The European Union Center brings together faculty and students from diverse disciplines across campus to promote the study of the EU and transatlantic relations, Europe, and the peoples and languages within it, making it one of the most comprehensive EU centers in the U.S. Every year the EUC supports course development, professional development, and scholarship through projects written into its grants. Please see below for funding opportunities that the EUC offers on a regular basis. If you have any questions, contact us at eucenter@illinois.edu.
UIUC Faculty Professional Development Grant
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty are invited to submit proposals related to conference presentations or workshops that offer training directly relevant to their research and teaching at the university. These grants are typically in the amount of up to $500 for domestic conference/workshop expenses and up to $1,000 for international conference/workshop expenses. Calls for proposals are typically announced in late fall with application deadlines in January. Please see the most recent call for applications here.
Course Development Grant for Faculty at Community College and Minority-Serving Institutions
The European Union Center offers summer funding to faculty at community colleges and minority-serving institutions to support course development on topics related to Europe, international studies, or the instruction of a language of Europe. Courses may be in any discipline. Grants are offered on a competitive basis in amounts of up to $2,000. We are currently accepting proposals for summer 2025 course development work. Please see the call for proposals here for more information. The deadline to submit a proposal is Sunday, May 4.
European Studies Graduate Student Conference Award
Funded by the Comenius EU Center Student Support Fund, which was established by Carol Leff in 2022, this award of up to $500 is designed to offset costs of presenting at a conference. Master's and PhD students at UIUC are eligible to apply. The next application deadline is April 1, 2025. Please see here for more information and to apply.
FLAS Fellowships for Students
The EU Center provides Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships to undergraduate and graduate students for the study of modern foreign languages in combination with area studies, international studies, or international or area aspects of professional studies. The purpose of the FLAS program is to train students to integrate global knowledge into a future career, particularly in areas of national need, such as college or university teaching, government service, and business. Funding for these fellowships is provided by the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI Program. FLAS Fellowships are administered by University of Illinois area studies centers (including the EU Center) and are awarded through an annual competition. Please see here for more information on FLAS.
External Funding
- The European Union's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellowship Programme supports researchers of all nationalities and at all stages of their careers, including PhD candidates. Please see here for current open calls.
- The Fulbright Schuman Program provides grants for U.S. and EU citizens to conduct research in the European Union or the United States. U.S. students, scholars, and professionals interested in topics related to U.S.-EU relations, EU policy, or EU institutions may apply for a 6-9 month grant to study or conduct research in the EU. Students and professionals at all degree levels are welcome to apply, although preference is given to candidates with two years of relevant professional or academic experience beyond a bachelor's degree and to projects that will be carried out in at least two EU member states.
- Pre-dissertation graduate students working on European anthropology may apply for the SAE-CES Pre-Dissertation Research Fellowship to receive a $5,000 stipend to support two months of dissertation research in Europe. Eligible applicants must be enrolled in a doctoral program, not have completed the majority of their doctoral coursework, and not have completed significant dissertation research in Europe. The next application deadline is March 14, 2025.