Financial Resources for Instructors

Fellowship for Lecturer | Fellowship for Graduate Student | BLC Travel Grants

BLC Fellowships for Language Lecturers, 2024-25

The Berkeley Language Center is pleased to announce the availability of up to six one-semester research fellowships for Unit 18 lecturers or language program coordinators for the upcoming academic year (pending authorization of funding).

These fellowships will provide lecturers with the equivalent of one-course release time to work on individual projects designed to further their own professional development. Research projects might include: designing and developing instructional materials of various kinds; developing innovative uses of technology; developing new course syllabi or curricular innovations or assessment plans; engaging in independent study of an area of relevant literature, including enrolling in a course of relevant interest offered at UC Berkeley; doing an empirical study of some aspect of language learning; preparing a research paper for public presentation or publication in a professional journal. The fellowship culminates in a presentation to the UC Berkeley language community and a report published on the BLC website. Past fellows have also presented their research at conferences, or published their work in established journals.

The projects will be undertaken in collaboration with the Executive Director and the Associate Director. Regular attendance at the weekly research fellows’ meetings is required. Lecturers teaching any language at UC Berkeley are eligible to apply. Those teaching less commonly taught languages are particularly encouraged to apply. If you are interested, we strongly encourage you to discuss your research project proposal prior to submission with either Kimberly Vinall (kvinall@berkeley.edu) or Emily Hellmich (eahellmich@berkeley.edu).

Please complete the fellowship application form, and include a two-page description of your project (see specifications on the application form), a current CV, and a letter of recommendation by the chair of your department, explaining how your project benefits the teaching and research mission of your department and/or your professional development. 

BLC Fellowships are funded by the Dean of Arts and Humanities. Lecturers in departments outside of Arts and Humanities should seek funding with their department chairs and/or dean before applying. This has been possible in the past, but is decided on a case-by-case basis and the availability of funds.

Download Lecturer Fellowship application as a PDF

Submit application and documentation via email (o_garcia@berkeley.edu) or mail to:

BLC Fellowship Program
Berkeley Language Center
B-40 Dwinelle Hall #2640

Application Deadline: Monday, February 5, 2024

BLC Fellowships for Graduate Students, 2024-25 

The Berkeley Language Center is pleased to announce the availability of up to six one-semester fellowships in the upcoming academic year (pending authorization of funding).

This fellowship provides the opportunity for concentrated study and research without additional work responsibilities. As a recipient of this fellowship, you should not hold additional employment. Fellowships are for one semester and include a $14,500 stipend and payment of tuition and fees, not including NRST.

These fellowships will enable graduate students to work on special research projects that engage with new developments in language instruction and pedagogy to enhance their professional development as teachers, which can potentially benefit their future chances of employment at other institutions.

Projects might include research and development of materials on theoretical aspects of second language acquisition; language learning media and instructional materials; handbooks on specific aspects of language teaching; innovative activities to teach literature or culture in the language class; drama techniques to teach language; and literary or cultural competence, for example. The fellowship culminates in a presentation to the UC Berkeley language community and a report published on the BLC website. Past fellows have also presented their research at conferences, or published their work in established journals.

The projects will be undertaken in collaboration with the Executive Director and the Associate Director. Regular attendance at the weekly research fellows’ meetings is required. Graduate students teaching any world language at UC Berkeley are eligible to apply. Those teaching less commonly taught languages are particularly encouraged to apply. If you are interested, we strongly encourage you to discuss your research project proposal with either Kimberly Vinall (kvinall@berkeley.edu) or Emily Hellmich (eahellmich@berkeley.edu).

Please complete the fellowship application form and include a two-page description of your project (see specifications on the application form), a current CV, and a letter of recommendation by the chair of your department, explaining how your project benefits your academic development, with a specific focus on your teaching.  

BLC Fellowships are funded by the Dean of Arts and Humanities. Graduate students in departments outside of Arts and Humanities should seek funding with their department chairs and/or dean before applying. This has been possible in the past, but is decided on a case-by-case basis and the availability of funds.

Download Graduate Fellowship application as a PDF

Submit application and documentation via email (o_garcia@berkeley.edu) or mail to:

BLC Fellowship Program
Berkeley Language Center
B-40 Dwinelle Hall #2640

Application Deadline: Monday, February 5, 2024

BLC Travel Grants

The Berkeley Language Center provides limited funding for language lecturers to attend and present a paper at either domestic or international professional conferences. Travel Grant is up to $750.00 for one presenter and $500 for co-presenters. We realize this will not cover all travel expenses; lecturers are encouraged to seek supplemental funding support. Additionally, lecturers are limited to one grant per year.

Include a copy of the program, an abstract, and/or a letter of invitation with your application form (download below). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, pending available funds, and must be submitted prior to travel. Final application deadlines are below. Please note that if you miss these deadlines funding cannot be guaranteed.

After returning from the conference, we request that grantees share their experiences with the BLC community through a brief, informal presentation (e.g., brown bag lunch). The presentation could describe the overall conference or provide a description of a paper that particularly excited you/that would be of interest to the BLC community. 

University Regulations state that the Berkeley Travel Office will only reimburse travelers who provide original receipts in their own name. There are no exceptions to this rule. Travel expense reimbursements should be processed within two weeks after conference travel. You are required to sign a UC Travel Voucher Form to complete the paperwork. Please do not mail receipts to the BLC Office.

Download Travel Grant application as a PDF

Please note, to view as interactive, you will need to view in Acrobat Reader.