Summer Grant 2025

 GREATER PHILADELPHIA ASIAN STUDIES CONSORTIUM (GPASC)  UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER GRANT COMPETITION 2025 

GPASC is pleased to announce a competition for grants for undergraduate students for support  of research projects, internships, or attendance at conferences in Asia in the summer of 2025.  Proposals may be related to any country normally considered to be part of Asia, ranging from  West Asia to East Asia, and including South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Asian Diaspora. This is  a small grant program, in which grants up to $500 will be awarded directly to successful  applicants. Examples of possible proposals include: 

• Research in an Asian country: may include travel, housing, and other related expenses.

• An internship in an Asian country: especially for non-profit and similar organizations that  provide little or no compensation. 

• Attendance at a student-focused conference: for example, the Japan-America Student  Conference or the Korea-America Student Conference. Preference will be given to  conferences taking place in Asia, but conferences in the U.S. with substantial attendance  by students from Asia will be considered.  

• Other academic or experiential-learning activities may be eligible. Please contact M.  Mizenko (email given below) if you have questions.  

These grants may not be used to support the purchase of any durable equipment (cameras,  laptops, etc.) or for tuition.  

Eligibility: Eligible to apply are undergraduate students, except graduating seniors, from  member institutions of GPASC (Bryn Mawr College, Drexel University, Haverford College, La  Salle University, Rosemont College, St. Joseph’s University, Swarthmore College, Temple  University, The College of New Jersey, the University of Delaware, the University of  Pennsylvania, Ursinus College, Villanova University, and West Chester University). Students  must demonstrate a commitment to Asian Studies through their coursework. Recipients will be  required to submit a brief report after the summer project, and to give a presentation on  their project at the annual undergraduate research conference in Spring 2026.  

Deadline: Completed applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59 pm, May 9, 2025 to mmizenko at ursinus.edu.. A committee of GPASC faculty members will review the  applications, and the recipients will be announced by May 16. The applications must include the  following: 

1. A cover sheet with a short project title along with the applicant’s name,  college/university affiliation, expected date of graduation (e.g., May 2026), mailing address,  phone number, and email address. It should also include the name, title, and contact  information (email address and phone number) of a faculty member who has taught the  student in at least one course and will be providing a letter of recommendation.  

2. A concise description of the project with a brief summary of the project’s objectives and  how the project contributes to the applicant’s undergraduate educational interests and goals.

3. Tentative dates and destinations of travel for the project. 

4. A budget for the project, including the amount being requested ($500 maximum) and  the expense(s) towards which it will be applied. Any other scholarships or awards, etc., should  also be listed. 

5. The applicant’s qualifications to pursue the proposed project, including language skills.

NOTE: Items 1-5 may be put into a single document.  

6. A transcript. An unofficial transcript may be submitted with the application, but an  official transcript will be requested from successful applicants before funds are released.  

7. A statement from the student’s institution’s study abroad/international studies office  indicating that the student has permission to undertake the project. This applies to projects  that may involve academic credit or otherwise require institutional approval. The statement  may be submitted as part of the application or sent directly to mmizenko at ursinus.edu by 11:59  pm, May 9. It is also recommended that students consult with their institution’s study  abroad/international studies office to make any appropriate arrangements to ensure a safe  experience while abroad.  

8. A letter of recommendation from a faculty member who has taught the applicant in at  least one course or has served as their research advisor or mentor. The letter should comment  on the feasibility of the project and the applicant’s ability to undertake. The letter should be  sent electronically to mmizenko at ursinus.edu by 11:59 pm, May 9.  

NOTE: Students should be aware that grants will not be awarded to those proposing projects in  countries or areas of countries under the U.S. State Department’s travel advisories, which can  be found here (Levels 3 & 4 are definitely off limits):  

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/  

Any questions about this grant program should be sent directly to:  

Matthew Mizenko 

Associate Professor of Japanese and East Asian Studies 

Ursinus College

Chair, GPASC 

mmizenko at ursinus.edu (please convert to regular email format)