Each year the College awards approximately 100 Summer International Travel Grants to support outstanding undergraduates for intensive language study or research abroad. Awards are $7,000. These grants are made possible by the College and generous donors.
Be sure to read the details of the various grants listed below. We encourage prospective applicants to attend one of the SITG Information Sessions.
Foreign Language Acquisition Grants (FLAGs)
The FLAG program offers awards to support the costs of intermediate or advanced language study abroad. Programs must be at least 8 weeks in duration of intensive language study (at least 15 hours/week) and located in a setting where the target language is predominantly spoken. Applicants must have completed or tested out of the 103 level of the target language by the program start date. If a language is not offered on campus, applicants may apply at any level.
Summer Research Grants
- Third Year International Travel Grants
Provide support for conducting summer research outside the U.S. - African Studies Research Grants
Provide support to students conducting research in Africa
- SITG Information Session
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at 6:00 PM (Harper Memorial 140) - FLAG: Statement of purpose (describing why the study of this language is important to you and your academic trajectory);
Research Grants: Series of short-answer questions focused on purpose and logistics of research plans - Recommendation (the most useful recommendations are from an individual who knows you well enough to talk about whether you are suited to this type of experience and how you will approach it)
- Budget (account for expected expenses such as flight, ground transportation, lodging and meals, as well as the cost of the program you plan to participate in)
- If your proposed research involves human subjects (for example, if you will be conducting any interviews as part of your research), you must check with the Social & Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board (IRB) about whether your project needs IRB review. Information about the IRB submission and review process is available on the IRB website at sbsirb.uchicago.edu. If your project requires IRB review, you must provide the IRB approval notice prior to receiving your grant funds.
- COUNTRY WITH TRAVEL ADVISORY LEVEL 3/4: The University of Chicago’s working assumption is against travel to countries or regions with a U.S. Department of State Level 3 or Level 4 Advisory. Undergraduate students may petition for an exemption to this policy. For more information, please consult the University’s Travel Advisory Policy.
Born out of the College’s commitment to cross-cultural experience, international research, and foreign language learning, the Summer International Travel Grants give you the freedom to design your own summer experience abroad. During the summer, you’ll travel independently to a location of your choice and carry out original research or study the local language.
In the past, students have conducted independent research in all corners of the world, from field archaeology in Peru to molecular dynamics in Sweden. Often this work leads to a BA paper. With language grant support, students have studied over 50 languages, from Arabic to Zulu. These grants are ideal for students who may not be able to study abroad during the academic year.
To find out more about Summer International Travel Grants, attend an SITG Information Session:
To look for and learn about language programs you can read program evaluations from previous FLAG recipients in our evaluations database. You can also search the database to read about research projects that have been funded in the past. Log in to access the evaluations database.
Note for those applying to a country or region of elevated risk:
You will need to schedule a travel advisory meeting to discuss the petition process for special approval to be eligible for funding. For additional details and for information on countries and regions of elevated risk, please consult the University’s Travel Advisory Policy. You are also required to submit an additional paragraph in your statement of purpose detailing why study abroad in this country is important to your research or language study.
Eligible students are undergraduate students registered at the University of Chicago for the spring quarter before the summer they go abroad and will be registered the following autumn quarter. Students taking a leave of absence before or after the grant period should contact sitg@uchicago.edu to discuss whether their case merits an exception to the spring- or autumn-quarter registration requirement.
Research grants are primarily for third-year students in the College, but exceptional second-year students and fourth-year students who plan to spend part or all of a fifth year in the College are also eligible to apply.
To apply for a Summer International Travel Grant please complete the online application. The application includes:
Applications are typically due in early February. All students will receive notification of the status of their application(s) via email by the beginning of Spring Quarter.
To discuss the Summer International Travel Grant Program and the application process, please contact sitg@uchicago.edu.
