LANGUAGE GRANTS (ULG)

Eligible Applicants

• All current Northwestern University undergraduates (including SPS students working towards completion of an undergraduate degree and NUQ students).

Ineligible Applicants

• Undergraduates at other institutions
• Northwestern students in advanced degree programs (including students who are in BS/MS programs who have completed the undergraduate degree)
• Seniors applying for intensive language study after graduation
• Students not intending to return to coursework in the fall after the grant, such as students intending to graduate early

We do not keep a list of language programs you can apply to because each student’s language learning needs are unique. However, the program you choose must meet the following criteria:

• The equivalent of a year’s worth of college-level language instruction. The program should involve at least 120 instruction hours in total.
• An ‘immersion’ or ‘intensive’ in-person format to study and engage with the language for at least 6 weeks (20 hours/week). Remote programs are considered on an exemption basis only.
• A clearly defined curriculum or instruction plan. Instructors with training or credentials in teaching (e.g. ‘conversation partner’ activities or experience with untrained native speakers cannot constitute the bulk of the program).
• A focus on the multiple modalities for language use (not just speaking/listening or writing/reading, but speaking, listening, reading AND writing).

If you intend to study a language that is rarely taught and are having trouble finding a program that fits these criteria, contact the ULG coordinator well in advance of the application deadline to discuss your options.

• NU Evanston students: All international travel must be aligned with the Office of Global Safety and Security’s undergraduate travel policy. If you are interested in traveling to a location that is considered higher risk, please read through the Travel Permission Request process instructions so you know what is required to make this possible.
• NU Qatar students: All international travel must be approved through the NUQ Student Travel Process. Please monitor the NUQ Student Travel page for policy and updates.

The Office of Undergraduate Research does not keep a list of approved programs; rather, the faculty review committee developed a list of program eligibility criteria.

Please select a program that is/has:

• The equivalent of a year’s worth of college-level language instruction. The program should involve at least 120 instruction hours in total.
• An ‘immersion’ or ‘intensive’ format to study and engage with the language for at least 6 weeks (20 hours/week).
• A clearly defined curriculum or instruction plan. Instructors with training or credentials in teaching (e.g. ‘conversation partner’ activities or experience with untrained native speakers cannot constitute the bulk of the program).
• A focus on the multiple modalities for language use (not just speaking/listening or writing/reading, but speaking, listening, reading AND writing).

The Language Grant Committee will consider remote programs that meet the above criteria on an exemption basis only; students should try to prioritize in person programs because the immersive experience is significantly altered in remote classroom settings; students are largely not able to gain the same language improvements without all the informal opportunities to practice language present during in person programs.

If you are hoping to use a ULG to study abroad, please remember not all study abroad programs meet these minimum requirements for an intensive language program. “Study abroad” is simply a term used to describe taking coursework internationally.

As long as it fits the requirements above, the language program you choose does not have to be run by a university or be a ‘study abroad’ program. We encourage you to meet with faculty who teach your language of interest for their recommendations on the best programs.  If you are looking to study a new language with which you have no previous background, seek out instructors in that language through departmental web sites, and set up appointments to discuss possible programs. Finally, do web research. Remember not to take program promotional materials at face value; find out what others say about a program. It may be helpful to email program coordinators for the language program you hope to attend, as it is often not clear what exactly is covered in tuition costs. If you are trying to identify more financially feasible options,  you may consider domestic programs in the US or taking a language course abroad that does not include organized accommodation/activities.

If you intend to study a language that is rarely taught and are having trouble finding a program that fits these criteria, contact the ULG coordinator well in advance of the application deadline to discuss your options.

If you use our Language Grant Planning Guide to help you brainstorm (please click “make a copy”), check out the tab entitled “Proficiency Reflection” and “Finding a Program” to help you first decide what skills you’re hoping to improve upon, and then secondly, identify and compare/contrast programs that could meet your needs.

Students should try to prioritize in person programs because the immersive experience is significantly altered in remote classroom settings; students are largely not able to gain the same language improvements without all the informal opportunities to practice language present during in person programs.

However, we know that in-person programs may not be available for all languages for a variety of reasons. We are willing to consider exemptions, but the student will need to demonstrate why in-person programs (both domestic and international) are not feasible in their third argument of the proposal wherein they justify their program selection. The program will still need to satisfy the minimum requirements of an “intensive language program” (+120 hrs instruction, at least 6 weeks, intensive format).

Here are some examples of the kinds of exemption arguments we would expect to see detailed out in order to maintain a competitive proposal, and these arguments should be in conversation with why alternatives such as domestic programs are also not an option.

