For nearly 60 years, the American Institute of Indian Studies has provided funding to pre- and post-doctoral scholars and artists in pursuit of knowledge about India.

The AIIS fellowship competition is not restricted to those from its member institutions. Non-U.S. citizens may apply as long as they are either graduate students or full-time faculty at colleges and universities in the United States. Approximately 35 fellowships are awarded each year.

Applications from scholars who are part of a collaborative project involving other scholars are welcome, though AIIS fellowships are granted to individuals, not to teams. Amounts awarded to successful applicants who are members of group projects will be equivalent to fellowships awarded to scholars who submitted applications for individual projects.

  • Junior Fellowships are for graduate students conducting research for their doctoral dissertations in India.
  • Senior Long- and Short-term Fellowships are for those holding the Ph.D. degree.
  • Performing and Creative Arts Fellowships are available to accomplished practitioners of the arts to conduct their projects in India.

The application deadline has been extended to November 15, 2020. Applications are available on the American Institute of Indian Studies website.


Fellowships are funded by both U.S. government grants and AIIS endowment funds. Most of the federal funds received are restricted to U.S. citizens; non-U.S. citizens and performing/creative arts fellows are generally funded by the AIIS endowment. The number of fellowships AIIS can offer depends on the funding available from the different sources, though all applicants are reviewed equally and simultaneously. Fellowships are funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (also available to permanent residents); the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States State Department and the Council of American Overseas Research Centers under the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, as amended; and the Smithsonian Institution. Fellowships for six months or more may include support for dependents..