Fellowships for US Citizens

Pre-Dissertation Fellowships

The American Institute of Bangladesh Studies offers short-term grants to graduate students pursuing studies of Bangladesh funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. All scholars must plan to carry out research in Bangladesh, however research in a country other than Bangladesh or the US at this time will be considered. You may include a secondary plan for research in a third country on the chance the travel advisory changes by the time you conduct your research (include the secondary plan in the narrative of your proposal).

All applicants must be:

1. Enrolled/employed/affiliated with a US or non-US academic institution
2. US Citizen (unfortunately, US Permanent Residents are not eligible)

Each Pre-Dissertation Fellowship applicant must:

be an individual member of AIBS (click here for membership information) and
have completed at least one year of graduate study in a recognized PhD granting institution and
enrolled in a graduate program but not yet at the dissertation research or writing stage

The grant provides a stay of between 2 and 4 months in Bangladesh or a non-U.S. country (fund cannot be used domestically in the U.S.) that may be used for language study, resource development, or network building to aid in the completion of a competitive dissertation proposal in some way related to Bangladesh. Your application must demonstrate how the period spent in Bangladesh or a non-U.S. country will enhance your dissertation research and benefit your long-term career goals.

Please contact us if you are interested in conducting your fellowship in a country with travel advisories between levels 2-4. Additionally, fellows must propose research in a country other than the one they are currently residing or working in (for example, if a US scholar resides in the United Kingdom, he/she cannot submit a proposal to conduct research in London).

The award is for $3,000, plus traveler’s insurance and economy round trip air transportation. Airfare must be Fly America compliant, and AIBS will assist in booking travel.

Click here to go to the on-line fellowship application or cut and paste the following link into a new browser. (https://orcfellowships.smapply.org/prog/BQzRfd8Qcg4kv8qz5QZq)

In order to start the on-line application, you will need to set up an account (if you don’t already have one). Go to the right hand side of the page to create an account.

Note: Clicking on the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies link (in blue) will provide you with the same information that you can find here on the website about AIBS fellowships. You must create an account before applying.

Visit the main Fellowship page for more information on the application process.

The deadline for submitting an application is February 10, 2024 (11.59 PM US EST).

Senior Fellowships

All fellowships are for research involving Bangladesh and must be a minimum of two months, but no longer than twelve months (pending available funding). Senior Research Fellowships are funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. Scholars from all academic disciplines are eligible.

All fellowship travel is subject to State Department travel restrictions. All scholars must plan to carry out research in Bangladesh, however research in a country other than Bangladesh or the US at this time will be considered. You may include a secondary plan for research in a third country on the chance the travel advisory changes by the time you conduct your research (include the secondary plan in the narrative of your proposal). Please contact us if you are interested in conducting your fellowship in a country with travel advisories between levels 2-4. Additionally, fellows must propose research in a country other than the one they are currently residing or working in (for example, if a US scholar resides in the United Kingdom, he/she cannot submit a proposal to conduct research in London).

All Applicants Must Be:

1.) Enrolled/employed/affiliated with a US or non-US academic institution (independent scholars are also welcome to apply)

2.) US Citizens (unfortunately, US Permanent Residents are not eligible)

Each Senior Fellow Applicant Must:

be an individual member of AIBS (click here for membership information) and
hold a PhD and
have a well-developed research agenda relevant to Bangladesh

Senior Fellowships will be equivalent to $1400 per month, plus allowance for research and traveler’s insurance. Economy round-trip air transportation will be provided via the most direct route (up to $2,500) whenever possible. Airfare must be Fly America Act compliant, and AIBS will assist with booking travel. Senior scholars may request to bring one dependent, but dependent allowance and authorization for travel will be based on available funding and security conditions at the time of travel.

Senior Fellowship applications from AIBS member institutions in the US will incur no additional fees; applications from non-member institutions require submission of a $250 membership fee.

Important Note for Senior Fellowship Applicants: If you are a Board of Trustee or Executive Committee member for AIBS, you must step down from your position when you submit your application. Please send an email to the AIBS office at [email protected] informing us of your decision.