• Political Reasons (country borders are closed, visa approval challenges, etc.)
• Health Reasons (applicant is unable to be vaccinated for program travel or acceptance, etc.)
• Financial Reasons (domestic alternatives cost-prohibitive, etc.)
• Program Availability (very few programs offered for a less commonly taught language, only program compatible with the academic calendar is remote)

Furthermore, if a student selects a remote option, they should highlight the ways in which this program tries to compensate for the limitations of remote learning such as:

• Informal opportunities to practice the language
• Cultural immersion beyond formal instruction
• Opportunities to practice writing under direct supervision

For your application, you will need endorsements from at least two sponsors: one Language Evaluation Sponsor (who will provide insights into your language learning abilities), and one Academic Sponsor (who will help to provide additional insights into how language study will help you achieve your academic and career goals). It is possible to have an optional third sponsor (who can serve in either capacity) who also responds to the below endorsement prompts. These endorsements are not formal recommendation letters; rather, the sponsors will respond to four prompts (details below). At least one of your sponsors must be a Northwestern faculty member. You should begin talking with faculty members and advisors about your application well ahead of the deadline. Once you know that you want to apply, you should discuss the following with each of your sponsors:

• Your future academic and professional goals. What steps do you need to take over the short and long term? What is a realistic timeline?
• Your current language learning strengths and weaknesses. What should you focus on in an intensive summer class?
• The qualities you should look for, when searching for a language program that will fit your unique learning goals.

Sponsor Prompts:

Sponsors will respond to the following prompts in the application portal. LET YOUR SPONSORS KNOW WHICH OF THE TWO ROLES (LANGUAGE SPONSOR VS ACADEMIC SPONSOR) YOU ARE INTENDING FOR THEM TO FULFILL. They will not receive notification to submit this endorsement until after you formally submit your application.  We recommend you provide these prompts ahead of time, so they can begin drafting their responses. Then, when they receive the email notification requesting their endorsement, they can simply copy/paste in their response after self-selecting their role.  

Language Learning Evaluation:

1. How long have you worked with the student, and in what capacity?
2. Please comment on the applicant’s ability to manage the challenge of an intensive immersive language learning program.
3. Please comment on the applicant’s motivation for learning this language?
4. Is there anything else you would like us to know about the applicant? (optional)

Academic/Professional Endorsement:

1. How long have you worked with the student, and in what capacity?
2. How, in your opinion, will this language learning fit into the student’s overall academic/career goals?
3. Please comment on the applicant’s ability to manage the challenge of an intensive, immersive learning environment.
4. Is there anything else you would like us to know about the applicant? (optional)

Outside instructors may be used as sponsors, including high school language teachers if you have not taken any languages at Northwestern.  At least one of your sponsors must be a Northwestern faculty member.  Graduate students and post-docs are not eligible, unless they are the student’s primary language instructor. If a sponsor falls into one of these categories, contact the ULG Coordinator at least one week before the application deadline, so that we can grant the sponsor access to the application portal. Applications without recommendations from sponsors will not be considered. An optional third sponsor can be included as part of the application.

Talk to your faculty sponsors about your language study plans prior to submitting your application. Do not wait till the week of the deadline to ask for a recommendation. Provide them with a draft of your application materials (proposal and resume) well in advance to give them time to write their endorsements. Additionally, you will need the netID or email from each sponsor during your application submission. Emails with a link to submit the endorsement will not be sent to sponsors until you formally submit your application (i.e. emails are not sent while your application is in draft state).

Faculty endorsements are due 72 hours after the student deadline. Unendorsed proposals will not be considered. Make sure faculty see the Faculty Endorsement page to show them how to access our system and the endorsement questions asked.

The Office of Undergraduate Research does not expect any student to know how to write a grant! We meet with students in one-on-one advising appointments, where we regularly guide students through the process of writing a grant. We also have a lot of resources to help you get started. 

Proposal Basics

The writing required for a language grant proposal is not like other, more familiar, forms of writing. In particular, it does not work like an essay where you weave your ideas in and out of the different sections.  Grant proposals are very segmented; each section is its own little pod.  In general, you complete the section and never revisit the content in it – you simply move on to the next argument you have to make.

For this particular grant, there are three main arguments that should be included within the two page limit. Read through our guide to ULG proposal writing: ULG Proposal Writing Guide (PDF download).

• Argument One: This language is essential for your future goals. Specifics are incredibly important.
• Argument Two: Why do you need to study this language over the summer rather than the academic year?
• Argument Three: Why is this language course the most appropriate for your needs?

