Fellowships for Bangladesh Citizens

1. AIBS Bangladeshi Graduate Student Fellowship

The American Institute of Bangladesh Studies is pleased to announce research fellowships for Bangladeshi graduate students studying in the U.S. The fellowships are intended to help PhD and Masters students meet expenses related to scholarly research and creative endeavors in Bangladesh.

Deadline:

Saturday, February 7, 2026, 11:59 pm U.S. Eastern Time

Eligibility

  1. Bangladeshi citizen
  2. Currently enrolled PhD, MA, MS, or MFA students at a U.S. based institution
  3. Research projects must be from one of the following disciplines:
  • Humanities and Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Education and Public Health
  • Music and Fine Arts
  • Social Policies and Management
  • Other relevant fields and interdisciplinary studies

4. At the time of the application, graduate students should be in the later stages of their programs.

5. Applicants who have applied before and have not received an award may apply again.

6. You are not eligible to apply if you have received this fellowship within the last five years.

Please note, the fellowships are completely contingent upon funds received from the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Bangladesh

Award

  • The maximum award amount is $3,000
  • Awards must be used before June 30, 2026
  • Awardees must report to the AIBS Dhaka office in Bangladesh and plan their research outreach event with an AIBS partner university at the end of their research trip.
  • Awards will only fund research project related expenses in Bangladesh

Review process

Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Impact and significance of project and its relevance to expanding Bangladesh studies
  • Approach and innovation of the project
  • Feasibility of the project
  • A letter of recommendation from the student’s faculty advisor that discusses the feasibility of the plan and the ways that the research will contribute towards the student’s progress towards a degree.

 

 
View Application

2. AIBS Professional Development Fellowships for Bangladeshi Scholars

The American Institute of Bangladesh Studies is pleased to announce Professional Development Fellowship for Bangladeshi scholars working at one of the AIBS partner universities in Bangladesh. As visiting fellows, selected Bangladeshi scholars will work with U.S. faculty members at their host universities to develop research agenda, utilize library facilities, and receive hands-on training on academic writing and publication.

Deadline:

Saturday, February 07, 2026 at 11.59 pm U.S. Eastern time

Eligibility

  1. Be a Bangladeshi citizen
  2. Currently employed at one of the AIBS partner universities in Bangladesh. For a full list of Bangladeshi partner universities, please see here.
  3. A letter of invitation from a faculty member at the U.S. institution the scholar will be visiting.
  4. Applicants who have applied before and have not received an award may apply again.

    5. You are not eligible to apply if you have received this fellowship within the last five years.

    Please note, the fellowships are completely contingent upon funds received from the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Bangladesh

Award

  • Fellowship amount: $4,000-$5,000
  • Fellowship duration: Six weeks
  • Fellowships must be used before June 30, 2026
  • This fellowship will only fund professional development related expenses including transportation to the host university, lodging, food, purchase of educational materials and software, etc. and will not exceed the stipulated amount. ** Fellowships are contingent upon the availability of funds.
 

Application Process:

The following documents will be needed to successfully complete the application:

  • An online application form with basic biographical details and outlines of the goals and outcomes for the visit, the way that the funds will be used, and the visit timeline (500 words max)
  • A recent CV
  • A letter of invitation from a faculty member at the institution you will be visiting. The letter should outline if there are any additional resources on campus to support the scholar during their visit and outline plans for a public facing event while the scholar is in residents (a community-based seminar, a public talk, a zoom seminar, etc.) that will showcase the researcher’s work and/or the collaborations emerging from the visit.
View Application

2024 Fellows

AIBS Bangladeshi Graduate Student Fellowships

Asikunnaby Asikunnaby

PhD student, Geography, San Diego State University & University of California, Santa Barbara

Poushali Bhattacharjee

PhD student, Geography, University at Buffalo

Kazi Md Mukitul Islam

PhD student, Sociology, Boston University

Ummul Muhseneen

PhD student, Department of History, University of South Florida, Tampa.

Rafia Rahman

PhD student, Anthropology, University at Albany, SUNY

Muhammad Abdur Raqib

PhD student, Anthropology, University of California, Irvine

Tasfia Tasnim

PhD student, Environmental Studies, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

AIBS Professional Development Fellowships for Bangladeshi Scholars

Sabreena Ahmed

Associate Professor, English and Humanities, Brac University

Ferowza Swapnil

Chief Teaching Fellow (Lecturer) and Program Coordinator, Graduate School of Education, Asian University for Women