Call for Applications: Asian Pacific American Studies Graduate Fellowship Program

ATTENTION:

Graduate Students

Application Deadline: Monday, April 15 at 5 p.m.

Award: $7,000 with the potential of an additional $2,000

The Asian Pacific American Studies (APAS) Program is committed to creating opportunities at MSU for students to deepen connections between their scholarly interests and the fields of Asian Pacific American Studies specifically, and Ethnic Studies more broadly. In line with the Program’s aim to advance this area of study on campus, and with the support of the Graduate School, the APAS Graduate Fellowship offers MSU graduate students a unique opportunity to develop skills in research, professional development, and community engagement in ways informed by Asian Pacific American scholarship and praxis.

The 2024-25 APAS Graduate Fellowship will be awarded to five (5) graduate students who demonstrate academic excellence and a commitment to a career that incorporates the application of Asian Pacific American Studies. While preference will be given to graduate students whose work is situated within the field of Asian Pacific American Studies broadly conceived, applicants working in other Ethnic Studies fields who demonstrate an interest in the potential links between their area of study and Asian Pacific American Studies are also encouraged to apply.

Fellows will meet as a cohort twice a month in seminars facilitated by the Fellowship Advisor throughout the 2024-25 academic year. In the Fall Semester, the primary objective of these seminars is to provide Fellows the opportunity to make in-depth presentations of their research in progress, and receive feedback and mentorship focused on deepening their engagement with Asian Pacific American and related Ethnic Studies scholarship. In Spring, the focus of the Fellowship will be to help Fellows develop the necessary skills to articulate how their specific research projects speak to the different disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts in which they expect to work post-graduation. Finally, the Fellowship will also create professional development opportunities outside of regular classroom instruction to prepare Fellows to make meaningful contributions to the scholarship and/or design of pedagogical approaches in APA Studies.

In addition to the biweekly seminars, Fellows will assist in organizing related APAS programming and community engagement throughout the academic year, including the annual APAS Symposium in the Spring semester. The Symposium will also provide Fellows the added opportunity to present their research in a professional context, and to expand their network of students and scholars working in the field.

A fellowship of $3,500 per semester ($7,000 total) will be offered to successful applicants. Once accepted, Fellows will be able to apply for an additional $2,000 to support their research and/or conference participation.

Summary of Responsibilities

In 2024-25, Fellows will be required to:

  • Attend two meetings per month in which Fellows will share their works in progress, discuss its relation to APA Studies, and cultivate skills to articulate their work in different disciplinary, professional and community contexts.
  • Work with APAS leadership to organize and attend events sponsored and co-sponsored by the APAS Program, including the APAS Symposium in Spring 2025.
  • Work with APAS leadership to engage communities on and beyond the MSU campus.
  • Submit all final reporting materials by 15 May 2025.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an APAS Graduate Fellowship, applicants must:

  • Be enrolled in a graduate program with good academic standing at MSU. Preference will be given to applicants at the Doctoral level, but those at the Masters level will also be considered.
  • Engage with, or demonstrate the potential to engage with, APA Studies broadly defined as a key component of their graduate research.
  • Be enrolled as a full-time student for the duration of the year for which they are applying.

Application Materials

Applicants must submit the following materials in order to be considered:

  • A complete application form and faculty recommendation form.
  • A current CV.
  • A short essay (600 words maximum) that explains the applicant’s scholarly interests and professional goals; their interest in and engagement with APA Studies more specifically; and how this Fellowship will help them achieve their professional goals and interests.
  • The name and contact information of the applicant’s graduate advisor or department chair to be contacted for a recommendation should applicant be shortlisted (recommendations are not required at the time of application).

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications must be submitted as a PDF to apastudy@msu.edu.

Please direct any questions to APAS Director, Dr. Sitara Thobani.