The American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC) announces the availability of US graduate student, postdoctoral and junior scholar fellowships in support of research and mentoring activities in the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and/or Georgia).  The goals of the fellowship are 1) to support research in and the study of the South Caucasus; 2) to select, recognize and financially support individuals early in their careers who demonstrate high potential to contribute to research in this region; 3) to support a mentoring relationship that will both develop the academic skills of the mentee and strengthen ties between the US and host country.

Projects in all fields in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences are eligible, but all projects must include one or more undergraduate and/or graduate students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and/or Georgia as research assistants/participants. Research awards will be made for a maximum of $4000 each to help cover travel, living, and research expenses in the South Caucasus. For ARISC grant purposes, mentoring is understood to involve integrating a local scholar into a research project in a fundamental way that involves cultivating skills and knowledge of methods that will contribute to the professional development of the local scholar. Proposals will be judged on their quality and on the potential of the research to strengthen scholarship on the South Caucasus.

Terms and Conditions
All applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the USA, must be full-time enrolled graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, or junior scholars, who have received their PhD since 2008.  Students graduating in spring 2016 are eligible to apply. Students who are graduating before the start of their field research project should indicate future study plans and how the field research fellowship will fit into those plans.