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Center for Southeast Asian Studies > Students > Scholarships > Luce Fellowships for Southeast Asia

Luce Fellowships for Southeast Asia

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Current & Past Luce Recipients

These awards are funded by a grant from The Henry Luce Foundation for the advancement of studies of Southeast Asia. There are two fellowships available: one for graduate students and one for faculty-student collaboration. Both are detailed on this page.

Luce Graduate Field Study Fellowships for Research or Advanced Language Study in Southeast Asia

DEADLINE PASSED

Deadline: October 15, 2018 at 5pm HST
Award period: Summer/Fall 2019

Grad. Application | Letter of Reference Form

These scholarships are available for UH Mānoa graduate students to conduct advanced language training or field research in Southeast Asia during the stated award period above. Eligible languages offered at UHM include Cambodian (Khmer), Tagalog, Ilokano, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese. Language training sites will be determined in consultation with CSEAS. The scholarships are funded by a grant from Henry Luce Foundation for the advancement of studies of Southeast Asia.

Eligibility:

  • The scholarships are for advanced language study or research in Southeast Asia.
  • Applicants must be full-time, classified graduate students at UH Mānoa at the time of the application.
  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
  • Applicants must have at least two years of a SEA language or equivalent, and must have a demonstrated commitment to the study of Southeast Asia.

Scholarship amount: $6,000

Note: Scholarship funds can be used towards ground and air travel, accommodation, meals & living costs, visa and passport fees, international health insurance, required travel immunizations, language study/program costs abroad, and/or research/field study expenses abroad.  

A complete application packet must include:

  • Online application form (must be completed in one sitting, no save and return function).
  • Personal statement outlining your language study or research plan in Southeast Asia (space provided on the application, max 1000 words).
  • Location/duration of language program/research abroad & estimated budget
  • 2 letters of recommendation from UH faculty (preferably from those who have taught the applicant recently and are acquainted with the proposed language/research project). Applicant should copy the reference letter url above and send it to your reference writer.
  • A copy of your STAR UHM transcripts uploaded to the application form as a pdf.

Visas: Awardees will be individually responsible for applying for all necessary visas and/or research certificates to carry out their proposed project. Applicants are strongly encouraged to research what type of visa and/or research certificate would be required and make note of the visa application and processing timeline as the application processing time can take anywhere from 3 months up to one year in advance of your planned date of arrival. The information below is provided for reference purposes only. You should confirm the current visa requirements and application process/timeline by contacting the nearest consulate or embassy for your proposed host country/ies.

  • Brunei: No visa required for U.S. citizens for stays of up to 90 days.
  • Cambodia: U.S. citizens must apply for a tourist or business visa and should allow 3 – 4 weeks for processing.
  • Indonesia: To learn which type of visa you should apply for click here.
  • Laos: Visa application is required.
  • Malaysia: Contact the LA consulate for visa information tel #: (213) 892-1238
  • Myanmar: Must apply for either an education or workshop/seminar/meeting/research visa.
  • Philippines: U.S. citizens qualify for a 30-day visa exemption. Visa is required for stays of more than 30 days for any reason.
  • Singapore: US Passport Holders (regular, official and diplomatic) do not require a visa to enter Singapore for business or for social visit purposes. If you are applying to study language on a university program in Singapore your student visa will typically be issued through the university as part of your application process.
  • Thailand: U.S. citizens qualify for a 30-day visa exemption for tourism purposes only. Numerous non-immigrant visa categories; most common would be Non-immigrant (ED) for study or internship in Thailand or non-immigrant (B) for business, teaching, or working in Thailand.
  • Timor-Leste: Visas are required for most international travelers.
  • Viet Nam: Visa is required for all travelers.

Human Subjects Approval for Research Abroad: Awardees planning research will need Human Subject Clearance/IRB approval prior to departure. Please carefully review the UHM Research Compliance Website.  We recommend you speak with your advisor and/or the Research Compliance office at the time of application to confirm if approval is required for your proposed project and to begin the application process.  If you fail to do this and IRB approval is required for your project, you will not be able to use any data you collect abroad as part of your thesis or dissertation research.

For inquiries, please contact the Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Dr. Miriam Stark, at miriams@hawaii.edu.

Hawaiʻi/Wisconsin LUCE Faculty-Student Collaborative Research Fellowships – Year 3

Deadline: See below
Award period: Summer or Fall 2019

Proposals are sought for funding to support research to be conducted in Southeast Asia by one UH Mānoa faculty member and one or more graduate students during Summer or Fall 2019.

The Henry Luce Foundation has provided funding to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison for research in Southeast Asia.  For Year 3 of this grant one faculty member will be chosen at each one of the two institutions to conduct research in a Southeast Asian country, with the provision that she or he is accompanied by, oversees, and mentors one or two graduate students working in the same region and on the same or related research topics and who have advanced abilities in the relevant Southeast Asian language (completed at least 2 years of language study or equivalent).  For this last round, at least one graduate student participant must be from UW-Madison.

Proposals must follow a two-stage process, which will involve both faculty and students.

  1. By SEPTEMBER 15: Faculty members interested in applying must provide a brief description of the nature of the research they wish to undertake and the estimated time frame.  This initial proposal should also identify potential collaborators at University of Wisconsin-Madison (grad student and/or faculty).
  2. By NOVEMBER 1: Cohorts will submit detailed proposals will consisting of the following:

From each faculty member applicant:

  • A narrative description (3-4 pages, double-spaced) outlining the nature of the research he or she intends to carry out, the location(s), and timetable.
  • A budget summary for the faculty member’s portion of the project.
  • The faculty member’s CV.

From each graduate student applicant:

  • A narrative description (2-3 pages, double spaced) outlining the nature of the research intended, locations(s), and timetable.
  • A budget summary for the student’s portion of the project.
  • The student’s CV
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts of graduate study

Criteria for selection include quality, originality, and potential importance of the research proposals, prior accomplishments/student records, and the degree to which the proposed research activities of the student applicants fit with the general theme identified by the faculty member.  The choice of awardees will be made by a small committee of Southeast Asia specialists who themselves are not participating in the competition.

The research projects proposed by the graduate students need not be identical to that of the faculty member, but some level of coordination will be preferred, and student applicants are encouraged to consult with the faculty member as they develop their proposals.

Funding available: $8,825 for faculty researcher, $7,000 for each graduate student.

For inquiries, please contact the Dean of SPAS, Andy Sutton, at Sutton@hawaii.edu.