AFS offers a limited number of travel stipends on a competitive basis for folklorists and other cultural specialists from outside the United States and Canada. Stipends vary between $500 and $800, depending on the availability of funds and the number of applicants.
AFS particularly encourages applications from individuals who have limited or no institutional support for travel, as well as from independent scholars and freelance practitioners. Applicants should be in the early stages of their careers and have submitted a proposal to present at the Annual Meeting. Please note: this award is primarily for international scholars traveling to the meeting from abroad, rather than for international scholars already residing in North America. Previous recipients of international travel awards are not eligible to apply.
To apply for a travel stipend, please send the following in a single Word or pdf file:
- A letter introducing yourself and your work and describing how you will benefit from attending the AFS meeting.
- A statement of purpose (no more than 100 words) in which you briefly outline the paper or presentation you plan to make.
- A brief statement explaining how you will communicate your experience of the meeting to your home professional context. (The overall goal of the travel awards is to increase international communication and awareness of international issues in our field. Since the AFS has limited funding available, it is important for applicants to communicate their experience effectively to a larger professional community back home.)
- A current curriculum vitae.
The deadline for submission of applications is July 1.
For questions about the application process, contact [email protected].
Applications will be reviewed by the Committee on International Issues.
We also encourage AFS members and sections to spread the word, to help identify potential applicants, to collaborate with international colleagues in the application process, or to provide or seek matching funds to complement the possible AFS award. For example, by adding a visit to your campus or a consultation at your agency, you could fruitfully expand on an international visitor’s participation in the AFS meeting. We especially welcome AFS member assistance in organizing panels that include international participants.
International scholars and AFS members are invited to contact [email protected] to discuss ways in which they might work to expand international participation in the meeting.