The Blakemore Foundation is looking for individuals who will make significant contributions to their field. The ideal candidate is someone with stellar grades, outstanding recommendations, and a demonstrated commitment to the Asian country and language.

Superior candidates committed to careers in fields such as academia, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), international business, accounting, law, medicine, journalism, architecture, teaching, social or NGO work, and government service that will require professional fluency in that modern Asian language throughout that individual's life are encouraged to apply.

Selection Criteria

•. A focused, well-defined career objective involving East or SE Asia in which regular use of the language is an important aspect.

•. The potential to make a significant contribution to a field of study or area of professional or business activity relating to an Asian country.

•. Prior experience in the Asian country or involvement or participation in activities related to the country.

•. Outstanding academic record.

To be eligible for a fellowship an applicant must:

•. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (green card holder) of the United States.

•. Be pursuing a professional, business, or academic career that involves the regular use of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, or Khmer.

•. By the start of the grant, have at least a bachelor's degree.

•. Be at or near an advanced level in the language. By the start of the grant, applicants must have completed (at minimum) the third year of language classes at the college level, through formal classroom study at a college or university and/or in rigorous college-level language programs.

•. Be able to devote oneself exclusively to full-time intensive language study during the term of the grant. Grants are not made for part-time study or research.

•. Applicants need to apply independently to the approved language program. Follow the language school’s posted deadlines for applications for study during the 2024/2025 academic year.

•. All fellowships are awarded contingent upon the applicant's acceptance by the language program for which the fellowship is awarded. This means that an applicant may receive a grant offer before the notification of admission by the language school involved; should the grantee subsequently not be admitted, the Blakemore Foundation’s grant offer will be rescinded.

No grants are available for study in the United States.

All Fellows are expected to remain in the study country during the entire period of their grant, except in the event of an emergency, required visa renewal travel or for absences approved in advance by the Foundation. Therefore, a grantee should not plan to return to the United States for winter break or other holiday periods.

We encourage Fellows to use holidays and school breaks for modest travel within their study country and to participate in other activities to expand their language usage outside the classroom.

All Fellows must devote full-time to language study and not engage in any conflicting activities during the period covered by their grant.

Part-time employment, teaching English, extensive research on a dissertation or involvement in other projects which could hamper full-time study are not permitted.

Recreational, educational or cultural activities which do not interfere with full-time study are encouraged, particularly during school and holiday breaks.

Study will normally start in fall 2025, but must start no later than the spring term of the language school or for a tutoring program, no later than May 2026.

Tutoring programs

May start anytime between August 2025 and May 2026

All grant funds from the Blakemore Foundation are taxable for U.S. federal income tax purposes unless the recipient qualifies for some type of exclusion or deduction.

Determining if any portion of the grant may be non-taxable for U.S. federal income tax purposes is the recipient's individual responsibility. Because of the variety of personal situations, we recommend applicants discuss their own individual case with a qualified tax advisor.

The Foundation does not issue a Form 1099-T, Form W-2 or Form 1099-Misc to recipients. No income tax is withheld from the grant and recipients are responsible for making any required estimated tax payments to the I.R.S.

Please refer to IRS Publication 970 Tax Benefits for Education and Form 1040-ES for further information.

Our fellowships are intended to cover basic expenses at a graduate student level necessary to pursue an academic year of full-time intensive language study in East or SE Asia, including tuition and/or tutoring fees, plus a stipend for travel, living and study expenses.

Tuition for the language program, and tutoring fees (if applicable) are covered in full.

The stipend may be used for the following types of expenses:

• Airfare (any carrier)

• Books, equipment and study materials related to language study

• Housing/furnishings/utilities/cell phone/internet access

• Food and ordinary daily living expenses

• Local commuting

• Travel within country during holidays and school breaks

• Recreational, educational or cultural activities

•Health insurance/travel insurance/medical evacuation insurance

•Immunizations appropriate for country

• Visa application and renewal expenses

• Income taxes due on taxable portion of grant

• Other expenses incurred during study abroad or approved by the Trustee

It is up to each Blakemore Freeman Fellow to budget the stipend funds to cover necessary costs. Stipend funds may not be used to cover expenses of an accompanying dependent.

The stipend for travel, living and study expenses is disbursed to the Blakemore Freeman Fellow at intervals over the course of the grant. Adjustments to stipend may be considered if exchange rates or living expenses alter significantly during the period covered by the grant.

A grantee may not accept other scholarships, fellowships or grants concurrently with a fellowship awarded by the Blakemore Foundation, unless such funds are for assistance in meeting family expenses of the grantee or other expenses not covered by the stipend.

All grantees must submit a monthly letter reporting on their activities during the preceding month. They must also submit two longer progress reports to the Foundation during their fellowship, the first report due mid-grant, and a second report at the end of their grant. Financial reports regarding the use of stipend funds on forms provided by the Foundation must also be submitted at intervals during the grant and at the end of a fellowship. At the end of the grant, the Foundation must be provided with an official transcript from the language program at which the student was enrolled for each academic period covered by the fellowship. The transcript should list courses taken and grades received or progress made.

An applicant must not be related to a member of the Blakemore Foundation Board of Managers.

Click here to download a paper application form in Word format.

Click here to download a paper application form in pdf format.

Click here to download a pdf of the language grant guidelines.