Formatting

• Two pages, 1″ margins, single spaced (*GoogleDocs defaults to 1.15 spacing! You must change it manually!)
• Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11 font
• No headers, footers, or cover pages

Brainstorming Specifics for Your Arguments

If you use our Language Grant Planning Guide to help you brainstorm (please click “make a copy”), check out the tab entitled “Schedule Planning” to help you make your argument about how this language is essential for your future goals more concrete.

Additional Resources

ANNOTATED SAMPLE GRANTS:

• Annotated ULG Sample 1 – Swahili 
• Annotated ULG Sample 2 – French 
• Annotated ULG Sample 3 – Spanish 

A budget is required for an ULG. You won’t have to turn in receipts (but keep them in case we ask). You should include all expenses that are necessary and relevant for completion of the language program.  We recommend you start with program tuition (typically the most expensive aspect) and identify what is included within tuition (e.g. homestays and some meals are sometimes included). Other expenses typically include travel costs (airfare, local transit), room and board (rent and a reasonable per diem for food), and health insurance (GeoBlue is required by Northwestern for Evanston students). Depending on your program and location, you may also need entry visas, additional vaccines, or have separate costs for course materials.

If a budget field does not apply to your projected expenses, please fill out the box as $0.00. All boxes must have a numeric value entered. There will be a note section within the budget portion of the application where you can annotate how you calculated the projected amount for a given expense.

If you use our Language Grant Planning Guide to help you brainstorm (please click “make a copy”), check out the tab entitled “Budget Worksheet” to help you document the budget considerations; this can be particularly helpful when trying to compare/contrast programs and understand your potential out of pocket expense.

Financing remaining expenses

Many intensive language programs will cost more than the $5000 grant. We encourage you to explore additional funding to help finance all costs.

• GLO Scholarships (only applicable for NU-affiliated study abroad programs)
• Scholarships or financial aid through your chosen language program
• External fellowships – advising available through the Office of Fellowships
  • Gilman – grants of up to $5,000 to US students of high financial need participating in a credit-bearing study-abroad program or internship.
  • Freeman-Asia – US-based undergraduates with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. A Freeman-ASIA Award provides need-based funding to assist the recipient with the cost of the study-abroad program and related expenses, including airfare, basic living costs, local transportation, and books.
  • Critical Language Scholarship – a fully funded overseas summer language and cultural immersion program for American students studying critical languages like Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Swahili, Chinese, Hindi, Urdu, etc.
  • Boren – unique funding opportunities for US undergraduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to US interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. In exchange for funding, scholars commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation.
  • American Research Institute in Turkey Summer Fellowship – The American Research Institute in Turkey offers fellowships for students to participate in the summer program in advanced Turkish language at Boğaziçi University, in Istanbul. This intensive program offers the equivalent of one full academic year of study in Turkish at the college level.

EXPECTATIONS ON RESUME SUBMISSION:

You are applying for a grant that is competitive – take the time to write a strong application. We recommend you frame the resume towards the academic/career goals articulated in your proposal.  If you have not written a resume before we recommend you review the resources provided by Career Advancement before starting. The following tips should serve as a baseline; students can receive additional advising on this process from Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA), and they can schedule an appointment through Handshake. There are lots of helpful examples and resources on the NCA website, including their Career Guide with sample cover letters and their page specific to Resume Writing.

FORMATTING:

• Resume is maximum of 1 page.
• Save document as a PDF prior to submission.
• Minimum 11 point font.

RESUME CONTENT:

• Common sections include:
  • Contact information
  • Education
  • Relevant Experience (does not have to be formal job experience)
  • Leadership
  • Awards
  • Skills
• Resumes in the US do NOT typically include:
  • Headshot or pictures
  • More personal information like date of birth, marital status, or gender
• Start bullet points with action verbs. Check out NCA’s list of action verbs to help you get started. Where possible, try to quantify your experience, or frame it in a way that shows how it is relevant to the position to which you are applying.
• Place the most important information first and group related experiences together. Use section categories to highlight your experiences most relevant to your articulated career/academic goals first. Within each category, items will be listed chronologically.
• Include relevant non-work experiences. Think broadly about what you might include; any activity you do consistently that has an output you can point to can work! For this particular resume, you might include relevant coursework to demonstrate interest in your articulated career/academic goals.

While you will indicate your language program selection in the body of your two page proposal, the committee also needs enough details on the program to confirm that it meets the criteria for an intensive language program. There will be a separate upload spot for you to include program materials. You can either include official brochures/materials provided by the program, or you can copy and paste relevant content from the program website to demonstrate how it meets minimum eligibility requirements. Please highlight relevant information to demonstrate the program meets minimum requirements; in particular, if there is more than one course offered (ie various language levels or different program structures/formats), make sure it is clear which one is your intended course.

When you upload this program documentation, the file must be a PDF no larger than 3MB. If it is too big, try compressing the file, or delete large hi-res photo images. 

