The goal of the CGRS Junior Research Fellowships is to aid students with work that deepens their understanding of local, regional, national, or international issues, especially when such issues have global implications. We are particularly interested in students who wish to further projects undertaken during an OCS program (domestic or international), especially when this work will feed into their comps. In their funding requests, applicants can also include language study related to their research projects.

The fellowships are awarded by the advisory committee of the CGRS. The maximum award is $5000.

Eligibility criteria

  • Applicants must be juniors who will have senior status by the time the project is undertaken (typically during the summer after junior year).
  • While there is no official cutoff, most successful applicants will have a cumulative GPA well above 3.0.
  • Joint proposals by two or more students are possible.

Priority will go to declared majors or minors of one of the member departments or programs of the CGRS: Africana Studies • American Studies • Asian Languages • Asian Studies • Classics • Cross-Cultural Studies • East Asian Studies • European Studies • French and Francophone Studies • French and Francophone Studies • German and Russian • Judaic Studies • Latin American Studies • Medieval and Renaissance Studies • Middle East Studies • Middle Eastern Languages • South Asian Studies • Spanish

Application process

Applications must be submitted electronically to Anna Hagen by 5pm, Tuesday, February 6, 2024. All application materials (except for letters of recommendation, sent directly by faculty) should be included in a single e-mail. No late submissions are accepted, so give your recommenders sufficient time (at least two weeks) to draft their letters. We recommend that applicants review the Fellowships Office’s Tips for Applying.

Application Requirements

  1. CGRS Cover sheet
  2. Project Proposal and Budget: Provide a two-page (single-spaced, 12 pt font, one-inch margins) description of your project, including your research topic; the methodological approach you plan to use; the professional contacts you have made (or will make) on location, the specific research activities you hope to carry out with the support of the fellowship. Your activities might include: transportation to a research site; commuting expenses; living expenses (include meals and accommodations); purchase of materials, entrance fees, office supplies, etc. Finally, include up to three citations of critical work in your field that are relevant to your proposed project.
  3. Budget: Include a one-page project budget that details all proposed expenses. (See tips on creating a budget for Carleton-funded fellowships. Note that the CGRS Fellowships may not be able to cover lost summer wages.)
  4. Personal Statement: Write a one-page personal statement in which you explain the way your proposed research project fits into your larger academic goals. Be sure to comment on how the project connects with work you have already done at Carleton (including OCS programs, internships, other fellowships), and how it will feed into work (such as comps) you will continue as a senior.
  5. Unofficial Transcript: Include a copy of your unofficial transcript with your proposal.
  6. Faculty Recommendation: Select two Carleton faculty members who know you and your academic work well, at least one from a major or minor among the CGRS member programs. Complete the recommendation form below twice, one for each recommender, and be sure to provide your recommender with at least a draft of your proposal, budget, and personal statement two weeks in advance.

Fellowship Recommendation Form

Numbers 1-5 above should be sent in a single e-mail to Anna Hagen by Tuesday, February 6, at 5pm.

Sample Past Recipients

Ammy Lin 2023 Junior Fellowship Recipient

Majors, Minor: Chinese and Mathematics, Music Performance

Topic: Anthropology, History, and Politics: How National Identity is Reflected in Taiwanese Cuisine

Scott Hudson 2023 Junior Fellowship Recipient

Major, Minors: History, European Studies and Digital Arts & Humanities

Topic: Exploring Interwar Film Censorship in Nazi Germany and the Irish Free State Through the Work of Marlene Dietrich

Jeremy Fong 2022 Junior Fellowship Recipient

Major, Minors: Sociology/Anthropology, Cross-Cultural Studies and European Studies

Topic: Universal Design in Practice: An Exploration of Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Design in Berlin, Germany

Alison Hong 2021 Junior Fellowship Recipient

Majors: French and Francophone Studies and Cinema and Media Studies
Topic: Female Corporeality in the Works of Chantal Akerman and Feminist Cinema in the 1970s

Will Gleason 2020 Junior Fellowship Recipient

Majors: French and Francophone Studies and Computer Science.
Topic: From Colonialism to National Adventure: the Explorer, the Press and the State in 19th century French Colonial Acquisition