Call for Applications: 2021 CAORC – INYA Short Term Fellowships for U.S. Graduate Students Conducting Field-Based Research in Myanmar

Applications due March 1, 2021 (12:00 AM EST)

Fellowships awards from $2,400 to $4,400 for a maximum of 4 months

The Inya Institute announces the 2021 CAORC-INYA Short Term Fellowships competition for research that will contribute to studies on Myanmar in any aspect of its wide linguistic, cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity and to a better understanding of the country’s past or present political and socio-economic situation. Applicants must be U.S. Graduate Students currently enrolled in a graduate program (Master’s or Doctoral level) at an institution of higher education in the U.S. or elsewhere.

The program is funded by CAORC through a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. State Department.

Information about the fellowship competition·
-Research must contribute to studies on Myanmar in any aspect of its wide linguistic, cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity and to a better understanding of the country’s past or present political and socio-economic situation. Any field of research will be considered, including the arts, humanities, social sciences, economics, political sciences, law, environment studies, and public health;·
-Research must take place in Myanmar;·
-Field research in Myanmar must be for a minimum of two months and a maximum of four months;·
-Joint research projects are not eligible for this competition. Only individual research projects will be considered;·
-Applicants demonstrating interest in engaging and plans to collaborate with local Myanmar students or scholars will have a competitive advantage;·
-Applicants who have had so far no or limited field and research experience in Myanmar are particularly encouraged to apply;·
-Applicants must be U.S. citizens. U.S. permanent residents are not eligible for this competition;·
-Students enrolled at Minority Serving Institutions are especially encouraged to apply.

Application Contents
The application to be completed in the CAORC SM Application Portal requires the following items:·
-Information about the Applicant: first name, last name, mailing address, email address, phone number, citizenship, major field of study, department, institutional affiliation, dates (if any) of previous research in Myanmar, length of award requested, tentative dates of project;·
-A Curriculum Vitae;·
-Description of the proposed study with the following sections:
1. Project title
2. Project abstract(max. 100 words)
3. Approach and research methodology (max. 500 words)
4. Significance of the project (max. 500 words)
5. Work done to date (max. 300 words)
6. Work to be accomplished during the fellowship period (max. 500 words)
7. Budget narrative describing how the award will be expended·
-Project Bibliography;·
-Two Reference Letters.

Fellowship Benefits·
-Award from $2,400 to $4,400 for a maximum of 4 months;·
-A transportation stipend of up to 1,700$ for the round trip airfare from the U.S. to Myanmar;·
-A desk at the Inya Institute in Yangon and access to the institute’s library and amenities.

Terms and Conditions
1. Fellows must submit a one-page Final Report to the Inya Institute within a month completing their fellowship.
2. During the tenure of their fellowship, fellows must present their research project in a public presentation in Myanmar and write a blog post which will be posted on the institute’s Facebook page.
3. Fellows are responsible for obtaining the appropriate research permission and visas.
4. Air Travel from the U.S. must meet the conditions of the Fly America Act.

Deadline, Selection, and Notification
Applications must be sent by March 1, 2021 (12:00 AM EST)

Fellowships will be awarded by a Selection Committee composed of academics with long-standing experience and recognized expertise on Myanmar.

Applicants will be judged according to the following criteria:·
-Merits of the proposal, its significance, relevance, and potential contribution to research on Myanmar studies;·
-Applicant qualifications;·
-Feasibility of the research design;·
-Feasibility in terms of resources and amount of time allocated to the project;·
-Quality of the plan to collaborate with local Myanmar students or scholars.

Awards will be announced by May 1, 2021.

Click here or contact contact@inyainstitute.org for more information.