Competitions for Fellowships for Study and Research in Yemen

The American Institute for Yemeni Studies annually holds two competitions for fellowship programs supporting research on Yemen, one for U.S. citizens, presently limited to venues other than Yemen, and one for citizens of the Republic of Yemen.  Both are funded by grants from the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The next deadline for both competitions is December 31, 2011.

Both ECA-funded competitions have strict eligibility requirements that must be met before applications may be submitted. Before inquiring about either fellowship program (U.S. scholars or Yemeni scholars), please be sure that you meet the requirements for the program in which you are interested.

We regretfully announce that the CAORC-administered Andrew W. Mellon Foundation fellowship program for East European scholars, in which AIYS participated, has been discontinued.

Please note that while AIYS' normal fellowship program that supports both research and Arabic study in Yemen is described below, there presently is a ban on using State Department-funded fellowships for travel to Yemen. For the current competition, AIYS is therefore accepting ONLY applications for research on Yemen in venues other than Yemen. For the same reason, at this time AIYS is NOT accepting applications for intensive Arabic study.

Click here for a list of research fellowships awarded through AIYS since 1991.

Competition for U.S. Scholars
Support for this program comes from a grant from the State Department's Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs (State/ECA) through the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC).

Eligibility is limited to U.S. citizens who are enrolled as full-time graduate students in recognized degree programs or who are post-graduate professionals. Awards are made on the basis of merit as determined by a review committee of scholars from among AIYS' members and member universities. All funds currently available or pending come from US government sources and may be awarded only to US citizens. These fellowships are fully taxable after legitimate deductions for professional expenses.

1. General Fellowship Program
Proposals are invited from graduate and post-graduate scholars for feasibility studies or research projects. Collaborative or group projects are eligible for funding. It is permissible to combine Arabic language study with a research or feasibility project.

There is no restriction as to field or discipline. Project funds may at present be used either for research in Yemen or for research on Yemen elsewhere. Projects are not normally funded above $10,000. Applicants may need to secure additional funding for other expenses or for extended research periods, but in the case of multiple awards AIYS reserves the right to modify or cancel its fellowship offer. A full statement of conditions governing fellowships may be obtained from the AIYS office. Researchers whose projects will take them to more than one country are advised to consider applying to CAORC's Multi-Country Fellowship Program as well as to AIYS.

Please note that there currently is a ban on using State Department-funded fellowships for travel to Yemen. For the current competition, AIYS is therefore accepting only applications for research on Yemen in venues other than Yemen.

Scholars planning to conduct research in Yemen funded by other sources are reminded that AIYS continues to provide its normal research support services in Yemen. For details contact the AIYS office or consult the research permit page on this site.

2. Intensive Arabic Language Study
AIYS normally offers students and scholars the opportunity to obtain intensive Arabic language training in Yemen through AIYS' ECA-funded individual fellowship program. AIYS Arabic language funds may only be used for study in Yemen. Since these fellowships are subject to the ban on using ECA-funded fellowship funds to travel to Yemen, this competition is therefore not offered for the present deadline.

How to Apply for an AIYS Fellowship:
There is a $25 processing fee for applications to the U.S. fellowship program; the fee is waived for applicants who are individual AIYS members.

All applicants must submit the original plus five copies (i.e., a total of 6) of each of the following:

• a completed application form (available from AIYS Administrative Office and also on this site);
• a curriculum vitae;
• an application narrative consisting of:
  1. for applicants for Arabic language training grants: a short statement explaining their interest in Yemen and their background in Arabic language;
  2. for all other applicants: a project description (maximum suggested length 4-6 double-spaced pages), plus a proposed budget and schedule.

Required supporting documentation (to be sent directly to AIYS postmarked by the application deadline; single copies are acceptable):

• all applicants should provide three (3) letters of recommendation to be sent directly to the AIYS office by the application deadline. These letters should preferably be on institutional stationary.
• pre-doctoral applicants must have both undergraduate and graduate transcripts sent; recent Ph.D. recipients are encouraged to provide a graduate transcript.

Deadline for Applications
The deadline for receipt of U.S. applications each year is December 31. This is a postmark deadline, but to be certain of consideration applications must be should be sent in such a manner that their delivery can reasonably be expected within one week of the deadline. This includes letters of reference and transcripts sent directly to AIYS by third parties. For further information and contact the AIYS office.

Research Fellowships for Scholars who are Citizens of the Republic of Yemen
In order to encourage original research by Yemeni scholars in all fields of the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, the American Institute for Yemeni Studies (AIYS) may support research projects proposed by qualified researchers who are citizens of the Republic of Yemen. The deadline for receipt of applications each year is December 31.

