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Title VIII Research Scholar Program

Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Title VIII Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and Eurasia (Independent States of the Former Soviet Union), the American Councils Research Scholar Program provides full support for graduate students, faculty, and independent scholars seeking to conduct in-country, independent research for three consecutive months to nine consecutive months in Central Asia, Moldova, Russia, the South Caucasus, and Ukraine. Those scholars seeking support for research and/or language study in the countries of Southeast Europe should apply to the Title VIII Southeast European Research Scholar Program or the Title VIII Southeast European Language Training Program.

Application guidelines are available under 'Documents.' The 2010 application will be available during the summer of 2010. Please contact the Outbound Department with any questions.

Award Components:
The total value of Title VIII Research Scholar fellowships, administered by American Councils, ranges from $5,000 to $25,000. Typical awards include:

• International airfare from the scholar's home city to his/her host city overseas
• Academic affiliation at a leading local university
• Visa(s) arranged by American Councils in direct collaboration with academic host institutions in order to facilitate archive access and guarantee timely visa registration
• A monthly living stipend
• A monthly living stipend
• Health insurance of up to $100,000 per accident or illness
• Ongoing logistical support from American Councils offices throughout the region, including in-country orientation and 24-hour emergency aid

Application Requirements:
Scholars in the social sciences and humanities are eligible to apply for the program. While a wide-range of topics receive support each year, all funded research must contribute to a body of knowledge enabling the U.S. to better understand the region and formulate effective policies within it. All applicants should clearly describe the policy-relevance of their work, be it in anthropology, history, international relations, political science, or some other field.

Applicants must submit:

• A completed application form
• Research proposal and bibliography (3 to 5 pages)
• Research synopsis in host-country language (700 words)
• Policy-relevance essay (1 to 2 pages)
• Archive list and/or questionnaire for interviews or surveys
• Curriculum vitae or resume
• Photocopy of the inside page of your passport, clearly showing photograph, passport number, and expiration and photocopy of your green card, if applicable.
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official Transcripts (of all college- and university-level coursework from the past five years, including all summer programs)

The letters of recommendation can be from colleagues, professors, or other qualified persons who are familiar with the applicant's work. At least one letter of recommendation must directly address the applicant’s language skills and ability to conduct research in the host country.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. All competitions for funding are open and merit based.

Application guidelines are available under 'Documents.' The 2010 application will be available during the summer of 2010. Please contact the Outbound Department with any questions.

American Councils Support for Scholars:
With permanent representative offices in 24 countries across Southeastern Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, Asia and the United States, employing more than 370 expatriates and host-country nationals, American Councils is uniquely suited to support U.S. scholars in the former Soviet Union. American Councils enjoys close partnership affiliations with many Eurasian institutes for research and higher education. More than 6,000 students, scholars, and researchers have participated in American Councils programs overseas since 1976.

American Councils is dedicated to helping scholars maximize their research time in-country by providing effective logistical support to fellows both before they leave the U.S. and while they are abroad. Before their departure, Title VIII fellows receive a comprehensive regional handbook providing detailed information on such topics as health and safety, travel, and communications. The handbook also contains updates on archive conditions and tips for conducting research in the region from past scholars. American Councils’ Washington D.C. staff consult regularly with scholars to plan convenient travel, obtain appropriate visas, arrange academic affiliations, finalize housing, and provide stipend payments. Overseas staff conduct in-country orientations, obtain otnoshenie for archives, and arrange visa registration. Local staff also provide on-call emergency assistance. Title VIII fellows regularly report that American Councils support enabled them to concentrate all of their energy on research and study, making their time overseas uniquely productive and enjoyable.

Recent Fellowship Recipients:
Celeste Beesley
Pre-doctoral Candidate, University of California, San Diego; Ukraine
Competition or Compensation: The Effect of Foreign Direct Investment on Political Attitudes toward Social Policy

William Sumits
Pre-doctoral Candidate, School of Oriental and African Studies; Tajikistan
The Shashmaqam musical tradition in the 19th century and its relation to the 12 maqam tradition of the late-medieval period in Central Asia

Rebecca Chamberlain-Creanga
Pre-doctoral Candidate, London School of Economics; Moldova
Cementing Secession: Nation, Politics and Big Business on Moldova's War Front

Ora John Reuter
Pre-doctoral Candidate, Emory University; Russia
The Origins of Dominant Parties: Commitment Problems and the Rise of United Russia

Nadieszda Kizenko
Associate Professor of History, University at Albany, State University of New York; Russia
Confession in Modern Russia

Mihaela Robila
Assistant Professor of Family Studies, Queens College, City University of New York; Moldova
Parental Economic Migration and Children Outcomes in Moldova

Natalia Roudakova
Visiting Lecturer, Department of Communication, University of California, San Diego; Russia
Journalism and the Public in Illiberal Russia

Sergei Antonov
Pre-doctoral Candidate, Columbia University; Russia
Civil Law and the Culture of Debt in Moscow Province During Great Reforms, 1850-1870

Megan Rancier
Pre-doctoral Candidate, University of California, Los Angeles; Kazakhstan
The Kyl-Kobyz, the Conservatory, and 'Ethno-Rock': Contemporary Kazakh Music, National Identity, and Inter-ethnic Relations in Almaty, Kazakhstan

Adriana Helbig
Petro Jacyk Visiting Professor, Columbia University; Ukraine
Music, Migration, and the Emergence of Racialized Class Identities in post-Orange Revolution Ukraine

Victoria Smolkin
Pre-doctoral Candidate, University of California-Berkeley; Russia and Ukraine
The New Soviet Cosmos: Life-Cycle Rituals, Family Culture, and the Socialist Way of Life (1956-1985)

Barbara Junisbai
Pre-doctoral Candidate, Indiana University, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
Explaining Improbable Oppositions: Reform, Resources, and Elite Defection in Post-Soviet States

Jan Surer
Pre-Doctoral Candidate, Brandeis University, Ukraine
Orthodoxy and Society in Kyiv Province, 1855-1930

For more information contact:
Russian and Eurasian Outbound Programs
Title VIII Research Scholar Program
American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS
1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 833-7522
outbound@americancouncils.org

Program Resources

• Documents