The Blakemore Foundation is looking for individuals who will make significant contributions to their field. The ideal candidate is someone with stellar grades, outstanding recommendations, and a demonstrated commitment to pursuing a career related to the Asian country and language. Beyond commitment, we are looking for purpose: a career path that will benefit from professional fluency in that modern Asian language throughout the applicant's life.

The fellowship supports advanced study by non-native speakers of the target language. Applicants may have heritage, familial, or cultural connections to a language and still be eligible. Native speakers of the language they propose to study, however, are not eligible.

The majority of our applicants have completed undergraduate study and are either pursuing graduate study or are working in a profession or business. However, a senior with outstanding qualifications who will receive an undergraduate degree before the start date of the language program may apply. In recent years, we have selected several graduating seniors to receive grants.

Yes, you may apply. Applicants do not need to be in graduate school.

Yes, you may apply. Applicants do not need to be affiliated with a college or university.

Yes, you may apply. Applicants do not need to be currently enrolled in graduate school or living in the United States. However, you may encounter difficulties accessing the online application form if you are located overseas. If so, please contact us by email so we can assist you.

Applicants for a Blakemore Kingfisher Fellowship must be a U.S. or Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or a foreign national studying in a graduate program in the United States or Canada.

Applicants for Blakemore Freeman Fellowships or Blakemore Fellowships must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States.

Yes, only if you can demonstrate that your language proficiency is equivalent to completing at least third-year college-level study.

If you have not met the minimum coursework requirement, you must provide documentation showing that you are at or near an advanced level. Applications will not be considered without this documentation.

To be considered, email both of the following to us:

1. Language Evaluation Form

Download the form here. A college-level instructor must complete the evaluation and email the form directly to us.

2. Proof of Language Proficiency
Submit one or more of the following:

• A recent OPI score of Intermediate High or Advanced Low

• A JLPT, HSK, TOCFL, TOPIK, or other ACTFL-aligned test score showing advanced-level proficiency

If you have questions about eligibility, contact the Blakemore Foundation Fellowship Team at
contactus@blakemorefoundation.org.

We have awarded fellowships to individuals with degrees from a wide variety of schools. While a large number of grants have gone to graduates of institutions with extensive Asian studies programs, the qualifications of the applicant are of more importance.

For Japanese, we fund study at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama, Japan. We do not fund Japanese language study at any other institution. 

For Chinese, we fund study at the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing and at the International Chinese Language Program at National Taiwan University in Taipei. We do not fund Chinese language study at any other institution. 

Study at the IUP is under the Blakemore Fellowship program; study at the ICLP is under the Blakemore Freeman Fellowship program.

For Korean, we fund study at Seoul National University, Sogang University or the Inter-University Center for Korean Language Studies at Sungkyunkwan University but may consider study at other language programs in South Korea on a case-by-case basis during the application review process. 

Approval of language programs for study of languages of SE Asian languages will be considered on an individual basis during the application review process.

Applicants must list only one language program on their application. However, you may change your school choice during the grant award process.

No, you do not have to been admitted to the language school in order to submit an application for a Fellowship by our December 30 deadline. But you will need to apply to the language school by its own separate application deadline. Example: the deadline for applications for the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies is usually mid-January.

Yes, candidates may reapply in a future year.

Try using a VPN. If that doesn’t work, please contact us by email so we can assist you. Some overseas locations are blocked from access. You may need to submit a paper application.

Candidates should be aware that even students with strong academic records frequently find the workload and pace of advanced Asian language programs more demanding than expected. The pace is fast, workload is rigorous, and expectations are high. Fellows should be prepared to devote the majority of their time and energy to intensive language study while enrolled.

We only make grants for an academic year (two semesters or three quarters).

For grants to be awarded in the spring of 2026, most will start in the fall term. But in all cases, study for grants awarded in spring 2026 must start between August 2026 and May 2027, as limited by the start dates of the language program involved.

For example, a 2026 grant for Japanese at the Inter-University Center in Yokohama must start in fall 2026.

A 2026 grant for the International Chinese Language Program in Taiwan may start in the fall, winter or spring terms of the 2026/2027 academic year and continue for 3 quarters.

A grant for study at the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua University may run from fall 2026 through the end of their spring term, or in special situations, may start in their spring 2027 term and continue through their summer 2027 term. 

Fellows are asked to stay in regular contact with the Foundation throughout the grant year. This takes the form of short monthly letters, quarterly expense reports submitted via an Excel workbook the Foundation provides, a mid-year progress report, and an end-of-grant package that includes a final progress report, your program's student evaluation, and a final financial report. The Foundation will provide full details and due dates before you depart.