Click here to go to the on-line fellowship application or cut and paste the following link into a new browser: https://orcfellowships.smapply.org/prog/aibs_-_senior_research_fellowship

In order to start the on-line application, you will need to set up an account (if you don’t already have one). Go to the right hand side of the page to create an account.

Note: Clicking on the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies link (in blue) will provide you with the same information that you can find here on the website about AIBS fellowships. You must create an account before applying.

Visit the main Fellowship page for more information on the application process.

The deadline for submitting an application is February 10, 2024 (11.59 PM US EST).

Junior Fellowships

All fellowships are for research involving Bangladesh and must be a minimum of two months, but no longer than twelve months (pending available funding). Junior Research Fellowships are funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. Scholars from all academic disciplines are eligible.

All fellowship travel is subject to State Department travel restrictions. All scholars must plan to carry out research in Bangladesh, however research in a country other than Bangladesh or the US at this time will be considered. You may include a secondary plan for research in a third country on the chance the travel advisory changes by the time you conduct your research (include the secondary plan in the narrative of your proposal). Please contact us if you are interested in conducting your fellowship in a country with travel advisories between levels 2-4. Additionally, fellows must propose research in a country other than the one they are currently residing or working in (for example, if a US scholar resides in the United Kingdom, he/she cannot submit a proposal to conduct research in London).

All Applicants Must Be:

1. Enrolled/employed/affiliated with a US or non-US academic institution
2. US Citizens (unfortunately, US Permanent Residents are not eligible)

Each Junior Fellowship Applicant Must:

be an individual member of AIBS (click here for membership information), and
have passed the PhD exams and entered PhD candidacy before assuming the award; and
in the data collection and/or writing stage of the dissertation

Junior Fellowships will be equivalent to $1150 per month. In addition, the grant will provide traveler’s insurance and economy round-trip air transportation. Airfare must be Fly America Act compliant, and AIBS will assist with booking travel.

Click here to go to the on-line fellowship application or cut and paste the following link into a new browser. ( https://orcfellowships.smapply.org/prog/ZZnKckd3mCfhkgzMDPmm/)

In order to start the on-line application, you will need to set up an account (if you don’t already have one). Go to the right hand side of the page to create an account.

Note: Clicking on the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies link (in blue) will provide you with the same information that you can find here on the website about AIBS fellowships. You must create an account before applying.

Visit the main Fellowship page for more information on the application process.

The deadline for submitting an application is February 10, 2024 (11.59 PM US EST).

Welcome to the website of the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS). I am honored to serve as the President of the AIBS, an association which is dedicated to promoting scholarly understanding between of higher learning institutions of Bangladesh and the United States. Our website provides information about various programs of the AIBS and establish connection with you.

Incorporated in 1988, AIBS provides senior and junior fellowships as well as pre-dissertation grants for U.S. scholars and students to visit Bangladesh and observe first-hand the problems facing a developing country. Other programs include research and development seminars and workshops on topics related to the Bangladesh Studies. We also conduct a program which allows Bangladeshi scholars to visit the United States for joint research projects with U.S. scholars. Since its inception, affiliated scholars have investigated a wide range of research topics in fields including but not limited to demography, politics, sustainable development, bureaucracy, anthropology, archeology, history, refugee issues, gender and minority studies, religion, rural and urban migration as well as banking and good governance.

Please accept our sincere thanks for your interest in the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies. Please feel free to contact us for further information and assistance.

Ali Riaz, PhD
President, AIBS

AIBS supports three types of US Citizens Fellowships:

All Applicants Must Be:

Please visit specific fellowship web pages above for additional fellowship-specific requirements.

Pre-Dissertation Fellowships

Senior Fellowships

Junior Fellowships

Fellowships for US Citizens

AIBS supports three types of US Citizens Fellowships:

All Applicants Must Be:

Please visit specific fellowship web pages above for additional fellowship-specific requirements.

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