Funding

CREECA offers Academic Year and Summer FLAS Fellowships to both undergraduate and graduate students seeking to gain expertise in a regional language and area studies. Students do not have to be enrolled in a REECAS program to be eligible, and CREECA encourages students from the professional schools to apply. Applications for Academic Year and Summer Fellowships are due in mid-February, and students are encouraged to discuss their plans with the CREECA FLAS coordinator before applying. More details and the application can be found here.

Please note that undergraduates are not eligible for a FLAS for the beginning level of a language, only intermediate (2nd year) and above.

Academic Year FLAS Fellowships

For students enrolled in language and area or international studies coursework at UW-Madison. FLAS awards may be used in some cases for undergraduates participating in official IAP programs and in very limited cases for graduate students to conduct dissertation research. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Eligible languages: Czech (first-year only for 2020-2021), Kazakh, Persian (in relation to Central Asia), Polish (first and third-year only for 2020-2021), Russian (fifth semester and above; first- through fourth-semester Russian for professional school students only), Turkish (in Balkans or Central Asia).
Undergraduates: Covers $10,000 towards tuition and a stipend of $5,000.
Graduates: Covers full tuition and a stipend of $15,000.

Summer FLAS Fellowships

For intensive summer language study either at U.S. institutions or abroad. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Eligible Languages: same as Academic Year FLAS plus languages offered through: Central Eurasian Studies Summer Institute (CESSI); Baltic Studies Summer Institute (BALSSI); Slavic, East European & Near Eastern Summer Language Institute at the University of Pittsburgh; the Indiana University Summer Language Workshop; and other intensive summer language programs.
Undergraduates:  Covers $5,000 towards tuition and a stipend of $2,500.
Graduates: Covers $5,000 towards tuition and a stipend of $2,500.

The Alice D. Mortenson Undergraduate Research Award in Russian History

The Department of History offers the Alice D. Mortenson Undergraduate Scholarship in Russian History. The Mortenson scholarships ($3,000) are awarded to up to three students interested in Russian history, and at least one of the scholarships will be reserved for a student majoring in a discipline other than history. More information can be found on the Department of History website. Prospective applicants should also contact Professor David McDonald with questions about the Mortenson Award.

Boren Scholarships

Provide up to $20,000 for U.S. undergraduate students to pursue their studies abroad in countries and regions deemed important to U.S. national security. Recipients must commit to one year of government service in a U.S. federal agency following graduation. Applications are due in early December. More information can be found on the Institute for Regional and International Studies website.

Fulbright US Student Program (FUSP)

For recent B.S./B.A. graduates (including graduating seniors), master’s and doctoral candidates, and young professionals and artists. Provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. Applications are typically due in September. More information can be found on the Institute for Regional and International Studies website.

Lapinski Undergraduate Scholarship

For undergraduate students currently enrolled at UW-Madison who will be continuing at UW-Madison in the next academic year.  Provides money for UW-Madison tuition for students studying Polish language, literature and culture. Application instructions and deadlines can be found here.

Russian Flagship Scholarships

For students enrolled in the Russian Flagship Program. Deadline is April 1. See the Russian Flagship website for more details.

Sophomore Research Fellowships

To support undergraduate research done in collaboration with UW–Madison faculty or research/instructional academic staff. Students receive $2,500 and faculty/staff research advisors receive $500 to help offset research costs. Applications are due in late February. Visit the Undergraduate Academic Awards website for more details.

Boren Fellowships

Provide up to $30,000 to U.S. graduate students who are studying or conducting research on countries and regions deemed important to U.S. national security. Recipients must commit to one year of government service in a U.S. federal agency following graduation. Applications are due in early January. More information can be found on the Institute for Regional and International Studies website.

CREECA Graduate Student Short-Term Research Awards

CREECA anticipates holding a competition in the 2024-25 academic year for short-term travel awards of up to $4,000 for current UW-Madison graduate and professional school students of any discipline to conduct research in Russia, Eastern/Central Europe, and/or Eurasia/Central Asia in summer 2025. More information can be found here.

Fulbright US Student Program (FUSP)

For recent B.S./B.A. graduates, master’s and doctoral candidates, and young professionals and artists. Provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. Applications are typically due in September. More information can be found on the Institute for Regional and International Studies website.

Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad

To support doctoral students conducting research in other countries, in modern foreign languages and area studies for periods of six to 12 months. The application is typically due in the spring. More information can be found on the Institute for Regional and International Studies website.

IRIS Graduate Student Summer Fieldwork Award

Provides support for UW-Madison graduate students to conduct a minimum of 6 weeks of summer fieldwork outside the US. Deadline is typically in mid-February. More details can be found on the IRIS website.

Lapinski Graduate Scholarship

For graduate students entering UW-Madison or continuing in a UW-Madison graduate program, the Lapinski Scholarship provides money for UW-Madison tuition for students studying Polish language, literature and culture. Application instructions and deadlines can be found here.

Title VIII Fellowships

For U.S. citizens to study Kazakh, Tajik, Uyghur, or Uzbek at UW-Madison’s Central Eurasian Studies Summer Institute (CESSI). Applications typically due February 1.

CREECA and our campus partners regularly offer awards and grants to support faculty research, travel, and teaching. You can find more information about typical funding opportunities here, or search our Jobs & Opportunities page for additional internal and external opportunities.

Despite its modest size, in recent years CREECA has been able to offer employment opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students. At CREECA, students gain valuable experience in areas such as academic administration, project management, communication, and website design. Positions are generally funded by external grants and as such are not offered on a regular basis.

Hourly Positions for Undergraduates

Positions are posted on the Student Job Center website when they become available.

Graduate Project Assistantships

Assistants are eligible for tuition remission, a monthly stipend, and health insurance. Open positions are advertised on the CREECA website when they become available.

Council of the American Overseas Research Centers Fellowships
Critical Language Scholarship
Fulbright Scholar Program
Gilman Scholarship
Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies
Javits Fellowships
Kathryn Davis Fellowships for Peace
Kennan Institute Fellowships
Kosciuszko Foundation Scholarships – for exchange programs and study abroad to Poland, as well as scholarships for students of Polish descent
SSRC (Social Science Research Council)
U.S. Institute of Peace Grants and Fellowships