Field Research Fellowship Application 2026

Field Research Fellowship 2026

"*" indicates required fields

General Terms and Conditions*

1. All applicants must be enrolled full-time (students) or employed at least part-time (post-docs and faculty) at a college or university. Students graduating in the spring are eligible to apply. Students who are graduating before the start of their field research project should indicate their future study plans and how the field research fellowship will fit into those plans.

2. Fellowship recipients must spend a minimum of 3 weeks (ideally 4-6+ weeks) in Mongolia conducting their research projects between May and October of the fellowship year. Each student fellowship recipient must work with a Research Sponsor who will oversee their research work. Research Sponsors are generally faculty members or senior researchers with a track record of research project oversight. Well-designed research projects that demonstrate close collaboration between the Fellow and Research Sponsor will be considered, even if the Research Sponsor is unable to travel to Mongolia. Preference will be given to projects where the Research Sponsor will be in the field for a substantial part of the student’s research work. Fellows may work with a Research Sponsor from either a foreign or Mongolian institution. Student applicants are encouraged to submit joint proposals with a post-doctoral or faculty applicant.

3. Post-doctoral and faculty fellowship recipients must work with a Mongolian Research Sponsor with relevant experience and skills to host and facilitate the research project. Post-doctoral and faculty applicants are encouraged to submit joint proposals with a student applicant.

4. Undergraduate applicants must have at least a third year standing in their program, while graduate applicants can be at either the master's or doctoral level.

5. Post-doctoral and faculty applicants must teach at least part-time at a university or college to be eligible for this program. The program priority is to support faculty from non-research intensive universities and colleges, especially faculty who are helping guide student research projects or who can show how the experience will enhance their teaching and outreach.

6. All applicants must complete their application online and attach supplementary materials, such as university transcripts, CV, and/or letter of support from the Research Sponsor. Applications must be received by the ACMS by February 20, 2026.

7. All applicants must be current members of the ACMS to be considered for the program.

8. All applicants are required to conduct community engagement or outreach activities as part of their fellowship, and must articulate their plan for community engagement while in Mongolia as part of this application. For more information about this requirement, visit the Field Research Fellowship page of the ACMS website.

9. Fellows are strongly discouraged from using their award to fund international travel to and from Mongolia. Fellowship awards aim to support academic research, and are not intended to be used as travel grants.

10. A portion of the fellowship stipend will be withheld until the recipient submits their final report on their fellowship experience. The final report will include reflections on the research conducted, the fellow's community engagement efforts and activities, and how the research experience and community engagement activities are expected to impact future academic and career development.

11. Award recipients are responsible for paying all taxes related to their awards. The fellowship funds awarded are generally considered income in the United States and Mongolia, and therefore must be reported to the tax authorities. The ACMS bears no responsibility for withholding or remitting taxes related to these awards. Awardees from third countries should abide by their country's tax laws related to fellowships and awards.

12. Award recipients are responsible for ensuring proper medical and evacuation insurance coverage during their time in the field in Mongolia. Proof of insurance coverage will be required before disbursement of fellowship funds.

13. The ACMS reserves the right to adjust the amounts and types of awards given under this program, as well as the general terms and conditions, before award agreements are reached with each recipient.

I Agree

Introduction

***Form Instructions*** Your application is not saved until you click the "submit" button at the bottom of page, so you may initially work through the application without submitting the form to see all required data. It is advisable to prepare your data for the application in advance before submitting your complete application.

Name*

First Middle Last

Verify Joint Application

Students and faculty (or post-docs) may submit joint applications to this program. Each applicant must apply individually, but applicants intending to work together while in Mongolia should note this in their applications.

Are you applying for this program jointly with a student or faculty member?*

Yes

(Note: joint applications still require each applicant to apply individually. This question is for matching of joint applications for review purposes. Joint applications are not required).

Joint Applicant's Name*

(First and last name).

Joint Applicant's Proposed Research Project Title*

(This should be the joint applicant's project title. You will provide your project title later in the application process. Note: it is acceptable for both applications to have the same title if applicable).

Applicant Personal Data

Please provide the following information about yourself.

Email*

(E-mail to be contacted at about this application).

Phone number*

Street Address (current residence)*

Please provide the complete mailing or street address for your current place of residence in the lines below. Please note that this does not have to match your country of citizenship.

Address Line 2 (Apt, Unit, PO Box, etc.)

State/Province/Region*

Postal Code*

Country*

Country of Citizenship*

US State of Permanent Residence*

Choose one

Current Academic Level*

(Choose the one option that best describes your current academic status).

Current position, academic institution, or other affiliation*

College and University Degrees, with dates and major fields of study*

Begin with current academic program in progress or last completed, and include previous completed studies beginning at the undergraduate level

Proposed Research Project

Please describe your proposed research project.

Research Project Title*

(A short descriptive title for your proposed research project).

Proposed Project Start Date*

Proposed Project End Date*

Does your proposed research involve human or animal subjects?*

Yes

Please provide a brief summary of approvals you have received or intend to receive in order to conduct your research with human or animal subjects in Mongolia.*

Research Sponsor

Please include the name, title, institutional affiliation and contact address, telephone and email for the Research Sponsor for your project. All proposed projects require a research sponsor. For students this must be a US or Mongolian faculty member (joint applicants may be listed here) or supervisor at a Mongolian institution. For faculty members this must be a counterpart at a Mongolian institution.

Name*

(First and Last)

Institution*

(Professional affiliation)

Mailing Address*

Email*

Phone Number*

Project Proposal, Personal Statement, and Budget

Please copy and paste the text of your project proposal, personal statement, and budget in the fields below.

Personal Statement*

A personal statement of approximately 500 words that explains the applicant’s interest in participating in the program, background, and experience and how the experience supported by the program fits into a longer term interest in Mongolia.

Research Proposal*

A research statement of approximately 500 words that details the type of research to be conducted and its importance to fields of study related to Mongolia. Please also indicate the source and dollar value of any support you have applied for or been notified you will receive for your research work in Mongolia.

Community Engagement*

In approximately 350 words, please outline your plan for engaging the local community in one or more activities related to your research or your field. Awardees are encouraged to work with ACMS to plan their community engagement activities, and all activities should clearly indicate the ACMS-sponsored nature of the Fellow's work in-country.

Budget*

Please provide a budget overview of your estimated expenses for this project as well as any additional sources of funding you have secured. Where possible, please indicate which expenses you to cover with the ACMS Field Research Fellowship.

Additional Information

Are you currently a member of the ACMS?*

Yes

(Note: you must be a current member of the ACMS to receive a fellowship award).

Briefly describe how you learned of the ACMS Field Research Fellowship Program*

Current CV or Resume*

Max. file size: 100 MB.

Scanned copies of transcripts*

Max. file size: 100 MB.

Letter of support from US or Mongolian Research Sponsor*

Max. file size: 100 MB.

You may upload your letter here OR you may also ask your referee to email the letter directly to apply@mongoliacenter.org.

Additional letter of support from US or Mongolian Research Sponsor

Max. file size: 100 MB.

(Optional)

Confirm Application Data

***Final Step of Application*** Note: This is the final step of the application. Your data will not be saved until you click the "submit" button below. Before submitting your application, be sure to verify that this application is accurate and truthful to the best of your knowledge. Applicants who knowingly submit false or inaccurate applications are automatically disqualified from the US-Mongolia Field Research Fellowship Program.

I hereby declare that the information provided in this online application form and all supplementary documents is accurate and truthful to the best of my knowledge.*

I affirm the above declaration