ARISC Small Grants 2023-24 (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia)

Deadline: 8 December 2023

The American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC) announces the availability of small grants in support of research in the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia).

The purpose of the grant is to help offset research costs for student scholars in the South Caucasus. Grantees are expected to give an ARISC-sponsored presentation on a subject related to their research upon completion of their project. The grantee will acknowledge ARISC in any publication or presentation that emerges from the research carried out during the grant. Funding for this fellowship is provided by ARISC General Funds and private donations.

Funding Information

Research awards will be made for up to $300 each, to help cover transportation, lodging, meals and incidental expenses, and other expenses needed to support a scholar’s research in the South Caucasus. ARISC expects to award up to three Small Grants in 2023-24.

Remote Option

The remote option allows for research to be conducted without having to travel within the South Caucasus during the project timeline. In this option, consider the following questions: How can you address your research question if you cannot travel? What methods, tools, and analyses can you conduct from home or the country where you live?
For the remote option, instead of funding travel costs (transportation, lodging, M&IE), the budget may cover costs such as
- transportation, lodging, and M&IE to archives and libraries in the South Caucasus
- childcare, so that the fellow may focus on their research during the time period of their fellowship
- translation costs,
- hiring a research assistant in a different South Caucasus country to do archival research if the fellow cannot travel,
- digital research projects, or
- publication fees for research (publication fees could include website registration/server fees, or open access fees).

Invitational Priority

Project proposed by Master’s and Ph.D. students are especially encouraged, but all strong proposals will be given full consideration.

Eligibility Criteria

Projects in all fields in the social sciences, humanities, and related sciences are eligible
Status
- Degree
  - Bachelor’s,
  - Master’s, or
  - Ph.D. students
- enrolled in degree-granting programs in Armenia, Azerbaijan, or Georgia
- Students graduating in spring 2024 are eligible to apply.
Citizenship
- Armenian citizen
- Azerbaijani citizen
- Georgian citizen
Additional Requirements, Terms, and Conditions
- The following requirements, terms, and conditions apply to applicants selected for awards. Applicants should be aware of the following prior to submitting their application.
  - Applicants must be citizens of either Armenia, Azerbaijan, or Georgia. Proof of citizenship must be shown upon award notification.
  - Grantees must submit a final report to ARISC within 30 days of grant completion and no later than August 31, 2024. A report and final accounting with original receipts are required to be submitted to ARISC August 31, 2024. Any unused portion of the stipend must be returned to ARISC by this date.
  - Grantees are expected to make contact with the ARISC Resident Director in each country or countries where they will be conducting research as soon as possible upon acceptance of the award.
  - Grantees are responsible for obtaining the appropriate research permissions. Funding will be conditional until grantees have permission(s) to carry out their research. In general, grantees should seek permission to carry out research directly from the director(s) of the institution(s) where they intend to work, including most libraries housed within local museums. If the material they wish to study is part of an excavation or survey, grantees’ funding will be conditional upon submission of a letter that is signed by the project director giving permission to carry out the research. If the study involves living human subjects, and if the applicant’s project is selected as a semi-finalist for an award, the applicant will be sent a series of questions regarding the methodology of their project.
  - Given changing travel restrictions and/or travel warnings to many countries, fellows must contact ARISC prior to purchasing transportation tickets. ARISC will not fund projects taking place in locations designated as Level 4 (Do Not Travel) by the US Department of State.
  - ARISC funds cannot be used to cover medical, emergency evacuation and repatriation, or other insurance.
  - While ARISC encourages scholars to apply to other sources in addition to the ARISC Small Grants, ARISC grantees who receive additional awards must contact ARISC immediately to discuss possible date and stipend adjustments.
  - ARISC is unable to provide health or other insurance to its grantees.
  - Grant recipients are eligible to reapply for a second ARISC Small Grant three years after completion of their most recent award.
  - ARISC does not advise grantees on tax questions concerning their stipend.
  - Projects cannot incur expenses prior to the date listed on the award notification letter.
  - ARISC reserves the right to adjust the amounts and types of awards given under this program, as well as the general terms and conditions, before award agreements are reached with each recipient.