Funded Summer Opportunities

The Oldenborg International Research and Travel Grant offers financial support to help cover expenses for international research toward a senior thesis or senior exercise. A selection committee will review grant proposals and make grant awards. Awards may be made in varying amounts up to a total of $4,500. The application deadline is Friday, February 14 Extended until February 21, 2025

Eligibility Guidelines

Proposed projects must be research-based and have received prior departmental approval.

To be eligible you must be a registered Pomona student in good standing, graduating in Fall 2025 or Spring 2026.

Projects that involve human subjects must be approved by the Pomona College Institutional Review Board prior to the student receiving the award.

Grant recipients will present their research in an Oldenborg Luncheon Colloquium (typically scheduled to coincide with Family Weekend) or other approved Oldenborg forum.

Projects must be undertaken during the summer; i.e., when classes are not in session. Additionally, note that Oldenborg is unlikely to support international experiences for students that involve travel to countries or regions for which the U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) or Level 4 (Do Not Travel) Travel Advisory and/or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Travel Health Notice at Warning Level 3 (Avoid Nonessential Travel).

Students interested in applying for this grant are highly encouraged to reach out to the Oldenborg Director before submitting their applications.

Application Instructions

All applications must be submitted via SM Apply: Oldenborg International Research and Travel Grant Application

Consider the following as you prepare your application:

• Proposals must demonstrate that international travel and research are vital to the successful completion of the project.
• Proposal should present a clear rationale for how the work will contribute toward the student’s senior thesis/exercise
• Proposals must address foreign language proficiency relevant to the project as well as practical dimensions of fieldwork.
• Proposals should provide evidence of preparation for the project; e.g., indicate your training in qualitative, quantitative or other relevant research methods; if you intend to interview subjects, provide a draft of your interview questions, etc.
• Proposals involving research with human subjects must meet Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Process should be initiated before submitting your application.
• Proposals which exemplify a spirit of engagement with foreign languages and cultures will receive preference.
• Submissions should be well-organized and clear.
• All applications should carefully review the Pomona College Policy Regarding College-Funded International Student Travel, which has been revised as of October 2023. You will be asked to complete a preliminary travel form (pages 2-4 at the link) and upload this to your application.
• You will be required to submit a detailed project description, including a detailed budget, with your application. You must also submit a travel itinerary and emergency contact information as well as one or more contacts in the destination country.
• You will need to have up to two faculty recommendation letters submitted on your behalf directly to Oldenborg. At least one of the letters should come from a professor with expertise in the field you are proposing to do research in. This could be the faculty member who will supervise your project next year. In addition, we are looking for a recommendation from a professor who knows you and your work well; and can comment on how this travel grant will help your research. If one single faculty member can speak to all of the above, one letter will suffice. Otherwise, please submit letters from two different faculty members. These should be sent via email to Oldenborg@pomona.edu directly from the recommenders.

Students interested in applying for this grant are highly encouraged to reach out to the Oldenborg Director with any questions before submitting their applications.

Through the Yidan Endowed Fund for Transformative Learning Opportunities for the Study of Asia, and the John T. Brewer Memorial Fund, Oldenborg and the FLRC are able to support Pomona students to immerse themselves in intensive language study programs over the summer.

A selection committee will review grant proposals and make grant awards. Grant recipients will do a presentation at an Oldenborg Luncheon Colloquium (typically scheduled to coincide with Family Weekend) or other approved Oldenborg forum.

Awards are usually within the range of $1,000 to $4,500. Tuition and/or travel costs beyond that range will be considered for programs taking place outside the U.S.

The application deadline is February 15, 2025 Extended until February 21, 2025

Eligibility Guidelines

To be eligible you must be a registered Pomona student in good standing returning in the fall.

Programs must be undertaken during the summer; i.e., when classes are not in session. Additionally, note that Oldenborg is unlikely to support international experiences for students that involve travel to countries or regions for which the U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) or Level 4 (Do Not Travel) Travel Advisory and/or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Travel Health Notice at Warning Level 3 (Avoid Nonessential Travel).

Application Instructions

All applications must be submitted via SM Apply: Oldenborg Summer Intensive Language Study Grant

Consider the following as you prepare your application:

• Proposals may be for study of any language. The program may take place in or outside the U.S.
• This grant is an opportunity for students to explore languages not taught at the 5Cs or supplement the study of languages taught at the 5Cs. It is not meant to meet the language requirement.
• Students who are interested in the possibility of obtaining transfer credit for this language study should consult in advance: their academic advisor, the Registrar’s office, and the relevant academic department. Oldenborg is not involved in the transfer credit approval process.
• Proposed programs should take place during summer 2025 and not overlap with spring or fall term dates.
• Submissions should include all required information in a clear and well-organized fashion.
• Submissions should provide evidence of preparedness to engage in the proposed language study.
• Proposals should present a substantial and thoughtful rationale for how this learning opportunity aligns with the student’s goals.
• Proposals for study of a language that is taught at the 5Cs should present a compelling rationale for why the student is seeking to study it during the summer. Strong proposals will be thoughtful about how the experience supplements the 5C curriculum.
• Applicants whose proposal involves international travel should carefully review the Pomona College Policy Regarding College-Funded International Student Travel, which has been revised as of October 2023. You will be asked to complete a preliminary travel form (pages 2-4 at the link) and upload this to your application.
• You will be required to submit a detailed project description, including a detailed budget, with your application. Projects that involve any travel will also require a travel itinerary and emergency contact information as well as one or more contacts (in the destination country, for international travel).

• A faculty recommendation letter should be submitted on your behalf directly to Oldenborg. The recommendation should come from a professor who knows you well and can speak to your aptitude and preparedness to participate in the proposed program, as well as how this language study opportunity may contribute to your goals.

  If you are proposing to study a language that is taught at the 5Cs you will need to meet with a faculty member who teaches that language to review the program and identify how it supplements existing curricular offerings at the 5Cs. That faculty member should then submit a Language Faculty Endorsement Form. The endorsement form should be in addition to the faculty recommendation, though both may come from the same professor.

  These should be sent via email to Oldenborg@pomona.edu directly from the faculty recommender/endorser.

Students interested in applying for this grant are highly encouraged to reach out to the Oldenborg faculty director and/or staff director before submitting their applications.