Students on the Evanston Campus: You may upload your own unofficial transcript to the portal at no additional expense. It must be uploaded as a .PDF type file with a max file size of 1GB. If you have transcripts from other institutions you need to include, please combine them all into a single upload. If you are awarded the ULG, we will validate your transcript.

Students on the Qatar Campus: You may upload your own transcript to the application portal. It must be uploaded as a .PDF type file with a max file size of 1GB. If you are awarded the ULG, we will validate your transcript.

Your academic sponsor and language evaluation sponsors must submit an online endorsement of your language grant proposal within 72 hours after the application deadline. Unendorsed projects will not be considered. Make sure you give your faculty sponsors enough warning of the deadline.  You should discuss your academic and professional goals with them ahead of time, and they should have a copy of your final proposal draft. Do not leave it to the day before to ask someone to give you an endorsement! For specific guidance tailored to faculty sponsors, including the endorsement questions, please visit the Faculty System Help webpage. 

You will need your faculty sponsor’s netID or email at time of application. If you have a non-Northwestern faculty sponsor, you will need to request access to the application system on behalf of your sponsor. You can request access by emailing the sponsor’s name, email address, relation to you, and the name of the grant program to which you are applying to the Office of Undergraduate Research at least one week in advance of the deadline.

Faculty will not receive an email notification to submit the endorsement until you formally submit the application. Please provide your sponsors the list of endorsement questions in advance of the deadline so they can begin drafting their responses. This way, they can simply copy/paste in their responses once they receive the notification email.

When the grant is evaluated, it will be read by at least three language faculty members who serve on our faculty review committee. The committee looks for students to make a compelling argument on how the language is essential to their future goals and will evaluate based on the rubric below. This evaluation will be put in conversation with the other applications.  This grant is competitive with a limited number of awards given each year, so the faculty review committee makes rank order decisions.

Ranked from Not Clear, Somewhat Clear, or Clear your application will be evaluated by the following measures: 

• To what extent is it clear how the proposed language is essential for the student’s future academic and professional goal(s)?
• To what extent does the mentee articulate a plan to develop other skills required for their future goal(s)?
• To what extent is it clear how the student will achieve and/or maintain the desired language proficiency?
• To what extent is it clear why this upcoming summer is the best opportunity for the student to complete their intensive language study?
• To what extent it clear how the selected program(s) satisfies the minimum requirements?
• To what extent is it clear why the selected program is the best language program for the student’s needs and goals?
• To what extent is it clear the faculty sponsors validate and affirm the student’s interest in studying this language in pursuit of their goals?

For ULGs, students receive notification of award approximately 5-8 weeks after the deadline.

The review committee will approve a ranked waiting list. Grant recipients will have a month to accept or decline the award (often depending on their acceptance to the program involved), and students on the waiting list will be notified as soon as either a slot becomes available or the final recipients have accepted the award.

No. Programs must be a minimum of six weeks. For languages where three- or four-week programs are common (such as German), students may apply for a ULG if they will be enrolled in sequential programs that total at least six weeks of immersive language study.  You should contact the ULG coordinator to discuss your case before applying.

Yes. It is a great use of a ULG to study a language not currently taught at Northwestern. We also recognize that formal programs in smaller languages may be more difficult to find. The Review Committee will remain open to smaller programs as long as the language work is intensive and rigorous. It will be your responsibility to make that case in your application. We also encourage you to contact the ULG coordinator to discuss your case before applying.

Not necessarily.  Many students do not pursue credit for this grant; if permissible by their department, they often pursue a new language placement test upon completion of their program.

However, if you’re interested in receiving academic credit at Northwestern from a Non-NU Summer Program, review the Global Learning Office’s Academic Planning website. GLO Abroad Advisers are happy to review the application and credit transfer processes with you. 

Please see Info for Grant Winners.

Prior to processing your completed award paperwork for payment, our office will need:

1. Proof of language program acceptance
2. Formal acceptance of the ULG Award Agreement through the application portal
3. Confirmation of EITHER study abroad pre-departure requirement completion through the Global Learning Office OR completion of the International Travel Registry through the Office of Global Safety and Security

More information will be provided in the formal award email.

Yes, although the alternate program still must meet the eligibility requirements. You have the opportunity to submit an alternate program and adjusted budget once prior to the payroll paperwork deadline. The faculty review committee will review the alternate program as needed.

You are required to submit a transcript from your language grant program to the Office of Undergraduate Research upon completion of your program, and you will complete a mandatory post-experience survey.

We encourage you to leverage your newly developed language skills through research grants or other fellowships that will help you advance towards your academic or career goals.