Fellowships & Scholarships

Graduate Fellowships

The Immigration History Research Center (IHRC) graduate student fellowship program supports students working on a broad range of international migration- and US immigration-related research topics. Potential areas of research include global migration, US immigration, and race and ethnicity in the US, as well as refugee resettlement, immigration law and politics, ethnic organizations, identity, arts, folklore, gender, journalism, and literature. Research must also advance the work of the IHRC and involve graduate fellows in the work of the Immigration History Research Center Archives (IHRCA).

Benefits 

Academic year fellowships are awarded for one or two semesters. They are 50% appointments and provide a stipend of $11,000 for one semester, full tuition support for up to 14 graduate credits during the semester, and subsidized health insurance through the Graduate Assistant Health Plan. In addition to a stipend and fees allowance, a cubicle for the duration of the fellowship period may be supplied by the Immigration History Research Center in Andersen Library if space is available.

Summer fellowships include a $6000 stipend plus subsidized health insurance through the Graduate Assistant Health Plan. A cubicle for the duration of the fellowship period may be supplied by the Immigration History Research Center in Andersen Library if space is available.

Eligibility  

To be considered for IHRC fellowships, candidates must:

  • be admitted to, or currently enrolled in, a Masters or PhD degree program at the University of Minnesota;

  • have research interests related to global migration and/or immigration, race, and ethnicity in the US, refugee resettlement, immigration law and politics, ethnic organizations, identity, arts, folklore, gender, journalism, and literature;

  • meet additional requirements for specific fellowships. See links to fellowships below.

If your research is on global migration or US immigration but does not fit into one of the listed area studies, you may still be eligible for a fellowship. Please contact Michele Waslin (mwaslin@umn.edu) to discuss eligibility if your research is broadly related to IHRC areas of interest but you are uncertain about its fit for a specific fellowship. 

READ ABOUT PREVIOUS FELLOWS HERE. 

Academic Year Graduate Fellowships

  • Hildegard and Gustav Must Graduate Fellowship in Estonian American Studies: Provides support for students committed to and involved in the work of the Immigration History Research Center Archive’s Estonian American collection. Preference is given to students studying Estonian American history, and knowledge of the Estonian language is highly recommended, but all students with demonstrated research, writing, and digital humanities skills are encouraged to apply.

  • Graduate Fellowship in Finnish American Studies: Open to students broadly researching in areas related to migration, ethnicity, assimilation, community building, labor activism, religion, and music. Preference given to students studying Finnish American history and culture, but all students with demonstrated research, writing, and digital humanities skills are encouraged to apply.

  • American Latvian Association Graduate Fellowship in Latvian American Studies: Provides support for students committed to and involved in the work of the Immigration History Research Center Archive’s Latvian American collection. Preference is given to students studying Latvian American history, and knowledge of the Latvian language is highly recommended, but all students with demonstrated research, writing, and digital humanities skills are encouraged to apply. 

  • Italian American Immigration Endowed Graduate Research Fellowship: Provides support to students with demonstrated experience and/or commitment to research related to Italian history and culture, the Italian language, or Italian American immigration history.

  • Francis Maria Fellowship in Arab American Studies : Open to students broadly researching in areas common to Arab American history: migration, displacement, religion, ethnicity, diaspora, and the historical and current experiences of Arab and Muslim Americans in the United States and globally. Preference given to students studying Arab American history, including the experiences of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking immigrants and refugees in the US, and possessing knowledge of Arabic. However, all students with demonstrated archival research, writing, and digital humanities skills are encouraged to apply.

Summer Fellowships

  • IHRC Summer Graduate Fellowship: Preference will be given to students researching the histories of migration, race, and ethnicity in the US and beyond and/or to students with archival research or digital humanities skills, but all students with related research interests and experiences are encouraged to apply. 

Undergraduate Scholarships

Other Funding Opportunities