French Fellowship Policies

Fall 2023-Summer 2024

1.    Students making presentations at conferences are eligible for up to $6,000* over the six year period of fellowship support in scholarships to help defer travel related expenses, excluding meals and entertainment.  Please consult the graduate coordinator for your current balance.  

2.    Students complete the Graduate Student Request for Travel Funds and obtain their research supervisor’s and the graduate advisor’s signatures. This fully completed and signed form is to be given to the graduate coordinator two weeks prior to travel.

3.    Upon completion of travel, expenses and conference participation are to be verified by the graduate coordinator.

4.    Upon successful verification, a scholarship is issued.

*Updates/Changes for Fall 2024

1.    Starting in Fall 2024, French graduate students making presentations at conferences will be eligible for up to $9,000 over the six year period of Walther travel grants/fellowship support in scholarships to help defer conference travel related expenses, excluding meals and entertainment. 

2. Given Up Front (only once per academic year), Conference Travel Awards are $1,500 per academic year (Fall-Summer) starting in Fall 2024 so that students can save on early registration or getting better deals on flights - no receipts are needed to request this this grant, and any extra funds can be used at the student's own discretion, including attending a second conference.   

3. Students will complete the Graduate Student Request for Travel Funds and obtain their research supervisor’s and the graduate advisor’s signatures. This fully completed and signed form is to be given to the graduate coordinator prior to travel and as a request to receive the Conference Travel Award. With this form, student must submit a copy of their abstract for the conference presentation along with proof of acceptance to present at the conference. The Request will also be signed and supported by the student’s FRIT Dissertation Supervisor(s), if applicable, or the French Graduate Advisor. And the form will be approved by the Graduate Advisor and Department Chair.

4. Upon completion of travel and conference presentation, proof of conference participation must be provided to the graduate coordinator for verification. If not, then the student may need to pay back the Conference Travel Scholarship.

5. Note: There are no current changes to Enrichment Activity and Professional Development Funds. Note that for requesting and receiving an Enrichment and Professional Development award, it will remain that we will need to see receipts for students to use this set of funds and that are processed after submitting documentation. See more details on the Enrichment and Professional Development tab

1.    In addition to, and separate from, the conference travel funds to present conference papers, an allotment of up to $4,000 to be used over 6 years is available to each French graduate student to support opportunities for academic and professional enrichment. These activities include, but are not limited to, participation in workshops, seminars, short courses, and institutes. If a student has used all of their conference travel funds, then eligible graduate students may also use Enirhcment Funds to present at conferences, as needed. Support from this enrichment fund can also be applied to attendance at conferences where students are not presenting papers or if additional conference travel funds were needed that may not be covered by the conference travel funds for a second conference within teh same academic year.

2.    In order to receive this support, students must obtain from their supervising professor or graduate advisor a signed Enrichment Activities Prior Approval Form that endorses participation in the specified enrichment activity and explains how the activity would enhance graduate training and scholarship in French.

3.    This form should be filed with the graduate coordinator two weeks prior to the proposed activity or can be submitted afterwards.

4.    Proof of expenses and specified enrichment activity participation, are provided to the graduate coordinator for verification. Note that for travel to conferences, funds are disbursed afterwards for travel related expenses, excluding meals and entertainment.

5.    Upon completion of verification, a scholarship is issued.

For travel not associated with conference presentation travel or not covered by enrichment activities funding, students are expected to use their fellowship stipends, research awards, AI/TA stipend support scholarships or personal funds to cover non-conference and non-enrichment activity travel expenses, including but not limited to, transportation, lodging, food, and study abroad insurance.

1.   An approved proposal is required – see graduate advisor and/or call for proposals for details

2.   Purpose: for scholarly work begun in previous long-session semesters and completed in May through August under the supervision of a faculty member from the Department of French and Italian. The aim of this funding is to support timely completion of the Ph.D., prospective job placement, and professional development beyond required course work. These awards also provide graduate students with experience and training in crucial areas not currently available through the department.

3.   Each year students may submit either one research proposal or one workshop attendance proposal, but not both.

4.   Deliverables are due to research supervisors on September 1st of the next academic year, with the documentation and the completed Compliance forms due to the GAFA chair October 1st. Deliverables include one or more of the following: an article for a scholarly journal; a conference paper for an established national or international conference in the student’s field, or upon the research supervisor’s recommendation at a FIGSO working paper series event or departmental colloquium; a significant piece of dissertation work and/or an outside grant or fellowship proposal which will be presented at a FIGSO working paper series event or departmental colloquium during a long-semester of the academic year; or proof of successful completion of the approved institute or workshop program.

5.   Application content: A one-page overview of the project, workshop, or institute, a work plan for the research and writing to be accomplished from May-August of that academic year when applicable; and Research Proposal Assessment from a faculty mentor/supervisor in the department.

6.   Eligibility: First time application or successful, documented completion of previous year’s Research Award. Students who did not receive $25,000 or $28,000 full fellowship support in same academic year. Cannot be a summer AI, Lyon assistant, or have other significant summer employment during the academic year of the Research Award.  Cannot be completing the 6th year (12th long-session semester) nor just to wrap up dissertation to complete in summer of last year. Continues to meet all fellowship eligibility standards at end of the spring semester.

7.   Documentation: Applications will be kept in the students’ files.  Documentation of completion and compliance verification forms to be placed in students’ files.

8. Amount: A $7,000 scholarship* for Summer 2024 will be awarded to graduate students who are approved for Summer Research Awards. The final approval is up to the Graudate And Financial Aid (GAFA) Committee.

*Will increase to $8,000 in Summer 2025 along with overall Walther funding increase.