• The proposal must be for original research or field study within Yemen. Work to be done elsewhere does not qualify for fellowship support.
• Fellowships are not available for translation or publication projects.
• As a general rule AIYS cannot consider applications from researchers who have received funding from an AIYS fellowship within the previous three years.
• The maximum amount that can be awarded to any one project under this fellowship competition is $2,000. Applicants should provide a detailed project budget justifying the amount requested. Preference will be given to applications which explain clearly how AIYS funding will be used for research purposes. Only research-related expenses will be considered for funding. The level of approved funding will be decided by AIYS.
• Applicants must show qualifications for undertaking the project described in the proposal. An advanced degree is not a requirement, nor is fluency in English. However, the application cover form must be submitted in English.
• Upon completion of the project, the applicant must provide a final report (3-8 pages) in Arabic or English. Two copies of this report must be submitted to AIYS. It will be published in the AIYS bulletin, Yemen Update.
• Researchers should also submit a financial accounting of how the research funds provided by the AIYS fellowship were spent.
• Any publications resulting from this project must acknowledge the aid of the fellowship from AIYS and two copies of each of these publications must be provided to AIYS for its library in Sana'a.
• Researchers are responsible for obtaining whatever research permission is necessary for their projects.
• Research proposals submitted for funding should follow the guidelines in the application packet; incomplete proposals or proposals that do not conform to the guidelines cannot be considered.
• Inquiries, requests for applications, and completed application packets should be addressed to the AIYS Resident Director in Sana'a.
• Eligible applicants who are currently in the U.S. should address questions and completed applications to the AIYS office in the U.S.
• The application form is also available on this site.

Research Fellowships under the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation program for East European Scholars

Since 2003 AIYS is pleased to have been able to participate in this fellowship program, which allowed scholars from East European and Baltic countries including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Latvia, and Lithuania to do research in Yemen. The Mellon Foundation is now closing this program and AIYS will therefore not be able to accept any further applications. A list of awards made under this program is accessible here.

2012 Getty Research Exchange Fellowship Program for the Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East

9 June - 16 July 2012

The Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) is pleased to announce the Getty Research Exchange Fellowship Program. The fellowship program is open to scholars in participating countries* who have already obtained a Ph.D. or have professional experience in the field of art history and who wish to undertake a specific research project in Algeria or Turkey related to the seminar theme: Art and Archaeology of the Sacred (Algeria) or Vision and Visual Culture in Byzantium (Turkey).

Funded by the Getty Foundation, the fellowship includes a travel and living expense stipend of $7,500.   The fellowship tenure will be June 9 to July 16, 2012, including an opening and closing seminar. Fellows will be required to conduct their research during this time period.

Yemeni scholars must apply through American Institute for Yemeni Studies (AIYS). Final award selection will be conducted by CAORC. Notification of fellowship status will be made available to each applicant via email by April 16, 2012.

* Participating countries include: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Turkey, and Yemen. Please note: Algerian scholars may apply only for the fellowship in Turkey and Turkish scholars may apply only for the fellowship in Algeria.

Deadline: February 1, 2012

For details and application, please see the links on this page or caorc.org/programs

Art and Archaeology of the Sacred | Oran, Algeria | 9 June – 16 July 2012

Fellows should plan to arrive in Oran no later than 9 June 2012 and depart no earlier than 16 July 2012. The fellowship tenure is comprised of three sections:

1. Opening Seminar, 10-11 June 2012: Fellows will gather with scholars from the Algerian academic community at an opening seminar.

2. Independent Research, 12 June – 14 July 2012: Fellows will conduct independent research as described in their application. Research projects should relate to the seminar theme of Art and Archaeology of the Sacred.

3. Closing Seminar: 15 July 2012: Fellows will reconvene to share the preliminary findings from their research.

Vision and Visual Culture in Byzantium | Istanbul, Turkey | 9 June – 16 July 2012

Byzantium was a profoundly visual culture, which has left us some of the singular monuments from the history of art and architecture, such as Hagia Sophia or the Chora Monastery.  The purpose of the seminar is to investigate ways of looking and ways of seeing Byzantine art and architecture – that is, learning to “read” the monuments with the same nuance and insight a philologist would apply to a text.  This may encompass several approaches, such as recreating the cultural context in which the monument or image was constructed or experienced; understanding the dynamic relationship of a painted or mosaic program and its architectural setting; interrogating the science of vision itself, as the Byzantines understood it; or contemplating the relationship of the cognitive visual process to spiritual understanding.

Fellows should plan to arrive in Istanbul no later than 9 June 2012 and depart no earlier than 16 July 2012. The fellowship tenure is comprised of three sections:

1. Opening Seminar, 10-11 June 2012: Fellows will gather with scholars from the Turkish academic community at an opening seminar.

2. Independent Research, 12 June – 14 July 2012: Fellows will conduct independent research as described in their application. Research projects should relate to the seminar theme of Vision and Visual Culture in Byzantium.

3. Closing Seminar: 15 July 2012: Fellows will reconvene to share the preliminary findings from their research.