- ASC-DAAS Sudarkasa Internship Grant
- ASC-ISR Scholarships for ICPSR Summer School
- Conference Travel Grants
- FLAS Fellowships for Students
- Language Study Scholarships
- Lester P. Monts Award
- Seed Grants for ASC Associates
- Support for Campus Events, Curriculum Enhancement, Partnerships, Public Outreach, Research
- Support for Student Research and Internships in Africa
The African Studies Center (ASC) supports students, faculty, and staff through a variety of funding opportunities to pursue research, teaching, and learning activities related to Africa.
For Students
ASC supports U-M students at all levels and in all fields who are interested or engaged in Africa-related education, research, programming, and training activities on campus and in Africa. We welcome applicants from undergraduate, graduate, or professional students or student groups at the university, regardless of citizenship. Each year, ASC seeks to fund a diverse group of students and projects through the grant opportunities listed below. Each of these have specific aims, application procedures and deadlines--please read these carefully and don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at asc-contact@umich.edu for any questions about applying.
ASC-DAAS Sudarkasa Internship Grant - One grant of $5,000 is available
Conference Travel Grants - Up to $500 for domestic and $1,000 for international travel to support Africa-focused conference participation
FLAS Fellowships for Students - Funding for the study of Swahili, Yoruba, Portuguese, Arabic, and other African languages.
Language Study Scholarships - Scholarships of up to $1,000 for Swahili or Yoruba language study
Lester P. Monts Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Research on Africa - Yearly prize awards the student $1,000; a self-nominating competition; students may submit either a completed paper, film or other polished presentation of original research
Support for Campus Events - Up to 3,000 for student organizations, departments, and other units to support on-campus events related to Africa
Support for Student Research and Internships in Africa - Up to $3,000 grant for summer or semester-long research projects or internships in and on Africa
For Faculty & Staff
The African Studies Center is open to requests for funding and co-sponsorship in any of the areas of the center’s 6-fold mission, which encompasses:
Establish partnerships with institutions on the continent
Enable the exchange of people between U-M and African institutes in both directions
Enhance the presence of Africa in the U-M curriculum
Create a community of U-M faculty, staff, and students working in and on Africa
Support research about Africa across all areas of expertise at U-M
Serve as a resource about Africa for the University and the broader public
Faculty and staff at the University of Michigan are eligible to apply for this funding for projects about Africa. Funding is not limited to ASC Associates. However, if you are a U-M faculty or professional staff member who teaches or does research on a regular rather than a temporary basis in African studies, or can demonstrate strong research, teaching, and/or professional interest in African studies, we would welcome your request to become an ASC Associate. Please write to us at asc-contact@umich.edu for more information.
Funding requests for amounts up to $3,000 may be submitted by completing the request forms below. Note: lower amounts apply to specific categories of requests as noted. Funding decisions are made by the ASC director. You will be notified of the results by ASC staff within three weeks of submitting your request.
Funding requests for Africa-focused projects aligned with ASC’s mission for amounts between $3,000 and $10,000 are reviewed by the ASC Executive Committee. To learn about submission requirements and deadlines, please send an email to asc-contact@umich.edu. We recommend reaching out early in your planning process, as ASC EC meetings are held only 1-2 times per semester. (In exceptional circumstances, the EC can decide on funding requests by electronic vote outside the regular EC meetings).
ASC Collaborative Seed Grants Program
This funding category is designed to support joint research projects undertaken by ASC associates at the University of Michigan and colleagues based at an African university. These yearly competitions are held early in the winter semester for projects that start in the summer or the following academic year. Seed Grant proposals are reviewed and decided upon by the members of the Steering Committee of each of the three disciplinary Initiatives within the ASC.
Conference Travel Grants
Up to $500 for domestic and $1,000 for international travel to support Africa-focused conference participation
Support for Campus Events, Curriculum Enhancement, Partnerships, Public Outreach, Research
Up to $3,000 for projects aligned with the mission of the ASC in the domains of campus events, curriculum enhancement and development, the establishment of new partnerships, public outreach, and research projects in or about Africa. To be considered for funding, requests must include a proposal (limit five pages), the total budget, the amount requested from ASC, and a list of other project sponsors/co-sponsors. It is expected that applicants will seek funding from multiple sources where appropriate.
ASC-ISR Scholarships for ICPSR Summer School
ASC partners with U-M’s Institute for Social Research (ISR) to offer 12 full scholarships for participants from Sub-Saharan Africa for participation in the Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research organized by the Consortium for Political and Social Research
