The Jānis Grundmanis Postgraduate Fellowship, established in the memory of Dr. Jānis Grundmanis, is an annual fellowship of $15,000 for graduate study in the United States. Recipients of the fellowship must be citizens of the Republic of Latvia, speak Latvian, and have their permanent residence in Latvia. Preference will be given to applicants studying in the field of humanities or social sciences.

Questions and applications should be sent electronically to Dr Daunis Auers, Vice-President of Professional Development at auers@lu.lv.

The deadline for 2010 fellowships is 15 December 2009.

1. Applicants must submit proof of citizenship –  scanned copies of relevant pages of their Latvian passport indicating citizenship.
2. A two-page (maximum 500 words) statement of purpose in English describing the proposed studies and how they will further the student’s overall educational goals.
3. Curriculum vitae
4. Officially certified copies of university transcripts along with a copy of the diploma or a statement on the expected date of graduation.
5. The university or universities in the U.S. at which the studies are to be carried out. Preference will be given to applicants who have applied for admission and are able to document actual contact with relevant departmental professors at a university.
6. Two letters of support from current or recent professors or lecturers who have read
   the statement of purpose and can comment on the feasibility of the proposed study in
   the context of the student's overall study program.
7. A statement regarding the applicant's current English language skills

Applications which are specific and factual, and which establish clear and attainable goals have the best chances for favorable review. The finalists will be interviewed in Riga in both Latvian and English. After a full review, the Committee will select the successful candidate(s), but the grants will be conditional upon acceptance of the students for full-time study at an accredited college or university in the United States for the full academic year.

The fellowship will consist of ten payments of $1,500 each, the first to be made upon arrival in the U.S. and enrolment, and nine monthly payments thereafter, predicated on satisfactory academic performance. At the discretion of the Committee, payment of all or part of the fellowship award may be made directly to the college or university, instead of the student. In any case, the AABS must receive proof of initial registration, as well as certification of the courses for which the student is enrolled at the beginning of each semester or quarter, and an official transcript at the end of each semester or quarter, in addition to monthly essay-style progress reports from the Fellows which will trigger the monthly stipend payments. The fellowship may be supplemented by other sources.

By accepting a $15,000 Grundmanis Fellowship, the recipient will enter into a binding contract with the AABS to return to Latvia upon completion of studies in the United States. Failure of the student to resume residency in Latvia within one month after finishing the academic year in the U.S. will result in the automatic conversion of the fellowship award to a student loan which must be repaid to the AABS in full, with interest, within three years of the conversion date, unless an extension for the stay abroad had been granted by the AABS.