FLAS Application Sessions for 2009 Summer and 2009-2010 Academic Year

The UNC Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies (CSEEES) encourages all graduate students interested in studying Russian or an Eastern European language to apply for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Awards. This wonderful opportunity for language study funded by the U.S. Department of Education should not be missed.

CSEEES holds an annual competition to determine the recipients for both summer and academic year grants. This year, the application deadline is 30 January 2009 for both 2009-2010 Academic Year and 2009 Summer Awards.

The information sessions for 2009 Summer and 2009-2010 Academic Year FLAS Award Applications have been scheduled for the following dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to attend ONE of the information sessions:

Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 3-4:00 p.m. -- Room 1009, FedEx Global Education Center
Friday, Nov. 21 from 3-4:00 p.m. -- Room 4003, FedEx Global Education Center

FLAS Overview

Fellowships are designed to provide support and funding to graduate students studying the languages and cultures of specific foreign countries, including those of Eastern Europe and Russia. FLAS fellowships cover tuition and fees at UNC-CH, plus a stipend. Stipends are $15,000 for an Academic Year Award and $2,500 for a Summer Award.

FLAS Academic Year Awards are available for the on-campus study of Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, and Serbian-Croatian. Summer Awards may be utilized for the study of these or any other languages of the Slavic, Eurasian, and East European region. All summer language study must take place at programs approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Introductory summer language study must take place in the United States; intermediate and advanced summer study may take place abroad.

In addition to the application form, applicants must submit a language evaluation form completed by a faculty member; academic transcripts; and a statement describing how the proposed language study fits in with their overall course of study, career goals, and research project.

Eligibility and Priorities

• Eligibility is limited to full-time graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
• We encourage applications for non-Russian languages
• Preference given to students who have not previously received FLAS awards
• We encourage applications from students likely to pursue government service
• We encourage students in professional schools to apply

For additional information, see:
http://www.unc.edu/areastudies/fundingopp/flas-apply.html

or contact CSEEES FLAS Coordinator, Dr. Jacqueline M. Olich at jmolich@email.unc.edu