Confucius China Studies Program

Q. I am in a terminal MA or MS program. Which fellowship am I eligible for?

A. You are eligible for the Ph.D. in China Fellowship if you are interested in pursuing a doctoral degree at one of 15 participating institutions in China. To be eligible for this fellowship, you must have completed a master’s degree in a field relevant to your doctoral degree academic plans by the start of the fellowship.

Only students currently in a doctoral program (Ph.D., Ed.D., etc) at a U.S. institution are eligible to apply for the Research Ph.D. Fellowship. If you have not yet earned your master’s degree on the way to earning your doctorate, you are still eligible to apply for this fellowship, as long as you are enrolled in a program that confers a doctoral degree. Terminal masters degree programs DO NOT meet this requirement.

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Q. I am not a U.S. citizen. Am I eligible?

A. Both international students and U.S. citizens are eligible to apply. However, residents of Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau are not eligible.

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Q. Where in China can I enroll?

A. More information on participating institutions can be found here, under the “locations” tab. In addition, please remember that your area of research must be compatible with the research interests represented at one of the participating universities. You will also need to have a letter from your prospective host institution inviting you to apply to conduct research under the auspices of this award.

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Q. The school where I would like to enroll is not on this list. Can my award be applied to study at this school?

A. Only schools on the list are eligible locations for the CCSP Fellowships.

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Q. I am not or will not be in the U.S. at the time of application because I am conducting research in China. Am I eligible to apply?

A. Yes, as long as you are a U.S.-based applicant and meet the other requirements for the Fellowship to which you are applying, you are eligible to apply from outside of the U.S. However, if the program in which you are currently enrolled is outside of the U.S., you should apply directly to Hanban, not through IIE.

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Q. How do I obtain an invitation letter from the university in China where I hope to study?

A. Academic collaboration is an integral part of the CCSP Fellowships. Successful applicants will be familiar with the research being conducted in their field at their prospective host institution, and will have communicated their research interests to the faculty member(s) with whom they hope to work. The contact information of each participating faculty member is provided in the documents accessible in the link above. In addition, you should speak with your faculty advisor(s) at your current institution, or the institution where you received your master’s degree (if you are applying to the Ph.D. in China Fellowship), as they may have more information on the research interests of the participating faculty in China.

It is important that applicants familiarize themselves with the research of participating faculty at the institutions in China eligible to CCSP Fellowship recipients. Applicants will find this information helpful when deciding which university is best suited to their needs.

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Q. What information should be included in the invitation letter?

A. As a CCSP Fellowship applicant, you will be required to secure a letter of invitation from the host university professor under whose guidance you plan to conduct your research in China. This letter must be in English or accompanied by an English translation. If the original letter is in Chinese, a signed translation provided by the host institution must be included in the application. A strong letter of invitation will demonstrate to the selection committee that the host university professor you have contacted is willing to serve as your advisor for the duration of your fellowship (specifying the length of time), should you be awarded a CCSP Fellowship, and that s/he is confident that your academic background and language ability has sufficiently prepared you to conduct your research under the auspices of this award. The letter should reference that your research interests align with those of the host university advisor, speak to how you will be contributing to the advisor’s research, how the affiliation will be beneficial to your dissertation, and feasibility of your proposed research.

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Q.Should the invitation letter be in Chinese or English?

A. The letter must be in English or accompanied by a signed English translation provided by the host institution. Both copies must be included in your application.

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Q. I am being asked to indicate my top two universities in China. Do I need invitation letters from BOTH universities at the time of application?

A. No, you will only need an invitation letter from the university you will indicate as your first choice. However, please be familiar with the research interests and strengths of the faculty member(s) with whom you would work should you be placed at the institution you indicate as your alternate. You may be asked to submit a letter of invitation from the alternate host institution if that is where you are placed. We will work with individuals placed at their second choice on a case by case basis.

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Q. I am currently the recipient of another award. Can I apply for this fellowship?

A. As long as you will not be receiving duplicative funding from any other source during the award duration, you are eligible to apply. By duplicative funding, we mean any award that will provide you with a living maintenance allowance, travel to and from China, or anything that is covered by the CCSP Fellowship.

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Q. Where can I take the HSK?

A. The HSK is administered in many different locations throughout the US, and the HSK’s main website will provide you with information on registering for this exam. You may also wish to check with your home university’s Chinese language department.

Please note that although the HSK is an optional component of the Research Ph.D. Fellowship application, it is required for the Ph.D. in China Fellowship, and you must receive a score of at least 5, although some universities may require a higher score. PKU, for example, requires a score of at least 6. Applicants should confirm with their prospective host university the required minimum score. If you are applying for the Research Ph.D. Fellowship, we do recommend you take this exam and submit your scores by our deadline. However, your application will still be considered complete if you do not submit HSK scores.

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Q. Should I enroll to take the HSK in Simplified or Traditional Characters?

A. Keeping in mind that this award is for research in Mainland China, where Simplified characters are used, you should take the exam that is most relevant to your research. If you are conducting research using sources that are written primarily in Traditional characters, you may decide that the HSK administered in Traditional characters is best suited to your needs.

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Q. I grew up in China, but now have U.S. citizenship, and I am enrolled in a doctoral program in the U.S. Am I eligible?

A. One of the central goals of this award is to promote intercultural exchange. Thus, competitive candidates will not have pursued secondary education in the China, nor will they have spent significant amounts of time in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Macau during the years of their secondary education.

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Q. I am in a non-Ph.D. doctoral program (e.g., Ed.D) and wish to apply for the Research Ph.D. Fellowship. Are other doctorate-level degrees eligible, or is this award limited to Ph.D. students?

A. If you are applying for the Research Ph.D. Fellowship, other doctoral degrees are eligible, not just the Ph.D. Applicants to the Ph.D. in China Fellowship must hold a master’s degree by the start of the Fellowship.

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Q. Are applicants from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau eligible?

A. No, residents of these locations will not be eligible for CCSP Fellowships.

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Q. My GRE score has expired. Do I need to retake it?

A. If you are applying for the Research Ph.D. Fellowship, the scores you submitted as part of your original graduate school application will be sufficient. However, applicants for the Ph.D. in China Fellowship should confirm with their intended host institution in China their GRE requirements.

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Q. Do I need to obtain my official GRE score report?

A. An unofficial score report will be acceptable if you are applying for the Research Ph.D. Fellowships. In addition, if your GRE score appears on your graduate school transcript, you will not need to upload a separate score report document. Ph.D. in China Fellowship applicants should confirm with their intended host institution in China their GRE requirements.

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Q. My HSK score has expired. Do I need to retake it?

A. If you are applying for the Research Ph.D. Fellowship, you will not need to re-take the HSK; the scores from your latest test will be sufficient. Ph.D. in China Fellowship applicants should confirm with their intended host institution in China their HSK requirements.

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Q. Am I allowed to use another Chinese language exam score, or am I required to take the HSK?

A. If you plan to submit a test score showing your Chinese language ability, we request that you take the HSK; alternative exams will not be taken into consideration. Note that the HSK is optional for the Research Ph.D. Fellowship, and required for the Ph.D. in China Fellowship.

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