AIFIS-Luce Research Fellowships for Indonesian Scholars to the US
This fellowship program is made possible with the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation.
Call for Applications
The American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS) invites applications from graduate students, researchers, academics, and/or faculty members based in Indonesia to conduct research in the U.S. Through competitive application, 10 scholars will be selected to each receive a grant of $7000 for research and travel to the U.S. These grants are designed to foster engagement between Indonesian and American scholars and to raise existing collaborations to new levels by stimulating small cooperative projects in any field of Indonesian studies, or social sciences, humanities and STEM fields for which the Indonesian context is central to the research. This fellowship program is made possible with the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation.
Funding Level: $7000
Important Dates:
Open Application Period : September 1, 2023
Public Information Session : October 28, 2023
Deadline for Applications : December 10, 2023
For further information please read the eligibility guidelines and application instructions below, or contact the American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS) by email at fellowships@aifis.org.
Eligibility
Eligibility requirements apply at the time of application. Applicants must meet all of the following requirements and will be considered without regard to race, religion, sex, age, and/or disability.
Must be an Indonesian citizen planning to conduct research and engagement with scholars in the U.S.
Must have at least a master’s degree or MA equivalent, with preference for doctoral degree seeking or post-graduate candidates.
Must be based outside of North America, with preference given to candidates affiliated with institutions in Indonesia.
Fellowship Terms and Conditions:
Applicants must propose to conduct research in the United States.
Fellowship tenure must be of at least six weeks (45 days) in duration.
The expiration of grant usage is December 31, 2024. Fellows must complete their travel and submit a final report before December 31, 2024. Any unused portion of the stipend must be returned to AIFIS by this date.
Fellowship awards will not exceed $7,000. No dependent allowance is available.
Concurrent non-AIFIS awards may be permitted, but the AIFIS staff must be informed in case adjustments have to be made.
All AIFIS awardees must carry health insurance for the period of their award term and will be required to fill out proof of health insurance and liability waiver forms to receive their award. AIFIS is unable to provide health or other insurance to its fellows. Fellows are required to supply AIFIS with proof of health insurance as well as emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains insurance before traveling to the U.S. Insurance services can typically be arranged through the U.S. host institution and your counterparts will likely be able to direct you to those resources.
AIFIS does not advise fellows on tax questions concerning their stipend.
Indonesian researchers and their U.S. counterparts are responsible for determining and applying for the appropriate visa and research permits directly.
All Fellows are required to submit a final report no later than 30 days following their return to Indonesia.
Fellows are expected to conduct at least one public talk in collaboration with AIFIS to disseminate their research findings.
Important Notes Regarding Applications
Applications must be submitted via the online CAORC & ORC Grant Application Portal (SMApply).
Award notifications will be made available to each applicant via email and through the SMApply portal. Expect results in February 2024.
Fellows are advised that it can take time to obtain the necessary clearance for research permitting and visa applications in the U.S. and should plan accordingly in their proposed timeline.
Please check your application carefully before submitting it. Failure to answer all questions may disqualify you from consideration. On the SMApply website, please also remember to “mark as complete” all required phases of the online application form.
Application Instructions
A complete application consists of:
Completed AIFIS-Luce Research Fellowship Application Form submitted online through the CAORC & ORC Grant Application Portal (SMApply), together with the following documents:
Proposal Narrative, Timeline and Project Bibliography
Proposal Narrative: In 1500 words or less, please describe the nature of your proposed project and your competence to carry out the required research and engagement with American academic communities. State the reasons why your project requires your presence in the United States, and indicate the research collaborators, libraries, museums, archives, and other resources that you plan to use while conducting your research. Indicate the U.S. scholar and institution that will potentially sponsor your research. Indicate your research counterpart in the U.S. and the degree to which they will be involved in your project. Your proposal should also indicate the connection to Indonesian studies more broadly and how it helps to advance the field of Indonesian studies. Please submit in .docx or .pdf document format. Please note that any materials beyond the 1500 word limit will NOT be forwarded to the fellowship committee.
Project Timeline: Please include a description of the Regions / Cities, Proposed Dates, and Purpose of Visit. 1-page maximum.
Project Bibliography: Include relevant literature related to your proposed project. 1-page maximum.
Curriculum Vitae
3-pages maximum, additional pages will not be submitted to reviewers.
Transcripts (pre-doctoral candidates only)
Transcripts are only required for current students, who should submit a copy of their most recent transcripts and proof of MA degree along with their application package. Master’s or equivalent degrees will be a minimum requirement.
Unofficial transcripts will be accepted.
NOTE: Your proposal narrative and project bibliography, curriculum vitae, and transcripts must be uploaded as part of your application on the CAORC & ORC Grant Application Portal. Documents in MS Word or PDF format are preferred.
Two (2) Separate Letters of Recommendation
All applicants must provide two letters of recommendation. The letters should address your academic qualifications and experience for the proposed project.
One letter should come from your U.S. counterpart and address their role in your project.
Advanced degree candidates should provide one letter from their principal dissertation advisor.
Please ensure that one of the two recommendation letters speaks directly to the applicant’s English language ability. Only two letters will be accepted.
Letters of recommendation should be submitted directly by your referees through the CAORC application portal.
Tips for Letters of Recommendation
Ask for letters as early as possible. The applicant is responsible for notifying referees of their request for letters and for ensuring those letters are submitted to AIFIS by the deadline.
All references must be in English.
Degree candidates must submit one letter from their academic advisor.
Do not submit more references than the two required.
Letters of recommendation should be submitted directly by your referees through the SMApply application portal. Once you have submitted their information in your application, they will receive an email addressed from the “CAORC & ORG Grant Application Portal” with instructions on how to access the website and submit their letters of recommendation. Please have recommenders contact fellowships@aifis.org for any troubleshooting on the site.
TROUBLESHOOTING THE ONLINE APPLICATION PORTAL
If you are having trouble accessing the online application through the Survey Monkey Apply website, please try to following:
Reset your password to the website. If you have used SMApply for other grant applications in the past, you may need to reset your password in order to login again.
If you have served as a reviewer or administrator for any other programs run on the SMApply website, you will need to ensure that you are signed on in the role of “applicant.” You can do this by clicking on your name in the top right header to select the appropriate role in the dropdown menu.
Please check that messages received from SMApply are not automatically directed to your SPAM folder.
For further information please consult our website or contact the American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS) by email at fellowships@aifis.org
Thank you for your interest and we look forward to reviewing your application!
-The AIFIS Team
