national security.

  6. What level of language proficiency is required?

    NSEP is committed to both new language acquisition and improvement of language competence for advanced language students. You do not have to take a language test before applying for the Boren Fellowship. If you receive the Boren Fellowship, however, you must agree to take a language test prior to and after your study abroad experience. If you have not had previous instruction in the language to be studied, you may not be required to take the pre-test. The results of the proficiency testing will be used to assess the program: they will not be used to evaluate an individual student's performance. Information about language testing will be provided to all scholarship recipients and the cost of the tests will be covered by NSEP. See language study for an explanation of testing for students studying Spanish or French.

  7. Are there particular fields to which NSEP gives priority?

    NSEP encourages and supports applications from a wide range of fields of study, as listed in the program preferences. Applicants and award recipients have come from a variety of fields, such as engineering and science, including agriculture, biology, environment, and public health; business and economics; history; anthropology and sociology; and law. (See a list of last year's Boren Fellowship recipients and their topic of study under the section, Current Boren Scholars and Fellows.) NSEP also welcomes applications for multi-disciplinary and trans-regional studies, provided they are relevant to the needs of the applicant and appropriate within the guidelines of the Boren Fellowship.

  8. Must I study overseas?

    NSEP strongly encourages you, where feasible, to study in the country or region relevant to your field of study. Although study outside the United States is not required, successful applicants generally include a significant overseas component.

  9. Are Boren Fellowship recipients required to fly to their study abroad country on a U.S. carrier?

    All Boren Fellowship recipients must comply with the Fly America Act, which requires that all air travel supported by federal government funds be on a U.S. flag carrier departing from the United States to the foreign destination and returning to the United States. An award recipient can only use a foreign flag carrier when an origin or interchange point is not served by a U.S. flag carrier. You can use the foreign-flag carrier to the nearest interchange point to connect with a U.S. carrier. All fellowship recipients will be required to send a photocopy of the passenger receipt page(s) of their airline ticket to show compliance with the Fly America Act.

  10. Can I use my Boren Fellowship to work or participate in an internship overseas?

    You can participate in an internship if it is an integrated and meaningful component of your academic program. You may not accept remunerative employment while abroad. You cannot intern with a U.S. government agency that has an intelligence component.

  11. What is the National Bureau for Asian Research and how can I find out more details about the Bridge Award? Who is eligible to apply for this award and how do I apply?

    The National Bureau for Asian Research (NBR) conducts advanced research on strategic, political, economic, globalization, health, and energy issues affecting U.S. relations with Asia. For the 2008 competition, awards will be available to Boren Fellows studying in Eurasia, South Asia, East Asia, or Southeast Asia. To apply, applicants need only to answer "yes" that they are interested in the Bridge Award and complete the one-page essay, #4, in the program proposal section of the application. Successful candidates would receive the award in lieu of the domestic portion of NSEP funding. The Bridge award will afford Boren Fellows the opportunity to gain further knowledge of Asia within their regional or functional areas of interest, to work within an organization that is focused on policy-relevant research, and to become better acquainted with the U.S. foreign policy process. For further information, please contact Kailani Chin-Hidano at NBR at (206) 632-7370 or chinhidano@nbr.org,or visit the NBR web site at http://www.nbr.org/nextgeneration/BorenBridgeAward/Boren06.html

  12. I currently work for the federal government. Can I apply for a Boren Fellowship?

    Current employees of the federal government may apply for a Boren Fellowship. Recipients of the award, however, may not be an employee of a federal agency that has an intelligence component during the NSEP-funded study period. An awardee who was previously an employee of a federal agency with an intelligence component must provide proof that he or she is separated from that agency. In addition, military reservists or National Guardsmen must confirm de-activated status during the NSEP-funded study period.

  13. May I receive more than one NSEP award?

    Graduate students who received a Boren Scholarship as an undergraduate are encouraged to apply for the Boren Fellowship, especially if they plan to continue studying the same language. Those who achieve an advanced level of language proficiency in Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, or Russian are also eligible to apply for The Language Flagship Fellowships. Graduate students may not receive multiple Boren Fellowships.

  14. While I am on the Boren Fellowship are there any activities with the U.S. government from which I am restricted?

    You cannot work for, or be affiliated with any U.S. government agency that has intelligence activities while you are receiving Boren Fellowship money. According to the David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991, as amended, which established NSEP: "No person who receives an award, scholarship or fellowship or any other type of assistance under NSEP shall, as a condition of receiving such assistance or under any other circumstances, by used by any department, agency, or entity of the United States Government engaged in intelligence activities to undertake an activity on its behalf during the period such person is pursuing a program of education for which funds are provided under the program carried out under this title."

  15. If I am awarded a fellowship can I request a deferment?

    A deferment may be granted under appropriate circumstances. However, all fellowships awarded during the 2008 competition must commence no later than June 1, 2009. A request for deferment of a fellowship must be sent to IIE/NSEP and be accompanied by appropriate documentation of circumstances prompting the request. Generally deferments may be given for health status, serious illness or death of an immediate family member, extreme political instability rendering travel unwise or ill-advised (per U.S. Department of State), or substantive change in the academic program that is beyond the control of the Fellow.

  16. On what grounds can the Boren Fellowship be revoked or terminated early?

    Grounds for possible revocation or termination include: (1) violating the laws of the United States or of the host country; (2) engaging in acts likely to give offense to the host country; (3) failing to maintain satisfactory academic progress and observe appropriate professional standards; (4) being physically or mentally incapacitated; (5) being used by any department, agency, or entity of the United State Government engaged in intelligence activities to undertake any activity on its behalf.

  17. When must I provide proof of support from a host institution and what constitutes proof of support?

    All support documentation from a host institution must be sent to IIE/NSEP before funds are dispersed. The first check will not be issued if IIE does not have verification of a host affiliation. A copy of admission from an overseas educational institution, or a letter or email confirming support from a research institution or NGO are examples of proof of support.

  18. Can Boren Fellowships be combined with funding from other sources?

    You can receive additional awards, provided that there is no duplication of support in requested budget line-items. Boren Fellows who receive funding from any other source must inform IIE/NSEP, with the expectation that the budgets may be adjusted and refined to isolate funding sources for specific budget elements.

  19. May I use my Boren Fellowship to participate in a program sponsored by The Language Flagship?

    You may use your fellowship to participate in the Chinese Overseas Flagship Program in Nanjing and Qingdao, China, or the Russian Overseas Flagship Program in St. Petersburg, Russia. You must have an advanced level proficiency in Chinese or Russian to be eligible and you must also be admitted to one of the Chinese or Russian Flagship Programs. Please review The Language Flagship section for further information about these programs.