UC Berkeley Sultan Program in Arab Studies Visiting Scholar Fellowship

The Sultan Program in Arab Studies is made possible through a generous endowment from the Sultan bin AbdulAziz Al-Saud Charity Foundation. The Sultan Program supports teaching, research, and public outreach on topics related to the Arab and Arab-Islamic world, with the overarching goal of promoting a deeper understanding of this important region at UC Berkeley and beyond. The program encompasses the social sciences, humanities, and professional fields, with a special emphasis on anthropology, sociology, architecture, history, literature, political science, and urban studies.

Program Components and Eligibility

Grants are currently offered in the following categories:

The Sultan Visiting Scholar Fellowship

The Sultan Visiting Scholar engages in research related to the theme of Arab Studies, and will deliver a public lecture as part of the CMES Interdisciplinary Lecture Series. S/he is hosted by the CMES. The fellowship is available for one semester and provides a stipend of $18,000. In exceptional circumstances, the fellowship will be available for a full year.

Applications are accepted from scholars who have received a Ph.D. within the last three years (or will receive it prior to holding the fellowship) and have not yet held a tenure-track position. Visiting Scholars may hold doctorates from institutions other than UC Berkeley.

The Graduate Fellowship

UC Berkeley graduate students conducting research on topics related to Arab Studies may apply for fellowships to be used for travel, fieldwork, and/or dissertation writing. While the fellowship is primarily intended for students who have advanced to candidacy within the last three years, advanced pre-dissertation work may be accepted under exceptional circumstances. The maximum pre-dissertation fellowship is $4,000; the maximum dissertation fellowship is $10,000.

Students who are currently receiving the Dissertation Completion Fellowship are not eligible for the Sultan Graduate Fellowship.

The Undergraduate Fellowship

UC Berkeley undergraduates working on projects and theses related to Arab Studies may apply for scholarships to support research or conference travel, overseas or domestic summer Arabic language study, and/or internships. The maximum undergraduate scholarship is $1,200.

Other Scholarly Initiatives

The Sultan Program accepts proposals from UC Berkeley faculty, students, and affiliates for collaborative and public outreach activities related to the Arab world, including conferences, workshops, multi-media projects, websites, and radio and television projects. The maximum grant in this category is $5,000.