Funding Your International Experience

CIE Summer Grants

Basic information about the CIE Summer Grants is covered in this FAQ.

This application will open on:  December 15, 2023

Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Applications will be considered on a rolling basis)

The Center for International Education welcomes applications for the following international summer projects:

  • Faculty-directed research
  • Internships - Preference for grants is given to applicants who work through a W&L approved provider.  Students must enroll in an internship seminar course (either through their program, their department, or CPD 451).  For more information about applying for an internship placement, please schedule an advising session.  

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  • Projects must run a minimum of 4 weeks in the country. The maximum grant amount is $6,000.00.

Davis Projects for Peace

The 2024 Information Session was Nov. 13th, 2023 at noon via Zoom. See the recording here. 

Projects for Peace is an initiative for undergraduate students to design a grassroot project in the summer-anywhere in the world-which promotes peace and addresses the root causes of conflict among parties. As a member of the Davis United World College Scholars Program, Washington and Lee may nominate one student project and an alternate for a Projects for Peace Grant for $10,000. 

Successful proposals have the following characteristics: contributing to conflict prevention; ameliorating conditions leading to violence/conflict; looking for and building on shared attributes among differing peoples, races, ethnicities, tribes, clans, etc.; fostering diplomacy or otherwise contribute to advancing peace processes underway; promoting economic opportunity and entrepreneurship among those in post-conflict areas; finding creative ways to bring people on opposite sides of issues together, such as through art, sports, music or other techniques to promote a common humanity; developing leadership and mediation skills training for those in conflict or post-conflict societies; starting or leveraging initiatives, organizations (e.g. education, health) or infrastructure projects to build/rebuild community. Projects should be building blocks for a sustainable peace.

The Global Learning Advisory Committee reviews proposals and selects one nominee and one alternate project to send to the Davis United World College Scholars Program.  Applicants must complete and submit a preliminary proposal to the Center for International Education by 5pm on January 16, 2024.  The preliminary proposal application is available via the "Apply Now" button below. The committee will assess proposals based on feasibility and thoroughness of supporting documentation.

For complete information, consult the Projects for Peace website to find extensive program information and a list of successful projects. Since Washington and Lee may nominate only one Projects for Peace nominee and alternate, applicants should also apply for other CIE funding.  For more information, please make an appointment with Jillian Murphy. 

Applicants should be prepared to work extensively with the Center for International Education to plan for health and safety abroad. This will require flexibility on behalf of the applicant. 

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Additional Sources of Support for International Experiences

In addition to support provided by Washington and Lee, there are numerous external sources of scholarships and fellowships for study abroad and other international experiences.   
Washington and Lee maintains a Fellowships Information Page and Search Engine. You can find extensive information on the following grants and many more there. This site also includes information about:

  • W&L Campus advisers for particular grants and fellowships
  • Internal application deadline
For more information about graduate study fellowships for international and domestic universities, please contact the Director of Fellowships, Matthew Loar (mloar@wlu.edu).  
Fellowships that offer opportunities for undergraduate and graduate study abroad include the following.  Information is available on the Fellowships Information Page:  

  • The Fulbright Program.  Undergraduate and Graduate Study Abroad.
  • The George Mitchell Scholarship.  Graduate Study in Ireland.
  • The Marshall Scholarship.  Graduate Study in the UK.
  • Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Scholarship. U.S. Graduate Study. Although this fellowship prepares students for a career in the foreign service, it actually funds a graduate program in the US, not abroad.
  • Bridging Scholarships.  Undergraduate Study Abroad in Japan.
  • Freeman-Asia. Undergraduate Study Abroad in East or Southeast Asia.
  • Luce Scholar Program. Graduate Study in East and Southeast Asia.
  • Gates Cambridge.  Graduate Study at the University of Cambridge, UK.
  • Rhodes Scholarships.  Graduate Study at Oxford University, UK.
  • English Speaking Union (Virginia Branch).  Summer Undergraduate Study in the UK for Virginia Residents.
  • Boren Awards for International Study. Undergraduate and Graduate Opportunities for International Study in areas of critical interest to the USA.  
  • Critical Language Scholarship Program.  U.S. State Department support for summer study of critical need foreign languages.
  • Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program.  Support for Pell Grant Recipients to study abroad or undertake internships abroad.
  • DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austaschdienst). Undergraduate and Graduate Study and Internship Opportunities in Germany.
  • NSEP/African Flagship Languages Initiative. African Language Study for graduate and undergraduate students.
  • IIEPassport Study Abroad Funding. Searchable database for study abroad funding around the world.
  • St. Andrew's Society of New York. Graduate Study for students of Scottish descent who live within 250 miles of New York.
  • Churchill: Graduate study in STEM fields at the University of Cambridge, UK.
  • Ransom: Graduate study at the University of St Andrews, UK.