2023 Linen Fellowships for Summer Study in Asia

Supported by an endowment established by family and friends in memory of James A. Linen III, Class of 1934, the Department of Asian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers the Linen Fellowships for Summer Study in Asia to assist Williams College undergraduates in traveling to Asia during the summer for educational purposes. For the purpose of these fellowships, “Asia” refers to South, Southeast, and East Asia, defined as those parts of the continent east of the Khyber Pass and south and east of the Tian Shan Mountains and the Gobi Desert.

The Linen Fellowship Selection Committee will give highest priority to funding proposals that contribute to developing a student’s scholarship in a serious and well-focused way. Proposals can be for either intensive language study in a reputable program or a research project leading to an honor’s thesis in the Department of Asian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures or the Program of Asian Studies. For language study, priority is given to students who study the third-year level (or above) in Chinese or Japanese, or the second-year level in Hindi/Urdu or Korean. In some cases, beginner-level language study proposals may also be considered.

To see what projects were funded in the past by Linen, please visit the DALLC Study Abroad blog site.

Basic eligibility requirements are:

  1. Applicant should at the time of application be a junior, sophomore, or first-year (seniors who graduate this coming June are not eligible).
  2. Applicant should have taken (or currently be taking) at least one course in the Department of Asian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures or the Program of Asian Studies.

While any student who meets the above basic requirements is eligible to apply, priority will be given to majors or prospective majors in the Department of Asian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, or students who pursue a concentration in the Program of Asian Studies. The fellowships will be awarded according to the merits of the proposal as well as the applicant’s academic record, the priorities mentioned in this announcement, and the availability of funds. A typical award based on merit ranges between $500 and $5000.  Additional need-based scholarships are also available. All applicants will automatically be considered for the need-based scholarships.

We hope to be able to inform applicants of the committee’s decision by the Spring Break. Students who have questions about the Linen Fellowships may contact Professor Li Yu, [email protected] , Chair of the Department of Asian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.

Application Procedures

Applicant should:

  1. Contact two Williams faculty members to be your references. No recommendation letters are needed for language projects. If you are proposing a research project, you should request a brief statement of support from one of your two faculty referees who has agreed to supervise or serve as advisor for the project. Their statement of support should be emailed to Ms. Andrea Massar at [email protected] by the application deadline.
  2. Fill out the application form at here.
  3. Submit your proposal (in one PDF file) through the Glow course “Asia-Related Funding Opportunities” (Click “Assignments” and remember to “submit assignment”). You may self-enroll here if you haven’t already done so.

Your proposal should include three parts ( please include in one PDF file and use your name as the file name, e.g. John_Doe.pdf.   If you do not know how to compile a PDF file, please consult with the OIT help desk. You should be able to use a scanner or a digital sender located in the libraries to easily generate PDF files ) :

  • Part One: A project proposal  of  500-1000 words   for a research project  and  200-500 words   for language study . The research proposal should describe in detail the project to be undertaken and how it is tied with an honor’s thesis in the Department of Asian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures or the Program of Asian Studies. Whether the project consists of a research project or language study, the proposal should include a detailed explanation of how the project fits in with the student’s present and future study and career plans.  Please also indicate what your backup plan is in case overseas travels to Asia are not possible during Summer 2023. 
  • Part Two: A detailed project budget indicating the amount requested and the purposes to which it will be put. A budget typically includes travel expenses, food, and research expenses for research projects/or tuition for language programs. We encourage you to seek additional sources of funding; please indicate what other sources   of funding have been or will be applied for and the anticipated amounts of those awards. Students who are applying for the Linen Fellowships are strongly encouraged to apply for the Wilmers Language Fellowships (for language study) and summer travel fellowships (for research projects) through the college Fellowships Office. You may use the same project proposal and budget for Wilmers to apply for Linen.
  • Part Three: A copy of your Academic Progress Report.

The deadline for application is  11:59 pm, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 .


Supported by an endowment established by family and friends in memory of James A. Linen III, Class of 1934, the Department of Asian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers the Linen Fellowships for Summer Study in Asia to assist Williams College undergraduates in traveling to Asia during the summer for educational purposes.  A three-part application and any faculty references that may be required are due by 11:59 pm, Thursday, February 23.