Deadline: February 16, 2026
Applications are open for the NBR Chinese Language Fellowship Program (CLFP) 2026-2027. The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) Chinese Language Fellowship Program (CLFP), funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, awards two types of fellowships to American graduate students for one academic year of full-time intensive Chinese language training in Taiwan or China.
The program tracks are:
- PhD Track: The PhD track of the CLFP allows currently enrolled PhD students to participate in a language program in Taiwan or China for nine months, followed by a summer language program during which fellows will take one-on-one classes where they may choose to study primary sources directly related to their dissertation research.
- Prospective PhD Track: The Prospective PhD track of the CLFP allows current or recent master’s degree students planning to pursue a PhD to participate in a language program in Taiwan or China for nine months. Applicants to the Prospective PhD track must be currently enrolled in a master’s program or recently graduated from a master’s program.
Benefits
- PhD Track: up to $50,000
- Prospective PhD Track: up to $40,000
Eligibility
To be eligible for a fellowship, an applicant will:
- Demonstrate, through transcripts from classes taken and/or the results of language assessment tests, an intermediate Chinese language ability. The fellowship is NOT intended to help beginner students of Chinese.
- Be able to devote themselves to full-time intensive Chinese-language study for one academic year. The fellowship is NOT intended to support substantive doctoral research.
- Desire to advance U.S. public policy toward China through improved expertise and understanding, or to contribute to scholarly research and teaching on China in order to develop future generations of China specialists.
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States.
Application
To be considered for a fellowship, an applicant must submit:
- A complete application form, answering questions about academic experiences, Chinese language skills, and Chinese language classes taken.
- A two-page summary resume, inclusive of academic and professional honors received (full academic CVs will not be reviewed).
- A two-page cover letter that addresses how their proposed Chinese language program will contribute to their language training, doctoral studies, and future plans.
- A letter of recommendation from an academic supervisor or professor (sent directly by reference to Fern Hinrix at [email protected] by February 16, 2026)
- A letter of recommendation from a recent Chinese language teacher (sent directly by reference to Fern Hinrix at [email protected] by February 16, 2026).
- Electronic transcripts from all educational institutions you are currently attending and/or from which they have received a degree (please upload as PDFs in the application portal).
If not evident through transcripts or if you are applying to the Prospective PhD track…
- Explain your plans to pursue a PhD program in your cover letter.
- Ask your academic supervisor or professor to address your aptitude for a PhD program in his/her letter of recommendation.
For more information, visit NBR Chinese Language Fellowship.
