With funding provided by the U.S. Department of Education, the Duke area studies centers listed below
will offer FLAS Fellowships for the 2022-2023 academic year. The fellowships are available to graduate and
professional school students.
The purpose of the fellowships is to encourage the study or use of less commonly taught foreign
languages in combination with Latin American and Caribbean or Middle East area studies. Recipients must
enroll in a foreign language course (preferably at the intermediate level or above) and at least one area studies
course during the each semester during the 2022-2023 academic year while completing full-time course work.
Fellowships may also be awarded to support dissertation research abroad using the advanced foreign language
or for dissertation writing using the advanced foreign language.
The languages for which fellowships are offered are indicated below. In most cases, native speakers of
these languages, even if U.S. citizens or permanent residents, are not eligible for a fellowship in their native
language. Competitive preference will be given to applicants who have demonstrated financial need, as
reflected in their most recent Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) report.
The terms of the fellowship program, as specified by the U.S. Department of Education, are as follows:
The FLAS award for graduate and professional school students consists of a cost of education allowance
of $18,000 to cover tuition and required fees plus a stipend of $20,000 for the Academic year. The remainder
of the tuition and required fees must be covered by University funds.
Please note that student applicants are required to obtain the signature of their Department or
School representative signifying the Department or School’s agreement to accept the institutional
payment in lieu of full tuition and fees for the FLAS Fellow. According to the fellowship program
guidelines, the FLAS Fellow cannot be required to contribute to the cost of their tuition and fees from their own
personal resources.
Eligibility requirements for Academic Year FLAS Fellowships:
(1) recipients must enroll as full-time students in a graduate or professional degree program during the
fellowship period;
(2) recipients must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents;
(3) recipients must enroll in the formal study of one of the languages indicated below while pursuing a
formal academic program of study that includes area studies courses;
(4) fellowships may also be awarded to support dissertation research abroad using the advanced foreign
language or for dissertation writing using the advanced foreign language;
(4) only candidates of very high professional promise should be nominated.
Application Instructions: We are pleased to invite applications from graduate students in academic departments
or professional schools for these FLAS fellowships. Please send one copy of the following application
materials to the relevant center no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 18, 2022.
NOTE: All materials must be sent via e-mail as PDF attachments.
(1) a completed application form (attached — please note that Directors of Graduate Studies or their
professional school equivalents must certify that applicants are in good academic standing by
signing where indicated on the attached application form; applicants must also obtain any additional
approvals required by their Department or School prior to submitting the application; this signature
also indicates the School’s agreement to accept the cost of education allowance in lieu of full
payment of tuition and required fees); be sure to indicate which center you are applying to.
(2) two letters of recommendation (these should be sent via e-mail by the recommenders to the FLAS
coordinator of the center to which you are applying):
a. one which evaluates the candidate’s graduate and/or undergraduate performance, from the
candidate’s academic advisor, sponsoring faculty member, or other, and
b. one from a language instructor who is able to assess the student’s current skills in the
language to be studied, or for beginning language candidates, the second letter should be
from another faculty member or other who is familiar with your work;
(3) an official transcript of the candidate’s graduate record at Duke;
(4) a two-page (double-spaced) proposal by the candidate describing prior language and area studies
training, related experiences, and future study plans, including explicit reference to how those plans
will lead to professional activity in the relevant world area or areas in which the language will be
used. The candidate should also clearly indicate for which language he or she is applying and what
courses would be undertaken in the language.
(5) Student Aid Report from your most recent Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This
form and instructions can be found online at https://fafsa.ed.gov/
Please send a copy of your Student Aid Report to the FLAS coordinator of the center to which you
are applying.
Fellowship Requirements
Fellowship recipients will be required to meet the following conditions throughout the entire period of the
fellowship:
- Graduate and professional school Academic Year FLAS Fellowship recipients must be registered
full time during the fall and spring semesters. - Academic Year FLAS Fellowship recipients must be enrolled in an academic program of modern
language and related area and/or international studies, or international aspects of professional
training for the academic year. Specific instructions will be given by the Area Studies Center with
the award letter. Fellowship recipients in a language with level restrictions who fail to meet
enrollment requirements for the minimum level (e.g. successful completion of prerequisite courses
or minimum score on a placement test) will have their fellowships cancelled. - Fellowship recipients are responsible for arranging their schedules so as to be available to attend the
required language and area studies classes when they meet. - FLAS Fellowship is tenable only for the period for which it is awarded. It cannot be deferred to a
future year. All students must reapply each year. - FLAS Fellowship recipients must complete any language proficiency testing at the beginning and
end of their fellowship terms as required by U.S. Department of Education and the area studies
center awarding the fellowship. - FLAS Fellowship recipients must comply with all reporting requirements of U.S. Department of
Education and the area studies centers awarding the fellowships. - FLAS Fellowship recipients are required to complete a survey regarding their career paths for a
period of time following fellowship completion and graduation from their current degree program in
accordance with U.S. Department of Education requirements.
AREA STUDIES CENTERS ADMINISTERING ACADEMIC YEAR FLAS
FELLOWSHIP COMPETITIONS FOR 2022-2023
Center Languages for which fellowships are offered
Center for Latin American and
Caribbean Studies
135 Franklin Center, Box 90254
contact: Natalie Hartman
phone: 919-681-3983
e-mail: njh@duke.edu
Haitian Creole, K’iché Maya, Portuguese. (Please note: for all of
these languages, preference will be given to applicants who can enroll
in intermediate-level or above language courses. If you are at the
beginner level, you must have advanced language skills in another
language of the Americas.) Application deadline for 2022-2023
Academic Year FLAS competition: Friday, February 18. 2022.
Duke University Middle East
Studies Center
Franklin Center, Box 90404
Contact: Griffin Orlando
phone: 919-668-1653
email: griffin.orlando@duke.edu
Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish, Urdu. (Please note, for all of these
languages, preference will be given to applicants who can enroll in
intermediate-level or above language courses. If you are at the
beginner level, you must have advanced language skills in another
language of the Middle East.) Application deadline for 2022-2023
Academic Year FLAS competition: Friday, February 18, 2022.
Duke University does not discriminate on the basis of color, race, religion, national origin, handicap, veteran status, sexual
orientation or preference, sex, or age in the administration of educational policies, admission policies, financial aid, employment or
any other University program or activity. It admits qualified students to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities accorded
or made available to students.
IMPORTANT: The availability of AY FLAS Fellowships for 2022-23 and beyond will be contingent upon
confirmation of funding from the U.S. Department of Education. The Centers listed above are applying
for 4 more years of funding. We expect to announce awards sometime in Summer 2022. We may not be
able to confirm Academic Year FLAS Fellowship awards until then.