The Hroswaith Fund for Study in the German-speaking Countries

In most years, we expect to make one award per summer.

Funding from this award must be used for student travel to/from and participation in an intensive, immersive summer language course. Preference will be given to programs held in Germany, Austria, or German-speaking Switzerland, but upon request and application, high-quality programs located in the U.S. (such as Middlebury) are also eligible. The award process follows the guidelines of Office of Student Fellowships; the summer language course grant can be combined with smaller grants from Hroswaith administered by the department as well as grants from other funding sources.

The application process follows the guidelines for Summer Fellowships outlined here: https://www.bowdoin.edu/student-fellowships/summer-fellowships/index.html 

Please pay special attention to the links “Key Dates” and “Application.” Note January 2022: We recognize that the pandemic requires adjustments and flexibility. In 2022 only, please prepare and submit your application for the summer language fellowship according to the guidelines linked here, but please do so ASAP. If you intent to apply before the College’s key dates, please submit the application to Ms. Kate Flaherty in the German Department. Use a clear subject line (e.g. Hroswaith application). A letter of recommendation is not needed, as all faculty in the German Department will review and decide on the applications.

Shorter periods of language study can also be funded

and/or supplemental grants can be awarded from the Hroswaith Fund (e.g., if students are winners of competitive fellowships that do not meet full and demonstrated financial need). Funds may also be used to support a brief, intensive language course in advance of a regular semester abroad (for example, to support life/learning in Germany during February and March before the German university semester begins in late March/early April).

The application process for these grants follows the guidelines for Mini Grants and is administered by Kate Flaherty in the German Department. Deadlines are December 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 (midnight). Detailed guidelines can be found below.

Students may apply for support from the Hroswaith Fund to undertake independent summer research on their own project, supervised by a department faculty member.

Students apply for summer fellowships and, if favorably reviewed but not funded by the college, may be considered for Hroswaith funds if available. Please note that this is not a research assistant fellowship. The application process follows the complete guidelines for Summer Fellowships outlined here: https://www.bowdoin.edu/student-fellowships/summer-fellowships/index.html 

Eligibility:

First-years, sophomores, and juniors may apply; current seniors are not eligible. Only programs that have a major focus on German language study (at least 20 instructional hours in the language per week) are eligible for funding by this grant. Preference will be given to students who 1) have already demonstrated a commitment to learning German and continued pursuit of German Studies; 2) have not previously lived or studied in a German-speaking country; 3) plan to participate in an intensive summer program lasting 4 weeks or longer that will in all likelihood be transformative to their academic engagement with language and culture of German-speaking countries; 4) have not previously received a Hroswaith grant; and 5) have demonstrated financial need.