Globalization has increased the information available about international grants, scholarships, and fellowships for pursuing and furthering educational, cultural, and community development initiatives. Each grant has a specific purpose for its funds and the types of grants vary tremendously.
As a result, narrowing a search to focus on the education and experience of the applicant is the best course of action. Once a grant funding prospect is found, an applicant's ability to package education, work, and volunteer experience into a compelling grant application will ultimately determine success.
Resources for Finding International Grants
Locate funding databases that are searchable on-line. For example, Fundersonline.org is an on-line database that focuses on the E.U.'s philanthropic communities but also includes foundation grants from around the world. The Synergos Institute's on-line database focuses on grants in Asian countries such as Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia. Additionally, The Foundation Center is an U.S.-based organization that has an international database that is searchable on-line.
Visit a library or local bookstore and ask to be directed to books and periodicals on international grants in books and periodicals. Many of these print resources will have grant information not available in on-line search databases.
Networking to Uncover Academic Opportunities
Start networking at school, work and in social networking communities to uncover information on grants. Universities and colleges often have career resource offices that have grant information. Also, international organizations and associations keep fan pages on social networking sites, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, where they announce educational and research grant opportunities and deadlines. These can be found by conducting internal searches within the social network with terms such as "international organizations".
Scholarship, Fellowship, and Grant Application Content
While locating grants, scholarships, and fellowships is important, spend quality time on developing the content for application content. In 2008, Grant Writing For Dummies, by Beverly A. Browning was published and offers readers both grant resource listings and grant-writing tips. Reviewing such book resources will provide the type of information and insights needed about the application process to gain a competitive advantage and out-shine competing applicants for international grants, scholarships, and fellowships.
For example, once a list of grant prospects have been developed, write a concise one to two page personal statement. Many international grants require that a personal statement be included in the applicant's package. While the personal statement will subsequently be customized for each grant applied for, having a standard personal statement in place will make the process more efficient and provide the applicant more time to apply for multiple international opportunities.
Further References:
Tickner, Arlene B. and Wæver, Ole. International Relations Scholarship Around the World (Worlding Beyond the West), First Edition. Kentucky: Routledge, 2009.
Women In International Security, Fellowships in International Affairs: A Guide to Opportunities in the United States and Abroad, First Edition. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers,1994.
General Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for tax or legal advice.
Vanessa Cross - Vanessa Cross is a freelance writer who writes about international trade, business law and small business development issues.
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