India Initiative
Duke India Initiative Graduate Student Travel Grant
The Duke India Initiative (DII) is now accepting applications to fund Ph.D. and graduate students for scholarly activities related to India. Funding may support travel to present a paper at a conference, attend a workshop, conduct field research, or engage in other relevant activities. We anticipate funding proposals in the range of $500 to $2,000, subject to the following guidelines:
- Applicants must be full-time Ph.D. or master’s students at Duke University.
- If the travel is for a conference, the student must have formal acceptance for a presentation at the event. If acceptance is pending, funding will be contingent upon the formal acceptance of the presentation.
- Travel should preferably occur between December 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025 (exceptions may be considered).
- The destination does not have to be India, but the travel must be related to India and aligned with the mission of the DII.
- All full-time Ph.D. and graduate students at Duke are eligible to apply. DII encourages applications from students across all Duke schools and colleges. Applications from undergraduate students will not be considered.
Deadline: 5:00 PM October 31, 2024
Application Requirements:
Applications should include the following (items 1 and 2 should be a maximum of 2 pages, 11-point font, single line spacing, and 1” margins):
- Name, department/unit, and contact information of the applicant.
- Description of the proposed travel activity:
- Brief background and rationale for the travel.
- If the travel is for a conference or workshop, include the name of the event and the URL.
- Dates of travel.
- Benefits to the individual.
- Benefits to DII (how the activity contributes to advancing DII’s mission).
- Itemized budget with a brief justification (0.5 page maximum). Airfare must be in economy class, and only direct costs are allowed.
- Overlapping activities (0.5 page maximum): Include a statement indicating whether this travel is already funded or pending funding (include source). If additional funding is necessary, indicate the source of funding and the amount required.
- A one-page CV for the applicant.
- A brief letter of support from the student’s advisor, indicating how the travel will benefit the applicant. The letter of support can be attached to the application as part of a single PDF.
Submission:
Funding requests should be sent as a single PDF file to Rohini Thakkar (rohini.thakkar@duke.edu) no later than 5:00 PM on October 31, 2024. Please use “DII Travel FundingApplication” as the subject line. Receipt of proposals will be acknowledged within 48 hours.
Post-Travel Requirements:
Students will be required to submit a brief impact report on their activities after the completion of their travel and/or give a brief presentation at a DII event in Fall 2025.
The Office of Global Affairs (OGA) invites proposals for interdisciplinary, student-driven groups with a global focus. We expect students to form a working group that will meet at least four times per semester. OGA will provide up to $1,000 annually per working group for expenses related to meetings. Additional funds may be requested for:
- Reading and audio-visual materials
- Mini conferences
- Seminars
- Symposia
- Workshops
The priorities will be given to the proposals that align with OGA’s strategic priorities, such as
- Global justice and equity
- Climate change
- Indigeneity
- Work in low and middle-income countries
- Engagement with global partners
We encourage the formation of working groups comprised of members from at least two different disciplines. OGA expects to support 8 to 10 groups annually. Working groups from previous academic years are eligible to reapply for funding in subsequent competitions.
The deadline to submit the proposal is Thursday, October 31st, 2024.
For any questions related to these working groups or the application process, please contact Rohini Thakkar (rohini.thakkar@duke.edu).