Student Funding

Funding through the Center for Southeast Asia & Its Diasporas

The next application cycle for CSEAD student funding will open in December 2026. Application instructions will be posted here in autumn 2026. 

The Center for Southeast Asia & its Diasporas provides general financial support for graduate students through the Christen J. Grorud Endowed Memorial Fellowship. Research and conference travel funds are available for graduate students through the Keyes Award and Gething Award. Students should also explore funding opportunities through the University of Washington, and other institutions supporting Southeast Asia Studies.

Gething Award for graduate student conference travel and Keyes Award for graduate student research travel

The Thomas and Mary Gething Award provides partial travel funding for UW graduate students, with preference given to applications proposing travel for professional conferences and workshops in order to present papers related to Southeast Asia. The Charles and Jane Keyes Award provides partial funding for UW graduate student travel, with preference given to applications proposing travel to Southeast Asia for research purposes. Both awards were established thanks to generous gifts from Professor Emeritus Thomas and Mary Gething and Professor Emeritus Charles (Biff) and Jane Keyes.

Awards typically range between $250-$500. The applicant does not need to be a U.S. citizen but must be enrolled as a UW student.

The Christen J. Grorud Endowed Memorial Fellowship

The Fellowship provides broad-based direct financial support to graduate students in good standing studying Southeast Asia at the University of Washington. Incoming applicants to the JSIS M.A. Program in Southeast Asian Studies are automatically considered for the Grorud Fellowship and need not submit a separate application.

Eligibility

• Current or admitted graduate students at the University of Washington; there is no citizenship requirement.
• The award is disbursed in installments at the beginning of each quarter of the academic year. The recipient must be enrolled to receive disbursement.
• It is the donors’ preference that the recipient have a focus on the study of Indonesia, though the award is open to students who study any area of Southeast Asia.

Application materials

• Your resume or CV with full contact information (email, UW student number, and phone number)
• 1-2 page statement of graduate research activities and plans for the 2025-26 school year.
• A 2-3 paragraph summary of your engagement with CSEAD. Address the following questions. Have you taken JSIS A 506, JSIS A 580, or JSIS A 582? What other courses with Southeast Asia content have you taken? How have you participated in CSEAD activities in the past year?
• 1 letter of recommendation from a professor or advisor familiar with your work. Your recommender should send their letter of recommendation directly to the Center for Southeast Asia and its Diasporas at csead@uw.edu
• Unofficial transcript

Questions? Contact csead@uw.edu.

Funding through the University of Washington

Students should carefully explore the various funding opportunities offered through the University of Washington and The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies:

• The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies – Funding Opportunities (undergraduate and graduate students)
• The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies – Career Services Office (additional funding for graduate students)
• The University of Washington – Funding Resources

Other Southeast Asia Studies funding options

Students pursuing advanced research projects, language study, and other specialized programs are eligible for numerous scholarships to fund both their study at UW and in the field. The following grants are those most commonly awarded to SEAC students; the list is not exhaustive. Students have also arranged research fellowships within their departments and schools as well as with overseas sponsorship.

• The American Institute for Indonesian Studies – Grants to conduct research across the field of contemporary and traditional Indonesian studies
• Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program – Grants sponsored by Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State for undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies or credit-bearing, career-oriented internships abroad.
• Boren Fellowships – Boren Fellowships, an initiative of the National Security Education Program, provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. graduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests, and underrepresented in study abroad.
• Charles B. Rangel International Fellowship – The Rangel Program is a collaborative effort between Howard University and the U.S. State Department that seeks to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers as diplomats in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State.
• Chester Fritz and Boeing International fellowships – One-quarter international research or study fellowships for UW graduate students
• Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) – Offers a senior research fellowship for post-doctoral scholars and a multi-country research fellowship to support dissertation research.
• Fulbright Fellowships
• Henry Luce Foundation Grants
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarships
• Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, INC
• USINDO Sumitro Fellowship – One fellowship is available for United States citizens/permanent resident for research relating to the political economy of Indonesia. Another fellowship is available for an Indonesian citizen with a project related to the Indonesian-United States relationship.