Blakemore Freeman Fellowships for Advanced Asian Language Study
Grant Guidelines

Blakemore Freeman Fellowships are awarded for one year of advanced level language study in East or Southeast Asia in approved language programs. For grants to be awarded in spring 2009, study must start between June 2009 and May 20010.

Eligible Languages Blakemore Freeman Fellowships are awarded for study of the principal modern languages of East and Southeast Asia such as: Chinese Vietnamese Tibetan Japanese Indonesian Thai Korean Khmer Burmese Malaysian Consideration will be given to other East or Southeast Asian languages on an individual basis. Grants will not be made for the study of Asian languages not in current use. Eligibility Requirements To be eligible for a grant, an applicant must: Be pursuing an academic, professional or business career that involves the regular use of a modern East or Southeast Asian language Have a college undergraduate degree Be at or near an advanced level in the language as defined below Be able to devote oneself exclusively to language study during the term of the grant; grants are not made for part-time study Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States "Professional or business career" includes, but is not limited to, careers in computer science, engineering, international business, journalism, law, medicine, NGO work, and teaching.  Please refer to our FAQ page for other answers to common questions about eligibility.   Definition of Advanced Level An applicant for a Blakemore Freeman Fellowship must have: A minimum of three academic years of regular language study at the college level (example: completed 3rd year Chinese); or A minimum of one academic year of full-time intensive language study at the college-level; or Provide proof of equivalent competency (click here for language evaluation form that can be used to satisfy this requirement) Note: Applications for languages which are not commonly taught at U.S. universities will be considered on an individual basis Selection Criteria A focused, well-defined career objective involving Asia in which regular use of the language is an important aspect The potential to make a significant contribution to a field of study or area of professional or business activity in an Asian country Prior experience in the Asian country or involvement or participation in activities related to the country Good academic, professional or business background, appropriate to the career program

Blakemore Refresher Grants for advanced Asian language study are made for periods less than one academic year (minimum of two months) solely to individuals who have previously studied the language in the following groups:

Former Blakemore or Blakemore Freeman Fellows; Professors who are teaching in an Asian field at a university or college in the United States and post-doctoral professionals whose degree is in an Asian field; and Graduates of the regular academic-year programs at the Inter-University Center in Yokohama, Japan, the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and the International Chinese Language Program at National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan.

Approval of language programs for study of other languages will be considered on a individual basis during the application review process.

No grants are available for study in the United States.

If there is no approved advanced-level language program available in a country, an applicant may propose a program combining study in an ordinary language program supplemented by private tutorials. If no language program exists at all in the country, an applicant may propose a program of full-time tutorials.

Applicants for programs involving tutorials should submit the following additional information with their application:

Information on the proposed language program

Information regarding the proposed tutors' professional qualifications

Budget for estimated tutoring expenses

For full-time tutorial programs only, evidence (such as a letter from a knowledgeable university professor) that no appropriate language program exists in the Asian country

For full-time tutorial programs only, the applicant's proposed affiliation during the grant period with a recognized educational institution in the Asian country

Application and Acceptance It is the applicant's individual responsibility to apply to the language program which he or she lists on the Blakemore Freeman Fellowship application. The Foundation does not apply for the applicant. Blakemore Freeman Fellowships are awarded contingent upon the applicant's unconditional acceptance by the language program for which the fellowship is awarded. Example: an applicant applying to the IUP-Tsinghua program must successfully pass the IUP's oral exam and not be required by the IUP to complete a summer program as a prerequisite to academic year admission. An applicant may list only one language program on the application.

Conflicting Activities Blakemore Freeman Fellows must devote full-time to language study and not engage in any conflicting activities during the period covered by their grant. Part-time employment, teaching English, extensive research on a dissertation or involvement in other projects which could hamper full-time study are not permitted. Recreational, educational or cultural activities which do not interfere with full-time study are encouraged, particularly during school and holiday breaks.

Residency Requirement Blakemore Freeman Fellows are expected to remain in the study country during the entire period of their grant, except in the event of an emergency. Therefore, a Blakemore Freeman Fellow should not plan to return to the United States for Christmas or other holiday periods.  We encourage Blakemore Freeman Fellows to use holidays and school breaks for modest travel within their study country and to use these opportunities to expand their language usage outside the classroom.

	Tuition or tutoring fees, plus
	Stipend for travel, living and study expenses

The stipend for Blakemore Freeman Fellowships is a lump sum paid periodically and may be used for the following types of expenses: Round-trip airfare, economy class Books and study materials related to language study Housing/utilities Food and ordinary daily living expenses Local commuting Travel within country during holidays and school breaks Health insurance/medical evacuation insurance Immunizations appropriate for country Visa application fees Other fees or expenses required by language program or approved by Trustee

Personal Progress and Financial Reports Blakemore Freeman Fellows must submit: A monthly financial report of expenditures of the stipend. Two progress reports to the Foundation during their fellowship, the first report being due at mid-year, and a second report just prior to the end of their grant. A statement regarding the expenditure of the stipend on forms provided by the Foundation must be provided just prior to the end of a Blakemore Freeman Fellowship.

Transcripts from Language Program The Foundation must be provided with an official transcript from the language program at which the student is enrolled for each academic period covered by a Blakemore Freeman Fellowship. The transcript should list courses taken and grades received or progress made.