Academic Year FLAS Fellowships

The purpose of the FLAS Fellowship program is to increase the number of students with advanced proficiency in less commonly taught languages, and to prepare language and area studies experts for careers in government agencies, public and private sectors, and academia.

Academic Year FLAS Fellowships cover up to $18,000 towards actual tuition and fees, plus a fixed annual living stipend of $20,000 paid out in monthly installments of $2,000 from September through June. The Davis Center conducts one round of competition for Academic Year FLAS Fellowships each year, concurrent with the GSAS admissions process. Eligible prospective Harvard graduate and professional school students should apply for FLAS when they apply for admission.

Fellowships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and alignment with program priorities, with preference given to applicants who 1) propose to use the fellowship for language and area studies; 2) show financial need equal to or greater than the amount of the fellowship, as demonstrated by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); and 3) are enrolled in a program or school that has committed to covering required tuition and health fees in excess of the FLAS tuition grant.

Eligibility

  • Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents
  • Open to continuing and incoming full-time Harvard graduate and professional school students whose overall program of study combines language with area studies or the international aspects of professional training, with a focus on Russia, Eastern and Central Europe, Southeastern Europe, the Caucasus, the Baltics, or Central Asia
  • FLAS Fellowships are awarded either for Language and Area Studies or for Dissertation Research Abroad
  • Language and Area Studies FLAS Fellows must take a full year of the FLAS language and a full year of regional area studies coursework (i.e. 4 credits of language and 4 credits of area studies in each fall and spring, for a total of 16 credits of FLAS coursework)
  • Dissertation Research FLAS Fellows must spend all 10 months of the fellowship period overseas doing language-intensive research. The projected proficiency gains in the FLAS language must be the equivalent of at least a full year of formal study

How to Apply

Apply for the FLAS Fellowship using Harvard's online Centralized Application for Research and Travel (CARAT). If you are a current Harvard student, you will login to CARAT with HarvardKey. If you're a prospective Harvard graduate or professional school student and don't yet have a HarvardKey, please create one here.  Once you have your HarvardKey, login to CARAT, search for "FLAS" and select East Europe Academic Year FLAS. 

Eligible languages include: Armenian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Czech, Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian. 

Please read through the following information carefully before beginning the application.  All materials must be submitted in English.

The application requires the following information:

  • Basic biographical information
  • FLAS language proficiency
  • Research and professional interests
  • Prior FLAS fellowships held
  • FLAS language to be studied or used in dissertation research abroad
  • Title, affiliation, and contact info for two instructors who will provide letters of reference

PDF File Uploads:

  • Statement of Purpose (up to 2 pages, double-spaced): Describe how the activities to be supported by a FLAS Fellowship relate to your overall academic and professional plans.  Where relevant, comment on how the proposed activities will help to develop regional experts and professionals who are prepared to engage with counterparts in this world area.  This document should be double-spaced and approximately 500 words in length. Please include your full name in the header or footer of your statement of purpose.
  • Dissertation Research Project Proposal (up to 4 pages, double-spaced; required only for Dissertation Research applicants):  Describe in detail your research plans, including any affiliations or other arrangements you have made to carry out your project (for PhD dissertation research applicants only).
  • Brief Resume or Curriculum Vitae (up to 2 pages): Include academic background, employment history, and major publications or other achievements. List the institutions in which you have studied or worked, institution locations, field(s) of study, degrees, and dates of employment or study.
  • Transcript(s):  Unofficial transcripts for all postsecondary work completed; include final grades for the term immediately prior to the application deadline

Letters of Recommendation:

  • One letter of recommendation from your primary academic advisor or a recent instructor in an area studies discipline. 
  • One letter of recommendation from a recent instructor of the proposed FLAS language, if available. Otherwise a second letter from a recent area studies instructor.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA):

  • Complete the current FAFSA and have your report sent to the GSAS Financial Aid Office by 5pm EST on January 31. The GSAS FAFSA School Code is E00470. 

Deadline

The deadline for 2024-25 FLAS Fellowships has passed. The 2025-26 application deadline will be January 22, 2025. 

Notification

Finalists for FLAS Fellowships can expect to be notified in early March. FLAS Fellowship nominations are subject to approval by the US Department of Education.