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Sarshar Research Fund

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new 5-year fund for the study of the Iranian diaspora. Made possible by Ms. Homa Sarshar, the gift provides funds for undergraduate and graduate students conducting research on topics related to the Iranian diaspora.

Projects can be undertaken during any quarter of the year; students may apply for a quarter or year-long research project.

Homa Sarshar

Homa Sarshar

Ms. Homa Sarshar is a published author, award-winning journalist, writer, and media personality. She is an established women's rights activist, the author of four books and the editor of eleven other volumes, including five volumes of the Iranian Women's Studies Foundation Journal and four volumes of The History of Contemporary Iranian Jews.  

Throughout her 50-year career with Iranian and Iranian-American print, radio, and television, Sarshar has conducted more than 3000 interviews and has produced and anchored as many radio and television programs.  She has also written, directed, and produced a collection of twenty video documentaries on exiled Iranian writers, poets, and artists, some of which have been acquired by the Library of Congress for the library’s permanent audiovisual archive.

How to Apply for Research Funding

Grant applications are reviewed by the Iranian Studies Program and decisions will be made within four weeks of complete application submission. For questions, please contact the Iranian Studies rparhad [at] stanford.edu (Associate Director), Roma Parhad.

Application Form

Applications for funding are currently accepted on a rolling basis. Please submit applications at least four weeks before funding is needed.  All funding will be contingent upon university policies, including those regarding COVID and travel.  

1. Project Proposal (1-2 pages)

Describe the project to be undertaken, relevance to the study of Iran, and significance for the student’s research and academic development. Include a budget outline (estimated) for proposed activity.

2. C.V. or Resume
3. Unofficial Transcript

A copy of unofficial transcript from Axess, saved as a PDF. 

4. A Single Letter of Recommendation

A single letter of recommendation from the applicant’s thesis advisor or the primary faculty member with whom they are working. The letter should speak to the specific project being proposed and sent directly by email to rparhad [at] stanford.edu (Roma Parhad). Please note: letters of recommendation must be submitted by the application deadline! You are encouraged to reach out to faculty in advance so they have enough time to try to accommodate your request.

Eligibility

  • Preference will be given to students minoring in Global Studies with a specialization in Iranian Studies and to applicants who have not previously received Iranian Studies funding.
  • Funding is available to undergraduates, coterms, and graduate students whose research interest focuses on Iran. Coterm students must still have undergraduate status. 
  • Stanford policy may restrict undergraduate student travel to countries with State Department advisories. Read Stanford University’s International Travel Policy. Please contact the Iranian Studies associate director if you have questions about how this policy would affect your project or grant application.

Expenses

The grant may be used for travel, lodging, and living costs associated with off-campus research or training; the purchase of research materials; research-related services (e.g. duplication costs, production of questionnaires/surveys, human subject costs, data entry, transcribing interviews, running focus groups); and costs associated with training (e.g. tuition,  registration fees, tutoring costs).

Requests must be for expenses that are not covered through other sources of funding. Applicants may simultaneously apply for other sources of funding, but they may not accept multiple sources of funding for the same expenses. The itemized budget should clearly list sources of confirmed and/or pending funding.

Requirements

Recipients are expected to submit a 1-2 page report upon the completion of their project, describing how the project has developed, what was learned, and next steps regarding their research project and career. Recipients who use the grant toward language training are expected to submit a transcript or training completion certificate.