Funding

Eligibility:

All students currently enrolled at the University of Michigan (U-M) in an undergraduate or graduate/professional degree program (master's or doctoral level) and are affiliated with the GISC are eligible to apply for the  2021 Summer Fellowship Funding. 

Note: If you have questions on your current affiliations status, please email Hana Mattar at hmattar@umich.edu. Any U-M undergraduate students with a declared or an intention to declare a Minor in Islamic Studies or graduate students who are members or intending on becoming members of the Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies Seminar (IISS) may be considered student affiliates of GISC.

The GISC 2021 Summer Fellowship Funding may be used for the following:

• Language training - to offset costs of program fees for language learning.
• Research support - to offset costs for an original project supporting Senior, Master’s, or Doctoral thesis completion.
• Travel expenses (graduate students only) - associated with conducting original research or language training. Please see important travel policy guidelines at the end of this document/page.

Funding Announcement: 

Funds are typically announced in mid and late May, thru June, by email, on a rolling basis.

Post-Funding Reporting (due September 30, 2021): 

Students who are awarded GISC 2021 Summer Fellowships Funding are required to complete a short 1,000-word fellowship report summarizing their activities to be shared in the GISC News & Events Newsletter. Reports are due on September 30, 2021.

All application materials should be submitted to Hana Mattar at hmattar@umich.edu on a rolling basis, anytime before Monday, May 31, 2021, at 5 PM ET at the latest.

Required Application Materials:

The following application materials are required of all applicants. Please read the instructions carefully.

• Statement of Purpose: No more than 1,000 words describing what you plan to do with the GISC 2021 Summer Fellowship Funding.
   
• Budget Statement: Please attach a budget statement with exact costs (e.g., tuition statements), or reasonable estimates of costs citing 2-3 references (e.g., airline tickets, rental estimates, etc.).

• You may request tuition and mandatory fees, health insurance, living costs, direct research expenses (such as books, photocopy, small equipment, library and museum fees, and subject fees) as well as travel expenses related to your language study (such as airfare, ground transportation, and lodging). 
• Computers, including laptops, are not allowed.
• If you are requesting living costs, please provide an estimate of rent, utilities, and food.
• If you are requesting direct research expenses or travel expenses, please give a detailed breakdown.
• Please note that if your fellowship project involves travel outside of North America, you are required to purchase international travel health insurance. Please include the cost of this insurance in your budget.
   
• Academic letter of recommendation: At least one academic recommendation should be completed by a U-M affiliated instructor.
   
• Curriculum Vitae (CV): Your up-to-date CV.
   
• Current U-M Official Transcript: You may include a signed note granting permission to the GISC staff to access electronically your current U-M transcript and to place a copy in your fellowship application file. If you choose NOT to do so, you must submit a current official U-M transcript. To be considered official, transcripts must be prepared by the office of the registrar.

Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in full-time undergraduate programs at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Students who have declared a minor in Islamic studies will be given preference.

Application Requirements: Applicants must submit the following application materials:

• Summer Funding Application Form
• Statement of purpose (1-3 pages) including proposed time period, institutional affiliation, your reasons for pursuing the project, and how this experience will contribute to your career goals
• One letter of recommendation
• Curriculum Vitae or résumé
• Official University of Michigan transcript

A written report based on the project will be required at its conclusion.

GISC Summer Fellowship Recipients

• Jamie Thompson, BA Gender & Health/ Psychology, for the CGIS study abroad program in Israel and Palestine. (2018)
• Azhar Aboubaker, BA International Studies/Sociology, for an internship with the Felicity Foundation in Ann Arbor. (2017)
  
• Edda Hanafi, BS Economics/Women’s Studies, for an internship at the Central Bank of Malaysia. (2017)
• Komel Khan, LSA Undeclared, for an internship with the Felicity Foundation in Ann Arbor. (2017)
  
• Zaryff Razali, BA Economics/History, to conduct research on the "Memali Incident" in Malaysia. (2017)
• Nur Amirah Amer Hamzah, BA Economics/Political Science, for an internship with the Central Bank of Malaysia's London Representative Office. (2016)
  
• Noah Attal, BS Earth & Environmental Sciences, for an internship at the Felicity Foundation in Ann Arbor. (2016)
• Alaa Hajeissa, BS Neuroscience, for an internship at the Felicity Foundation in Ann Arbor. (2016)
• Edda Hanafi, BS Economics, for an internship at the Women's Aid Organization in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (2016)
  
• Timothy Peterson, BA Comparative Literature/BMus Composition, to study sacred classical Arabic music in Tangier, Morocco. (2016)
• Muhammad Amier Zaryff Razali, BA Economics/History, for an internship at the Khazanah Research Institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (2016)
  
• Mohamad Bazzi, BA LSA, for research on the Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi (MTO) centers in California and Texas. (2015)
  
• Muhammad Amier Zaryff Razali, BA Economics/History, for an internship with the Central Bank of Malaysia. (2015)
• Luqman Harith Saifuddin, BS Economics/Actuarial Mathematics, for participation in the Durham Islamic Finance Summer School in England. (2015)

GISC Summer Fellowship Recipients

• Jamie Thompson, BA Gender & Health/ Psychology, for the CGIS study abroad program in Israel and Palestine. (2018)
• Azhar Aboubaker, BA International Studies/Sociology, for an internship with the Felicity Foundation in Ann Arbor. (2017)
  
• Edda Hanafi, BS Economics/Women’s Studies, for an internship at the Central Bank of Malaysia. (2017)
• Komel Khan, LSA Undeclared, for an internship with the Felicity Foundation in Ann Arbor. (2017)
  
• Zaryff Razali, BA Economics/History, to conduct research on the "Memali Incident" in Malaysia. (2017)
• Nur Amirah Amer Hamzah, BA Economics/Political Science, for an internship with the Central Bank of Malaysia's London Representative Office. (2016)
  
• Noah Attal, BS Earth & Environmental Sciences, for an internship at the Felicity Foundation in Ann Arbor. (2016)
• Alaa Hajeissa, BS Neuroscience, for an internship at the Felicity Foundation in Ann Arbor. (2016)
• Edda Hanafi, BS Economics, for an internship at the Women's Aid Organization in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (2016)
  
• Timothy Peterson, BA Comparative Literature/BMus Composition, to study sacred classical Arabic music in Tangier, Morocco. (2016)
• Muhammad Amier Zaryff Razali, BA Economics/History, for an internship at the Khazanah Research Institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (2016)
  
• Mohamad Bazzi, BA LSA, for research on the Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi (MTO) centers in California and Texas. (2015)
  
• Muhammad Amier Zaryff Razali, BA Economics/History, for an internship with the Central Bank of Malaysia. (2015)
• Luqman Harith Saifuddin, BS Economics/Actuarial Mathematics, for participation in the Durham Islamic Finance Summer School in England. (2015)

Proposals should include:

• GISC Funding Application Form
• An explanatory statement no longer than 1,000 words
• A budget detailing anticipated costs and all sources of support (pending and confirmed)

We expect applicants will also explore other sources of support, where appropriate. Successful applicants will be asked to submit a project description for the GISC website and annual report; a final report is expected as a condition of future support.

Successful proposals have demonstrated campus-wide impact, shown educational value, contributed to the broader mission of GISC, and leveraged other sources of support. Funds may be requested for pilot projects or to supplement existing projects. GISC reviews funding requests on a rolling basis. Please submit all materials to IslamicStudies@umich.edu.