The consortium for Graduate Education and Training in Southeast Asian Studies (GETSEA) seeks applications from Southeast Asian studies faculty based at U.S. institutions to design and lead PhD mentoring clusters of 4-5 early-stage PhD students over a two-year period.
In the context of reduced PhD admissions and funding in the U.S. and the disappearance of in-person cohort-building opportunities, GETSEA seeks to support and match faculty who focus on Southeast Asia with graduate students who would benefit from area-focused mentorship and working with peers with intersecting interests.
Awards of $3000-$5000 are available for faculty. Graduate student participants will apply for a specific cluster and will be selected by the faculty mentor in collaboration with GETSEA. Students must be enrolled in a PhD program and be pre-exam and pre-field research. Awards of $1000 will be made to each student to facilitate travel to at least one in-person gathering of the cohort. The opportunity is open to all students of Southeast Asian studies but priority will be given to students at U.S. institutions, with the aim of building cohesion and productive synergies within the cohort.
Applicants must identify the country (or countries) of focus and/or a broad theme that would provide a productive basis for a mentoring cluster. The application also requires a short proposal describing the vision for the cohort and the types of regular activities and interactions that are envisioned over the two-year period. Possibilities include shared book-reading/film screenings each semester, virtual class attendance in a course taught by the mentor, a mechanism for the cohort to share research proposals and other work. The expectation is that there will be (at least) one in-person meeting during duration of the cohort—either in the U.S. (eg. at AAS, the mentor’s institution, a library collection of interest to the group) or in Southeast Asia. Adjustments can be made to accommodate the interests and input of student participants who can also be enlisted to help with ideas and logistics.
Deadline for Fall 2026-2028: June 30, 2026