Published: Jan. 23, 2024

Now Accepting Applications
AIIS Digital India Learning (DIL) Initiative
Summer Student Fellowships for Digital Sonic and Visual Projects

AIIS invites applications for three two-month student fellowships for the summer of 2024 to carry out original projects using the resources of the two AIIS research centers in India: Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology (ARCE) and Center for Art and Archaeology (CA&A).

The fellowship will result in the creation of a digital exhibition, digital curriculum, or other creative products intended for varied audiences. The goal of this opportunity is to: foster the digital production and dissemination of knowledge about India; support the creation and use of digital resources and media for the study of India; and promote digital collaboration.

Applicants can select a project from the following list or indicate a second choice, if desired.
Musical Instruments of India
Sufi Musical Traditions
“Songs of the Madmen”: Bauls of Bengal
The Performing Arts Ephemera Collection of Sunil Kothari
From Structures to Textiles: Shared Motifs in Indian Art
Brick as Building Material in Ancient India
Games and Sports in Indian Arts
Documentation and Cataloging of Frederick M. Asher’s Image Archives on Buddhist Sites
Animating the Grand Trunk Road: Creation of an Interactive Web Page
Download detailed project descriptions (PDF)

The fellowship includes a round-trip ticket to India, two months of lodging and board in Gurugram, Haryana, India in the summer of 2024 (approximately June 15-August 15, 2024) and a stipend. The fellowship awards will also cover the cost of obtaining a visa.

Application information

Applicants should send a single pdf, including the following items, to aiis@uchicago.edu by March 1, 2024:
Cover sheet with applicant name, institution, address, email and phone number and the title of the project they have chosen.
Two-page (maximum) CV.
Statement of no more than three pages double-spaced. The statement should include: which project(s) they are choosing and why (they can indicate both a first and second choice); a discussion on how they would plan to present their project in a virtual environment for a varied audience; how they believe the fellowship in India would impact their future academic or career goals, which they should also describe; what qualities and experience they believe they bring to the projects.
Applicants will be evaluated according to the creativity and rationale for participating in their selected project; innovation of their plan for presenting their projects in a virtual environment for varied audiences; whether the applicant’s background (coursework and prior internship or work experience) has prepared them for their selected project; clarity of the statement on how this opportunity will be of value for the applicant’s professional and academic trajectory.

Selection of applicants and notifications will be done by April 1, 2024.

Eligible applicants include graduate and undergraduate students (juniors, seniors, and rising juniors) at institutions of higher education in the United States. Applicants from community colleges, Minority Serving Institutions, and institutions which do not have established South Asian studies programs are especially encouraged to apply.

Full application instructions: