Student Funding

Frank F. Conlon South Asia Fellowship

The South Asia Center at the University of Washington announces the competition for the Frank F. Conlon Fellowship in South Asian Studies. We invite applications from graduate students in all disciplines, including international students, who are engaged in the study of South Asia and who will be enrolled at the University of Washington during the 2023-24 academic year. The award will be based on academic merit and financial need.

Professor Emeritus Frank F. Conlon taught history, international studies and comparative religion at the University of Washington from 1968 to 2002. An acknowledged authority in the field of South Asian history, Professor Conlon’s book, A Caste in a Changing World: The Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmans, 1700-1935, has won critical acclaim. Professor Conlon was the Director of the South Asia Center at UW for 12 years and played a key role in establishing the South Asia MA degree and the undergraduate South Asia track at the Jackson School of International Studies. He was formerly the President of H-Net and is well known in his continuing volunteer work as an editor for H-ASIA, the interdisciplinary Asian Studies discussion list which he co-founded in 1994. Professor Conlon continues to have an active research agenda and is working on multiple projects including bringing the story of the Chitrapur Saraswats up to the present and a history of Bombay.

The Frank F. Conlon Endowed Fellowship in South Asian Studies honors Professor Conlon’s contributions as a memorable teacher, who “linked the everyday details of the lives of South Asians to a broad idea of ‘civilization’ as a dynamic and changing phenomenon that shapes human lives and is shaped by human agency” and as a devoted educator, “who inspired his students to appreciate their learning about the history and culture of this vital area of the world, both for its inherent importance and as a mirror to a better understanding of their own culture and human legacies”. The fellowship is funded by generous donations from Ann and Harry Pryde, Marc H. Pryde, Natalie A. Pryde, and Frank and Joan Conlon.

Awards:

Approx. $9,000 stipend
Graduate appointee health insurance
Non-resident portion of tuition waived (recipient is responsible for in-state tuition fees)

Eligibility:

Graduate students in any discipline, including international students, who are engaged in the study of South Asia. Awarded on the basis of academic merit and demonstrated financial need as determined by the UW Office of Student Financial Aid. Applicants must submit a FAFSA or a WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid).

Applicants for South Asia Center FLAS fellowships (both current and prospective students) are considered automatically and need not submit a separate Conlon application. If you are not eligible for a FLAS, you may apply for the Conlon Fellowship through the Jackson School Fellowship Application System (see below).

Application Materials:

A written proposal of approximately two single-spaced pages (1000 words) detailing your academic plan and how the fellowship fits in with your education and/or career plans
Official or unofficial transcripts from all colleges or universities attended (in electronic format; no hard copies accepted)
Relevant test scores (GRE or other, as relevant to your student status). PhD candidates who weren’t required to submit test scores for their programs are exempt and should note that on their application.
Two letters of recommendation.

Application Deadline: January 31, 2023

Apply