SCHOLARSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS, & BEST PAPERS

The Asian American Studies Center (AASC) offers funding through two award programs:
Institute of American Cultures Fellowships and Grants
AASC Grants, Fellowships, Scholarships, Internships, and Best Papers.

2020-2021 AASC Scholarship Awards Video
Institute of American Cultures (IAC) Fellowships and Grants



UCLA Asian American Studies Center Grants, Fellowships, Internships & Scholarships


Research Grants for Graduate Students and Faculty




Fellowships for Graduate Students


Deadline: Monday, February 26, 2024

Read the Eligibility Guidelines

General Guidelines for Proposal: Describe your research or creative project in detail, including:

precise statement of the research or creative project and its key objectives;
the relation of this work to other research or creative activity in the field of Asian Pacific American Studies;
research or creative project work plans;
timeline for completion;
the type of publication you expect to result from the work;
include any conference presentation and/or publication plans.

Limit your proposal to five double-spaced pages. Faculty Recommendation form must be submitted.


Pearl Wang Fellowship

Awards: 1 award at $10,000 each

Eligibility: Must be a continuing graduate or professional student enrolled at UCLA from the People's Republic of China.

Criteria: Excellent academic record; Fellowship recipients will be funded for research or creative project on a significant topic.


Professor Harry H. L. Kitano Fellowship

Award: 1 award at $1,500

Criteria: Excellent academic record, application and proposal must reflect student's interest in social issue-oriented research regarding the Asian Pacific American community.


Rose Eng Chin & Helen Wong Eng Fellowship

Award: 1 award at $3,000

Criteria: Academic record, application and proposal must reflect student's interest in research on Asian Pacific American women.


Tritia Toyota Graduate Fellowship

Award: 1 award at $5,000 each

Criteria: Excellent academic record, application and proposal must reflect student's interest in community-oriented research in the Asian Pacific American community of Southern California.


George and Sakaye Aratani Graduate Fellowship

Awards: 1 award at $10,000 each

Eligibility: Continuing graduate or professional students at UCLA. While all students are welcome to apply, preference will be given to students of Japanese American ancestry.

Criteria: Excellent academic record; Fellowship recipients will be funded for research or creative project on a significant topic dealing with the Japanese American experience.


Dr. Paul and Hisako Terasaki Research Fellowship

Awards: 2 awards at $5,000 each

Eligibility: Continuing graduate or professional student enrolled at UCLA.

Criteria: Fellowship recipients will be funded for an independent research or creative project on the historical and contemporary experiences and issues of the Japanese American community or an ongoing project with the Asian American Studies Center which may include digital archives, exhibitions and curriculum concerning the incarceration experience of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Scholarships for Undergraduate Students


Deadline: Monday, February 26, 2024

Read the Eligibility Guidelines

Jane Lin Memorial Scholarship

Award: 1 award at $500

Eligibility: Previous/current enrollment in Asian American Studies course.

Criteria: Priority will be given to students with a demonstrated financial need, students who are first-generation college students, or students who overcame significant barriers to attend college.


Essay: Submit an essay explaining any of the following:


Nhat H. Tran M.D. Scholarship

Award: 1 award at $950

Eligibility: Applicant must have a disability. If awarded, student must submit documentation of disability.

Essay: Describe your background, what your disability is, how you will achieve your educational goals and future plans. Essay should be no more than 500 words maximum.


Angie Kwon Memorial Scholarship

Award: 1 award at $3,000 each

Eligibility: Campus or community service experience and financial need.

Criteria: Excellent academic record, application and personal essay must reflect student's interest in the field of Asian American and/or Pacific Island Studies.

Essay: In your experience, how does community service, on and off campus, enhance your university education? Essay can be 5 pages maximum.


Toshio & Chiyoko Hoshide Scholarship

Awards: 1 award at $5,000

Criteria: Excellent academic record.

Essay: Paper on Japanese American history and/or experience. Papers can be written for any academic course or may be new papers.


Reiko Uyeshima & Family Scholarships

Awards: 4 awards at $5,000 each

Eligibility: Financial need.

Criteria: Application and paper must reflect student's interest in Japanese American and/or Japanese Studies, which may include history, literature, arts, politics, economics, culture, language, media, health, and society.

Essay: Undergraduate paper on Japanese American or Japanese studies. Papers can be written for any academic course or may be new papers.


Chidori Aiso Memorial Scholarships

Awards: 1 Undergraduate award at $2,500

Eligibility: Continuing undergraduate students with preference given to students of Japanese ancestry.

Criteria: Excellent academic record; commitment to service; financial need.

Essay: The Japanese American experience has many lessons to offer to people of all backgrounds in this country. What do you consider to be the most important lesson that should be shared with American society? Why?


John Kubota Scholarship in Japanese American Studies

Award: 1 award at $6,000


Eligibility: Continuing undergraduate students with preference given to students of Japanese ancestry.

Criteria: Scholarship will support a project on research, creative endeavor, or community service in an area related to the Japanese American studies or Japanese American community.


