fellowships

For more than 60 years, the American Institute of Indian Studies has provided funding to pre- and post-doctoral scholars and artists in pursuit of knowledge about India.

• Junior Fellowships are for graduate students conducting research for their doctoral dissertations in India.
• Senior Long- and Short-term Fellowships are for those holding the PhD degree.
• Performing and Creative Arts Fellowships are available to accomplished practitioners of the arts to conduct their projects in India.

Junior Research Fellowships

Junior Research Fellowships are available to doctoral candidates at U.S. universities in all fields of study. These grants are specifically designed to enable doctoral candidates to pursue their dissertation research in India. Junior Research Fellows establish formal affiliation with Indian universities and Indian research supervisors. Awards are available for up to 11 months.

Senior Research Fellowships

Senior Research Fellowships are available to scholars with a PhD or its equivalent. These grants are designed to enable scholars who specialize in South Asia to pursue further research in India and to establish formal affiliation with an Indian institution. Short-term awards are available for up to four months. Long-term awards are available for six to nine months. A small number of outstanding scholars will be awarded fellowships funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions). All applicants for senior fellowships who request funding for at least four months, and whose projects fall into a range of humanistic disciplines will be considered for an NEH-funded fellowship in a separate review process. Those who are awarded NEH-funded fellowships will receive generous stipends of $5,000 per month. No additional application is required.

AIIS is pleased to offer the AIIS/Ashoka University Research and Teaching Fellowships. For more information click here.

Senior Scholarly/Professional Development Fellowships

Senior Scholarly/Professional Development Fellowships are available both to established scholars who have not previously specialized in Indian studies and to established professionals who have not previously worked or studied in India. Senior Scholarly/Professional Development Fellows are formally affiliated with an Indian institution. Awards may be granted for periods of six to nine months.

Senior Performing and Creative Arts Fellowships

Senior Performing and Creative Arts Fellowships are available to accomplished practitioners of the performing arts of India and creative artists who demonstrate that study in India would enhance their skills, develop their capabilities to teach or perform in the U.S., enhance American involvement with India’s artistic traditions or strengthen their links with peers in India. Awards will normally be for periods of up to four months, although proposals for periods of up to nine months can be considered.