The Center for Chinese Studies offers annual competitive awards for continuing UC Berkeley graduate students in Chinese studies. Eligibility varies among the awards. Students may submit an application for one or more CCS awards that suit their research. 

Students may apply to only one of the four Center/Institute competitions (CCS, CJS, CKS, IEAS), so applicants should carefully consider which one best suits their needs.

All documents must be received by April 1, 2024. Late and incomplete applications will NOT be considered.

See this FAQ for more information.

Application Checklist

  1. Online Application Form

  2. A current Curriculum Vitae

  3. A detailed Research/Study Proposal for the period of requested support (max. 2 pages).

  4. A complete List of All Support, including the amount of funds requested for the coming academic year, with notes on the status of the requests

  5. An Estimated Budget for your project. Budgets for summer stipends should be for 2 months. Budgets for one semester should be for five months. This is in keeping with the five-month payment for one semester for GSI stipends.

  6. Two Letters of Recommendation (emailed separately to ccs@berkeley.edu)

  7. A current Transcript (unofficial copies OK) from UCB together with a list of any courses currently in progress

Named Awards

The Long-Ling Hsiao Chu and Chao Chi Chu Fellowship in Chinese Studies are made possible through a generous gift from Mr. Chao Chi Chu (George) Chu and Mrs. Long-Ling Hsiao (Linda) Chu, longtime supporters of East Asian studies at UC Berkeley. The fellowship supports advanced graduate students in any field whose work has a concentration in Chinese studies, either contemporary or historical. It may be used for field or archival research in China or Taiwan, or for dissertation-writing in the U.S. 

The Liu Graduate Research Fellowships in Chinese Studies are supported by an endowment from Richard S. Liu, Chairman of Superior Holdings Limited, Hong Kong. The Liu Graduate Research Fellowships in Chinese Studies support research in the greater China region, including Hong Kong and/or Taiwan, etc., for advanced graduate students with doctoral projects in the social sciences and humanities on broadly defined areas of Chinese culture, history, and society. The Liu Fellowships are awarded to students who demonstrate excellence in academic achievement and superior research plans. Within these parameters, the fellowships will be distributed as widely as possible across disciplines. Awards are made to graduate students in good standing who have advanced to candidacy at the time of the commencement of the fellowship, and are registered or on approved travel status during the duration of award. The fellowships must be used for dissertation research and may support such activities as archival and library research and field interviews as determined by the faculty governance committee. All students are eligible for support regardless of previous fellowships from other sources. The Liu Graduate Fellowships may be used in conjunction with other grants with approval of the faculty governance committee.

The Joseph R. Levenson Chinese Studies Award is made in memory of the late Joseph R. Levenson, Sather Professor of History from 1965 to 1969, through the contributions of his colleagues, students, friends, and family. Awards are made to UC Berkeley graduate students who have not yet passed the Ph.D. qualifying examinations and who can demonstrate superior ability, a strong commitment to Chinese studies, and the need for financial assistance. 

The Elvera Kwang Siam Lim Fellowships in Chinese Studies are made possible through a generous gift by the family of Elvera Kwang Siam Lim, to honor her dedication to academic excellence. These awards provide support to continuing doctoral students who have completed at least one year of coursework, and who can demonstrate academic excellence in Chinese studies. Preference will be given to candidates whose high school and/or undergraduate degrees were granted by schools or colleges in Shantou, Guangdong Province, China, or the surrounding region. The recipient of this fellowship is expected to be enrolled at Berkeley, or on approved filing status, during the academic years for which they receive awards. The Center makes one award each academic year.

The Pamela and Kenneth Fong Graduate Student Fellowship supports graduate students whose research interests focus on health care, vision care and social welfare relevant to the Greater China region. The Fellowship was established in 2009 by a generous gift from Pamela and Kenneth Fong as part of the Pamela and Kenneth Fong Chair in Optometry and Health Care in the School of Optometry. Professor of Vision Science and Optometry Xiaohua Gong was appointed to the Chair in January 2010. Proceeds of the endowment made available for graduate student support in health care, vision care and social welfare are administered by the Center for Chinese Studies. 

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General Awards

The Republic of China East Asian Fellowships
The Republic of China East Asian Fellowships are made possible by a generous gift from the Ministry of Education, Republic of China, Taiwan. Open to men and women regardless of race, creed or national origin, these fellowships are designed to support graduate research on East Asia, with a preference for Taiwan Studies. Students who plan to travel to Taiwan to conduct research in libraries, universities, and archives are also encouraged to apply.

CCS Language Study Grants
Language Study Grants support graduate students who need language classes for research or degree requirements. Courses in Chinese, or other languages related to research, can be taken in the U.S. or abroad. 

Dissertation Writing Awards
Dissertation Writing Awards are awarded to graduate students writing Ph.D. dissertations in any area of Chinese studies. Eligible applicants will have advanced to candidacy.

CCS Summer Research Grants
Summer Research Grants support graduate students to conduct preliminary Ph.D. research in China, Hong Kong, and/or Taiwan during the summer break. Recipients must be registered and in good standing during the previous spring semester. 

MA Student Awards
The MA Student award supports Master's students during their period of coursework, or can be used for field research on any area of China studies.

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