Graduate Student Funding
The Ohio State University and the Department of French & Italian are proud to offer our Graduate Students access to various forms of funding and funding opportunities throughout their program of study. The funding information on this page is meant to be a starting point, it is by no means an exhaustive list of opportunities!
For continued updates, funding descriptions, and application deadlines, visit The Graduate School's Funding site.
Associateships, Fellowships, and Dissertation Year Funding
Graduate Associateships
Funding provides practical, personal experience gained through instructional, research, and/or administrative activities. During the academic year, graduate associates serve 20 hours per week over 9 months, and receive a tuition waiver, health benefits, and monthly stipend. Our Department may also award students in the Integrated MA/PhD program a Graduate Teaching Associateships (GTA). Faculty members evaluate GTAs on a yearly basis. To retain an Associateship from year to year while in the program, students must have made 1) reasonable progress towards completion of the degree and 2) have demonstrated effective teaching.
Graduate School Fellowships
University fellowships are awarded directly to a graduate student as support during a portion of the PhD program. To be considered for a nomination, your complete application must be submitted no later than November 30. Applications are first reviewed by the Department's Graduate Studies Advisory Committee, and outstanding candidates are forwarded to the Graduate School for further consideration as part of a university-wide competition. Fellows are selected on the basis of academic merit, without respect to financial need, and do not perform a service in return for the Fellowship award.
Dissertation Year Fellowships
PhD students in their last 2 years of funding are strongly encouraged to apply for internal and external dissertation fellowships, such as:
Associateships, Fellowships, and Dissertation Year Funding
Graduate Associateships
Funding provides practical, personal experience gained through instructional, research, and/or administrative activities. During the academic year, graduate associates serve 20 hours per week over 9 months, and receive a tuition waiver, health benefits, and monthly stipend. Our Department may also award students in the Integrated MA/PhD program a Graduate Teaching Associateships (GTA). Faculty members evaluate GTAs on a yearly basis. To retain an Associateship from year to year while in the program, students must have made 1) reasonable progress towards completion of the degree and 2) have demonstrated effective teaching.
Graduate School Fellowships
University fellowships are awarded directly to a graduate student as support during a portion of the PhD program. To be considered for a nomination, your complete application must be submitted no later than November 30. Applications are first reviewed by the Department's Graduate Studies Advisory Committee, and outstanding candidates are forwarded to the Graduate School for further consideration as part of a university-wide competition. Fellows are selected on the basis of academic merit, without respect to financial need, and do not perform a service in return for the Fellowship award.
Dissertation Year Fellowships
PhD students in their last 2 years of funding are strongly encouraged to apply for internal and external dissertation fellowships, such as:
Funding Opportunities: Research, Travel for Conferences & Summer Term
General Information and Application
Graduate Associates can apply for competitive summer funding opportunities through the Department of French & Italian. Applications will be reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee and French & Italian Language Directors. A recommendation will be made to the Department Chair, who will make final award decisions. Students who receive summer funding awards should work with Rachel Sanabria, Assistant Director of Graduate Studies, to ensure they are properly registered for the term of award funding.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: February 1 of the semester preceding the summer in which funding will be used. GAs can expect award decisions in second week of February.
Application Submission Form will be available October 1st.
French, Francophone, and Italian Prize
The French, Francophone, & Italian Summer Prize is designed to provide one PhD student in French or Italian at the dissertation stage with summer support in the amount of $6200 to allow them to make substantial progress toward the completion of the dissertation. Preference given to a student who does not hold a teaching appointment for the summer, and who has not received the award previously.
The request for funding application requires a:
- letter that includes a 1-2 page abstract of the dissertation, a brief statement of the writing process, including a projected defense date, and specific goals for the summer is (i.e. the research for and writing up of a certain chapter, the revision of several chapters, etc.);
- CV;
- letter of support from the faculty advisor;
- projected summer budget (living expenses, whether in Columbus or elsewhere and research expenses the project may require;
- list of other funding for which the applicant is also applying.
Selection will be made on the basis of:
- strength of the proposal;
- nearness to completion of the dissertation;
- applicant’s academic record in the program.
At the end of the summer, the recipient must submit a brief letter describing what they accomplished to the Director of Graduate Studies and faculty advisor.
Bulatkin Prize
The Bulatkin Summer Prize is designed to provide one PhD student in French or Italian at the dissertation-writing stage with summer support in the amount of $6200 to allow them to make substantial progress toward the completion of the dissertation. Preference given to a student who does not hold a teaching appointment for the summer, and who has not received the award previously.
The request for funding application requires a:
- letter that includes a 1-2 page abstract of the dissertation, a brief statement of the writing process, including a projected defense date, and specific goals for the summer is (i.e. the research for and writing up of a certain chapter, the revision of several chapters, etc.);
- CV;
- letter of support from the faculty advisor;
- projected summer budget (living expenses, whether in Columbus or elsewhere and research expenses the project may require;
- list of other funding for which the applicant is also applying.
Selection will be made on the basis of:
- strength of the proposal;
- nearness to completion of the dissertation;
- applicant’s academic record in the program.
At the end of the summer, the recipient must submit a brief letter describing what they accomplished to the Director of Graduate Studies and faculty advisor.
Rymer Award
The Judith Marquis Rymer and Glenn Rymer Travel Award offers financial support to graduate students in French, Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese for study abroad fees and travel expenses. The Department of French and Italian and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese will alternate the disbursement of this award from year to year (FRIT will disburse the award in 2023, then in 2025, etc.).
