BRASA Brazil Initiation Scholarship
The Brazil Initiation Scholarship (BIS) is a key component of BRASA’s mission to support Brazilian Studies around the world and particular in the United States. BRASA invites applications from graduate students for a one-time travel scholarship of $3000 to do exploratory research in Brazil or in the US. For US-based students the BIS should contribute to the student’s initial trip (for a period of at least three weeks) to develop contacts with Brazil-based students and professors and initiate original research related to Brazil. For Brazil-based students the BIS should contribute to the student’s initial trip (two weeks minimum), to develop contacts with US-based students and professors and conduct research in support of a project focused on Brazil. Students are encouraged to combine this scholarship with other grants or awards.
Eligibility
- Students from all disciplines in the humanities and social sciences are eligible. In exceptional cases, applications from the natural sciences will be given consideration (for example, someone in environmental sciences who is writing a dissertation on the Amazon or pollution in São Paulo and who plans to continue research on Brazil);
- Preference will be given to those applicants who have little or no in-country experience in Brazil;
- A student requesting funding to undertake an exploratory research trip should present evidence at the time of the application that he/she has achieved at least an intermediate level of competence in the Portuguese language sufficient to carry out the proposed research;
- An applicant seeking support to undertake language studies should present evidence that after returning to the US he/she intends to continue studying Portuguese and plans to engage in research on Brazil;
- Successful applicants may combine BIS with other grants, scholarships, or awards, as long as he/she specifies clearly how the funds are going to be spent (for example, the BRASA scholarship might be used to cover travel costs, while a grant from another source could be used for living expenses, etc.).
Application Procedure
- A one-page prospectus (double spaced, 12-point font)
- A one-page résumé or CV
- A budget specifying how the $3000 will be spent
- A one-page bibliography on the subject of study, and evidence that the applicant has achieved at least an intermediate level of competence in Portuguese/English
- Membership at time of submission
- One letter of recommendation, preferably from advisor