Monday, October 8, 2012

Critical Language and Boren Scholarship information for students


The Critical Language Scholarship Program: this summer program provides fully-funded eight to ten week group-based intensive language instruction and extensive cultural enrichment experiences held overseas in:
  • Azerbaijani, Bangla/Bengali, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Punjabi, Turkish, and Urdu: Beginning, advanced beginning, intermediate and advanced levels;
  • Arabic and Persian: Advanced beginning, intermediate and advanced levels;
  • Chinese, Japanese, and Russian: Intermediate and advanced levels.
Eligibility details and language prerequisites are explained at http://clscholarship.org/qv_applicant.php. Students of diverse disciplines and majors are encouraged to apply. Applications are now available online, and the national deadline is November 15, 2012.

The Boren Undergraduate Scholarship Program provides up to $20,000 for US undergraduate students to study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to US interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded. Most languages are supported, except those of Western Europe. Boren Scholarships are funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), which focuses on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security. Applicants should identify how their study abroad program, as well as their future academic and career goals, will contribute to U.S. national security, broadly defined.  NSEP draws on a broad definition of national security, recognizing that the scope of national security has expanded to include not only the traditional concerns of protecting and promoting American well-being, but also the challenges of global society, including sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, and economic competitiveness. Receipt of this scholarship does incur a government service requirement, which for many students provides a valuable foot in the federal employment door.

Undergraduate applicants must apply through UW to be considered for the Boren Undergraduate Scholarship Program. UW's campus deadline for undergraduate applicants is January 10, 2013 for study abroad programs during the 2013-14 academic year.

The UW Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards is providing information sessions for undergraduate students interested in these opportunities to help orient them to the programs and application processes:

    Critical Language Scholarship information sessions for undergraduates:
  • Oct. 9, 12:30pm, MGH 173R
  • Oct. 18, 3:30pm, MGH 171
    Boren Undergraduate Scholarship information sessions:
  • Oct. 18, 4:30pm, MGH 171
  • Nov. 14, 3:30pm, MGH 173R
  • Dec. 4, 3:30pm, MGH 173R
Both CLS and Boren programs are also open to graduate students. CLS processes are identical for both undergraduate and graduate applicants. Boren Graduate Fellowship details are at http://borenawards.org/boren_fellowship. There is no Boren campus application process at the graduate level; the national deadline for the Boren Graduate Fellowship is January 31, 2013. Helene Obradovich in the Graduate School Office of Fellowships & Awards is the point of contact for graduate students interested in this program (helene@uw.edu).

UW Bothell undergraduate and graduate students interested in these opportunities can contact Natalia Dyba, Manager of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards (NDyba@uwb.edu) for campus deadlines and application support.