Critical Pacific Islander and Southeast Asian American Studies Fellowship

Call for Applications

for University of California, Berkeley, Undergraduate and Graduate Students 

The one-year fellowship will start in Spring 2025 and end in Fall 2025. 

Application deadline: Monday, October 21, 2024, 5:00pm (PT)

The Critical Pacific Islander (PI) and Critical Southeast Asian American (SEAA) Studies Research Fellowship aims to increase academic and research opportunities in Critical PI and SEAA Studies at UC Berkeley. Our Critical PI and SEAA Studies Research Fellows will work together as a cohort in a collaborative process that fosters capacity, community, and coalition building in and across these communities.

We encourage applications for this year-long experience from UC Berkeley students who are interested in contributing to the growth, development, and advancement of Critical PI and Critical SEAA Studies at our university through active participation in (1) learning communities, (2) mentee/mentorships, and (3) the organization and execution of a Research Symposium the following Fall.

Each year, four graduate students and four undergraduates will be awarded the Critical PI Research Fellowship and four graduate students and four undergraduates will be awarded the Critical SEAA Research Fellowship. See below for details on the program and expectations.

Graduate Research Fellows will receive a $5,000 stipend per academic year and Undergraduate Research Fellows will receive a $2,500 stipend per academic year. The stipend is taxable and financial aid reportable income.

This fellowship is a program that is funded by the Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) Grant that UC Berkeley was awarded in September 2023. This is a collaborative campus partnership with Asian American Research Center (AARC), Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies (AADS), and Asian Pacific American Student Development (APASD).

Eligibility Requirements:

• Open to registered undergraduate and graduate students at UC Berkeley. Students graduating in Spring or Summer 2025 can apply with priority to applicants who will be registered in Fall 2025

• Demonstrated interest in advancing Critical Pacific Islander (PI) and/or Critical Southeast Asian American (SEAA) Studies

• Research and pedagogy (if applicable) is community-centered, engaged/participatory, and liberatory.

Application Process:

The online application form is available here and is due Monday, October 21, 2024 by 5PM (Pacific Time) (Also note that you can use the same form to apply for two other AARC grants, but you will only be awarded one.)

You will be asked to provide:

• A project title and abstract of up to 250 words
• Budget and budget justification/rationale (as pdf, with filename: lastname_firstname_budget.pdf). You can request funds for living expenses, research travel, other research-related expenses, and/or conference travel/registration. See sample here.
• Statement of project (as pdf; 750 words max - not including references, with filename: lastname_firstname_statement.pdf) Please include last name, first name at the top of the page. Please discuss how your project relates to Critical Pacific Islander (PI) and/or Critical Southeast Asian American (SEAA) Studies and include a timeline for the project. If there are any co-PI’s or other collaborators, please include that information in the statement.
• CV or resume (as pdf; 3 pages max, with filename: lastname_firstname_CV.pdf)
• Letter of support from a UCB faculty or staff member or another content expert (could include someone from another college/university or a community organization) (as pdf, with filename: lastname_firstname_letter.pdf, or if the letter writer prefers, it can be emailed directly to aarc@berkeley.edu). 

Information Session and Application Workshop will be offered - dates are forthcoming!

For further information and inquiries, please contact: aanapisi@berkeley.edu 

Program and Expectations:

Undergraduate research fellows will:

• Undertake an original research project that contributes to Critical PI or Critical SEAA Studies

• Collaborate with other fellows on interdisciplinary projects

• Present findings at seminars, events, conferences, etc.

• Create, develop, and execute the planning of an Fall Research Symposiumas part of a cumulative project to present your research findings, which includes engaging with external experts through the Visiting Scholar and Artist Residency Program

• Collaborate with peers and graduate fellows to facilitate overall planning process of the Fall Research Symposium 

• Attend in-person & virtual meetings (4-6 of these meetings will be in person; those who can only attend virtually are still eligible )

• monthly cohort meetings 

• 1:1 monthly meetings with graduate mentor*

• 1:1 monthly meetings with APASD Staff

• Complete reflection surveys and learning assessments

Graduate research fellows will:

• Undertake an original research project that contributes to Critical PI or Critical SEAA Studies

• Collaborate with other fellows on interdisciplinary projects

• Present findings at seminars, events, conferences, etc.

• Attend in-person & virtual meetings  (4-6 of these meetings will be in person; those who can only attend virtually are still eligible )

• monthly cohort meetings 

• 1:1 monthly meetings with graduate mentor*

• 1:1 monthly meetings with APASD Staff

• Create, develop, and execute the planning of aFall Research Symposium as a part of a cumulative project, which includes engaging external experts through the Visiting Scholar and Artist Residency Program

• Collaborate with peers and graduate fellows to facilitate overall planning process of the Fall Research Symposium 

• Complete reflection surveys and learning assessments

* Undergraduate and graduate fellows will be paired based on topics, with agreement from both. This mentee/mentorship creates a pathway for emerging scholars to pursue graduate school and develop the field of Critical PI and Critical SEAA studies. Graduate fellows will provide mentorship through discussing undergraduate fellow research projects and application process for graduate school etc. 

Deadline: Monday, October 21, 2024 by 5PM (Pacific Time) 

Award notifications: December 4, 2024 (anticipated). 

Questions? Contact aanapisi@berkeley.edu