Call for Entries: Individual Fellowship Program

ACC emphasizes that an Individual Fellowship is not a residency, a fund to attend a singular conference, travel grant, or an individual’s personal public relations tour. Rather, ACC expects Individual Fellows to be self-directed and have focused research questions and/or activities that that enable and promote cultural immersion, dialogue, relationship-building, collaboration, and/or exchange of knowledge among peers. Strong applications will include:

• A detailed overview of your fellowship activities. ACC does not expect a day-to-day schedule, but they are interested in how you intend to spend your time during an Individual Fellowship, what you hope to gain from this experience, and the impact that you hope these activities will have on you and on others.
• An explanation of the applicant’s interest in ACC’s mission and how spending time abroad and exposure to new cultures will enable them to contribute to this mission.
• A clear explanation of the feasibility of your proposal, including the consideration of the accessibility of communities or cultural resources of interest, the logistics of transportation (especially to remote areas), accommodations, and language barriers.
• A reasonable budget that is realistic (based on typical and expected pricing) with regard to the plan of activities, travel costs, interpretation services (if necessary), and the cost of living in the country, territory, or region where the applicant is traveling to. Strong applications will justify expenses with explanations and/or links to cost estimates.
  Possible contacts and connections that will help you with your research and cultural immersion.

Benefits

• Support that Individual Fellows may receive includes:
  • Recommending sites to visit or activities in which to participate, especially in Hong Kong SAR, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan ROC, and the United States.
  • Connecting Individual Fellows to ACC’s broader community of current fellows and alumni.
  • Administering the J-1 visa sponsorship and health insurance necessary for Individual Fellows who travel to the U.S.

Funding Information

• ACC may award Individual Fellowship grants up to $35,000 USD.
• When creating a budget, please include the following information:
  • Travel costs, including airfare (economy class only)
  • Accommodation
  • Daily expenses, including food and local transportation
  • Costs and fees relevant to the research project
  • Interpretation services, if necessary

Eligibility Criteria

• All co-applicants must meet the general and Individual Fellowship-specific eligibility requirements:
  • Must be over the age of 21 at the start date of an Individual Fellowship.
  • Must be able to demonstrate at least five years of experience in one of ACC’s eligible fields.
  • Applicants cannot be enrolled in university studies during the time of the fellowship.
  • Joint applications that do not provide the required information for all co-applicants will not be considered.

For more information, visit Asian Cultural Council.