Boren Fellowship
3 to 12 months of study of languages critical to U.S. National Security for graduate students.
Eligibility
- U.S. citizen and willing to enter into a service agreement to work for the federal government in the national security arena for at least one year after graduation.
- Matriculated in a graduate degree program at an accredited institution, or currently enrolled in a degree program and in the process of applying to a graduate program.
About the Boren Fellowship
The Boren Awards for International Study were established by the National Security Education Act of 1991 in honor of Senator David L. Boren of Oklahoma to increase the number of students in languages, fields of study and world regions critical to U.S. security. Boren Fellowships provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. graduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests, and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded.
The fellowships encourage graduate students to pursue specialization in area and language study or to add an important international dimension to their education. The award provides up to $25,000 for a maximum of 12 months. Preference is given to programs of 6 months or longer.
Amount Awarded
Up to $25,000. Tuition and fees, room and board, books, research expenses, travel, insurance, other expenses.
Application Process
As a first step in the Stanford campus process, fill out the Boren Awards Intent to Apply form.
For the Campus Deadline complete the following steps:
- Email PDF of your online application to globalscholarships@stanford.edu
- Email Scholarship/Fellowship Nomination Permission Form and Waiver Form to globalscholarships@stanford.edu (will be provided to applicants)
- Note: Do NOT submit your online application through the Boren application system until after the campus committee evaluation process is complete. We will provide more information about this step later.
Application Sections
- Eligibility & Basic Information
- Personal & Contact Information
- Educational Background
- Transcript Upload
- Employment History
- Activities
- Study Abroad Program & Budget: includes a one-page study abroad description. Letter of Overseas Affiliation (if possible)
- Career Plans (>100 words)
- 2 Essays
- Before essays, in essay section: Study Plan Title (25 words max), Research Abstract (300 words max), Research Methodology (300 words max)
- National Security (800 word max)
- Motivation and Public Service (1,000 word max)
- Study Plan Summary (150 words)
- Career Plans (100 words)
- Before essays, in essay section: Study Plan Title (25 words max), Research Abstract (300 words max), Research Methodology (300 words max)
- Language Self-Assessment
- Additional Information
- Employment History & Activities
- Abstract and Methodology
- Research Abstract (300 words maximum)
- Research Methodology (300 words maximum)
- Recommendations : Three (3) letters of recommendation to be submitted online by references
- If proposing a research component to their overseas study, at least one letter of recommendation should be from a research advisor at their U.S. institution
- Language proficiency evaluation form (optional) to be submitted online by reference
Timeline Details
The Boren Fellowship has a campus process. Therefore, you need to be aware of two deadlines: a campus deadline and a national deadline. The campus deadline is in mid-January and the national deadline in late January. We encourage you to begin your application early.
Campus Application Deadline
January 13, 2026
National Application Deadline
January 21, 2026
Additional Information
Find additional information, including application criteria, at the Boren Awards website.