The request for funding application requires a:
- Brief letter describing the study abroad program in which the applicant plans to participate and the reasons for which they have chosen it;
- CV;
- Letter of support from the faculty advisor;
- list of other funding for which the applicant is also applying.
The recipient must be making good progress toward the degree. Priority will be given to non-native French or Italian speakers who have not had many opportunities to study abroad. The Department will award either two awards of $1000 or one award of $2000.
Astier Travel Grant
*(for Students in 20th/21st-century French and Francophone Studies only)
The Astier Travel Grant, in the amount of $2,400, is awarded to one PhD student working on a topic in 20th/21st-century French or Francophone Studies. Typically, the travel grant will be used for travel to archives and/or research centers in support of the dissertation research, but applicants do not have to be at the candidacy stage to apply.
The request for funding application requires a:
- letter that includes a 1-2 page abstract of the dissertation, a brief statement of the writing process, including a projected defense date, and specific goals for the summer is (i.e. the research for and writing up of a certain chapter, the revision of several chapters, etc.);
- CV;
- letter of support from the faculty advisor;
- projected summer budget (living expenses, whether in Columbus or elsewhere and research expenses the project may require;
- list of other funding for which the applicant is also applying.
Selection will be made first on the basis of the strength of the proposal. If more than one applicant’s project merits funding, seniority will be taken into consideration. A student who has already received this grant may apply for and receive it a second time if the project merits it and if they are the only eligible applicant.
Additional Funding Opportunities
Rennes Exchange Program
The Department and the Université de Rennes maintain a lecturer exchange agreement. We invite graduate students in French and Francophone Studies to serve as a lecteur/ lectrice of English on this exchange. SCELVA provides assistance with visa, orientation, and benefits during the appointment term of one academic year, beginning on September 1. This is a wonderful opportunity to live a year in France and acquire teaching experience in a French university setting.
Note: according to rules set by Rennes, participants must be native speakers of English.
Applicants should send the following to the Graduate Program Coordinator:
- a letter of application that details the motivations to participate in the exchange, accomplishments made in research, teaching, and service while in the Department, and progress made to date on the degree (maximum 2-pages, single-spaced);
- a CV;
- A faculty advisor brief letter of support
Applications will be reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee, and decisions will be conveyed by early February.
Deadline: January 10
Graduate Student Additional Year Funding Award
Graduate students in their final year of funding may apply for an award that will extend graduate funding for one academic year. This competitive award will cover tuition remission (maximum of three credit hours), teaching stipend, and the usual fees for two consecutive semesters during one academic year. Applicants must be in their final year of funding to be eligible.
Applicants should send the following to the Academic Program Coordinator:
- a letter of application that details accomplishments in research, teaching, and service while in the Department, specific progress made to date on the dissertation, and a timeline for completion (maximum 2-pages, single-spaced);
- a summary of the dissertation with chapter breakdown (maximum three-pages, single spaced);
- a CV;
- a brief statement (200-words) detailing any extenuating circumstances that you would like to share with the committee (if applicable);
- the faculty advisor should send to the APC a letter of support
Applications will be reviewed jointly by the Chair and Graduate Studies Committee. Final determinations will be made by the Chair.
Deadline: December 24
Felice M. Graduate Endowed Scholarship
The Felice M. Graduate Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in April 2016 by the Board of Trustees of The Ohio State University, with a gift from the estate of Felice Marcus Grad (BA 1946, BS 1946, MA 1947). The fund’s purpose is to support off-campus study and/or research for graduate students in AAAS, Classics, DEALL, FRIT, GLL, NELC, SEELC, and SPPO at any stage of their graduate program. Types of off-campus research and study for which students may apply for funds include but are not limited to: library or archival work, interviews with subjects, conference presentations, language immersion programs, NEH or other summer seminars, the Big Ten Academic Alliance Traveling Scholar program, and professionalization workshops. The scholarship committee solicits applications for awards between $500 and $1000 dollars depending on demonstrated need.
Applicants should submit the following materials to the CLLC:
- a CV;
- a one- to two-page letter describing the project;
- a budget that includes travel, room and board, registration fees, tuition, cost of rent in Columbus while away, and any other costs that the project entails;
- a list of other scholarships for which they are also applying (from their department, Arts and Humanities, the Graduate School, the Alumni Association, etc. Indicate the amounts of these scholarships and if they have been secured or are pending);
- a brief letter of support from their faculty advisor
Please contact Rebecca Bias in the Center for Languages, Literatures, and Cultures for the current year deadline.
Bulatkin Graduate Travel Award
Graduate Students may apply for up to $1000 to fund travel to present a paper at international professional conferences, $700 to present at domestic professional conferences, or $400 to present at graduate student conferences per academic year. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.
Interested students should apply to the Department Chair directly with a letter of acceptance to present at the conference and a travel budget.
External Travel and Research Grants
- Arts and Sciences Small Grants
- Critical Difference for Women Grants
- Dr. Gordon P. K. Chu Memorial Scholarship
- G. Michael Riley International Academic Fund
- International Awards for Visual and Performing Arts
- Mershon Center, Graduate Student Research Grants
- Office of International Affairs, Fulbright Fellowships
- Office of International Affairs, Graduate/Professional Student Grants and Scholarships
- Council of Graduate Students Funding Opportunities
- African Flagship Languages Initiative (AFLI) for Boren Scholars