Research Assistant and Fellowship

Opportunities at IERES

At the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES), our primary mission is to promote and support the study of Europe and Eurasia through research, courses, events, and publications. The Institute’s hallmarks are combining academic rigor with policy engagement, promoting interdisciplinary perspectives, and recognizing that Europe, Russia, and Eurasia cannot be understood in isolation from each other or from global trends.

In support of this mission and our commitment to educating the next generation of international leaders, IERES is pleased to announce funding opportunities for students to join the institute and its vibrant community of faculty, scholars, and staff during the Spring 2025 semester. Please find additional details on these opportunities and instructions for applying below:

IERES Research Assistants

We invite GW students to apply for Research Assistant positions at IERES for the Spring 2025 semester. RAs will provide research support to IERES affiliated faculty members conducting research in various disciplines on Europe, Russia, and Eurasia. Preference will be given to graduate students studying in the European and Eurasian MA program or another graduate program at the Elliott School. Students studying at other GW schools and undergraduate students are also welcome to apply. Students will be compensated at the rate of $18/hour. The number of hours worked per week will vary depending on the needs of the faculty member and research project.

To apply, students should submit a CV and cover letter detailing your studies at GW, experience, qualifications, and interest in supporting research at the link below. Applications are due by February 7, 2025.

IERES PhD Student Fellowship

We invite GW students who are actively enrolled in one of our university’s PhD programs to apply to be a PhD Student Fellow at IERES for the 2024-2025 academic year. PhD Student Fellows will be considered affiliates of IERES, which will come with some working space, the ability to utilize administrative services like printing and copying, and a research budget of up to $2,000 for the fellowship period. This budget could support, for example, a pilot survey for one’s dissertation, travel to a country in which one is doing field research, or the hiring of a research assistant; fellows will need to prepare a budget and request approval for their proposed use of the funds, and funds must be spent by the end of the fellowship period or they will expire. Please note that budgets are not required at the time of application and can be submitted at a later date (or can be omitted if the student does not foresee needing the research funds for the current year). We hope that IERES PhD Student Fellows will  be active members of our intellectual community, engaging with our students, visiting scholars, and other guests informally and through participation in relevant institute events. 

To apply, PhD students should submit a one-page letter, a CV, and a list of two references from GW faculty. The letter should summarize the student’s planned dissertation research and (if applicable) describe how they would likely use the research funds (they can be used for research that either is or is not part of the dissertation). Fellowships are renewable and current fellows are also eligible to apply for this coming academic year. Please send your application to ieresgwu@gwu.edu. with the subject heading "IERES PhD Student Fellowships" by February 7, 2025.

Yakobson Summer Language Fellowship

IERES offers a fellowship to support a GW graduate student's enrollment in a summer intensive (immersion) program for the study of an Eastern European or Eurasian (as IERES defines it) language that will directly help them in a professional career engaging this part of the world. Students currently enrolled in either MA or doctoral programs at GW are eligible so long as they will not have graduated before the end of the language program for which support is requested. Awards are contingent on the student's being admitted to a reputable summer language program, as determined by IERES.

To apply, students should send a one-page cover letter describing their need for the language program, a CV (resume), a budget, and a list of two references whom IERES might contact to discuss the student's need and qualifications for the language program (one should be a language instructor and the other someone familiar with the student's course of study at GW) to ieresgwu@gwu.edu, with the subject heading "Yakobson Summer Language Fellowship." Successful applications will name the specific program(s) to which the student is applying and describe how this (these) particular program(s) will be useful. To ensure full consideration for summer 2025, complete applications should be submitted by March 1, 2025, though applications will be considered on a rolling basis if funds remain after the initial round of decisions. This fellowship is supported by the Helen and Sergius Yakobson Scholarship Endowment. Students accepting this award should not have overlapping funding for the same language program from another source.