Proposal: Submit a proposal describing your research, creative, or community service project and explain how it will contribute to the Japanese American Studies and/or the Japanese American community. Proposal should include,


Research Question or Creative Inquiry or Community Service and its Significance: Describe the context and scope of your proposed research or creative project or community service.
Project Design and Feasibility: Describe how you will be approaching your research or creative project or community service and what type of texts, materials, data, methods, you will use in your project. Provide a projected timetable of your research or creative project or community service tasks.
Anticipated Results: Briefly discuss the anticipated results of your research or creative project or community service.
Include a statement of any previous experience you may have with the research, creative, or community service project you're proposing.
Faculty Recommendation form must be submitted. It is recommended that you consult with a faculty mentor when developing your proposal.

Morgan and Helen Chu Outstanding Scholar Award

Award: 2 awards at $30,000 each


Criteria: Students are selected based on highest grade point average after the end of freshman year and financial need based on data from UCLA Registrar's Office, and Financial Aid and Scholarships office. Preference given to candidates who are Asian American. No applications are accepted.



Internships for Graduate & Undergraduate Students


Deadline: Monday, February 26, 2024

Read the Eligibility Guidelines

 

George and Lily Kagawa Award for Asian American and Pacific Islander Health Research Internship for Graduate & Undergraduate Students


Award: 1 Graduate and 1 Undergraduate student award at $2,500 each


The goal of the Kagawa summer internship program is to foster the development of graduate and undergraduate students to be non-profit professionals by immersing them in hands-on experiences working with community-based organizations serving Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the Health fields.

 

Terms: Ten week summer internship at 15 hours per week during the period of mid-June to early September. Student will be funded for a proposed internship with an Asian American and Pacific Islander community based organization to work on a project that is of mutual interest.

The student intern will be required to produce a written report of the internship that may include a research product, but a separate internship report will include analysis and critical reflection on the internship experience.


Eligibility:




George and Sakaye Aratani Community Internship for Graduate & Undergraduate Students



21st Century Internship for Graduate & Undergraduate Students


Award: 1 Graduate or Undergraduate student award per quarter at $1,500


Eligibility for Graduate students: Continuing graduate or professional school students who are in the Asian American Studies MA, Graduate Concentration and/or who are enrolled in AAS classes are preferred.


Terms for Graduate students: Student will be funded for an internship with the UCLA Asian American Studies Center for 2 quarters during Summer/Fall, Fall/Winter or Winter/Spring. Internship hours may vary based on award amount. Student will work with faculty and/or staff on a special project or program.


Eligibility for Undergraduate students: Continuing undergraduate students who are enrolled in the Asian American Studies Bachelor of Arts or Minor program, and/or who are enrolled in AAS classes preferred.


Terms for Undergraduate students: Student will be funded for an internship with the UCLA Asian American Studies Center for 2 quarters during Summer/Fall, Fall/Winter, or Winter/Spring. Student will intern for 8 hours a week for 10 weeks during the quarter working with faculty and/or staff on a special project or program.


Criteria: Excellent academic record; application and personal essay must reflect student's interest in the field of Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies.


Essay: Describe your interest and/or experience with the Asian American Studies Center and/or with the field of Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies. Essays can be 5 pages maximum.


Stanley Kwok Lau and Dora Wong Lau Memorial Internships in Chinese American Studies for Undergraduate and Graduate Students



The Yuen Fong and Lew Oy Toy Family Internship in Chinese American Studies for Undergraduate Students




Best Paper Scholarships for Graduate & Undergraduate Students


Deadline: Monday, February 26, 2024

Read the Eligibility Guidelines


General Criteria: Papers can be written for any academic course or be new papers. Papers should be 10-15 pages.


Hiram Wheeler Edwards Best Paper Scholarship for the Study of World War II Internment Camps & Japanese Americans - Graduate & Undergraduate Students

Award: 1 Graduate and 1 Undergraduate student award at $1,000 each


Criteria: Excellent academic record and most outstanding graduate and undergraduate papers on a topic related to the lessons learned from the World War II internment of Japanese Americans.


Professor Harry H.L. Kitano Best Paper Scholarship - Graduate & Undergraduate Students

Awards: 1 Graduate and 1 Undergraduate student award at $500 each


Criteria: Excellent academic record and most outstanding graduate and undergraduate papers relating to Asian Pacific Americans and social issues they face.


Rose Eng Chin & Helen Wong Eng Best Paper Scholarship - Graduate & Undergraduate Students

Awards: 1 Graduate and 1 Undergraduate student award at $500 each


Criteria: Excellent academic record and most outstanding graduate and undergraduate papers, thesis or dissertation on Asian Pacific American women.

 


Ben & Alice Hirano Academic Best Paper Scholarship - Graduate & Undergraduate Students

Awards: 1 Graduate and 1 Undergraduate student award at $500 each


Criteria: Excellent academic record and most outstanding graduate and undergraduate papers on Asian Pacific American history and/or experience.


Tsugio & Miyoko Nakanishi Best Paper Scholarship in Asian American Literature & Culture - Graduate & Undergraduate Students

Awards: 1 Graduate and 1 Undergraduate student award at $500 each


Criteria: Excellent academic record, outstanding graduate and undergraduate papers on Asian Pacific American literature, arts and culture.