Middle East Studies

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Arkansas State University's Middle East Studies program serves as a hub for global engagement, connecting the campus community with opportunities to explore the vibrant cultures of the Middle East. Open to all disciplines, colleges, and research centers, our committee supports advancement in international understanding across A-State.

Our Background & Purpose

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The role of the Middle East Studies Committee (MESC) at Arkansas State University is to encourage an awareness and understanding of issues and people of the Middle East. Each year, the committee awards parts of its budget, the income from an endowment given to A-State by the Saudi government in 1993, to A-State Jonesboro students, faculty and staff for study, collaboration, and/or research in the Middle East through scholarly activities. 

The Committee welcomes grant applicants from all disciplines and from all A-State colleges and research centers.

 

 

Middle East Studies Grants Program

The committee seeks proposals identifying specific areas of academic interest and a detailed plan by which the applicant will conduct the study or research. In addition, student/staff proposals must include a description of how the study will benefit the applicant, and faculty proposals must include a well-defined plan of how the faculty member will disseminate the research findings. Preference will be given to applicants who have not received a grant in the past three competitions.

 

In order to qualify for the grant competition:

Any grant proposals which involve the study of human subjects must first have approval of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research. This committee can be reached at IRB@astate.edu.

  1. The applicant must be a student or full-time faculty or staff member at A-State Jonesboro.
  2. The applicant must submit to the MESC a one page abstract of the proposal and a four-to-five page detailed narrative explaining the purpose of the study or research. The proposal should include a schedule of activities and a statement of benefits of the study (student/staff) or dissemination plan (faculty). Proposals must include on-site research in one of the designated countries of the Middle East (Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, State of Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.)*
  3. The applicant should attach a budget not to exceed $7,500 (students and staff) or $10,000 (faculty). The Committee will consider proposals for a group trip (faculty member and students) with budget requests up to $15,000. The budget should include international travel, lodging, meal allowance, local transportation, cost of necessary supplies, visas and any other related costs. The grant must comply with A-State and State of Arkansas travel guidelines. For assistance, consult with the A-State Travel Office.
  4. Student applicants must include a letter of support from the applicant’s faculty or staff advisor and from another faculty member familiar with the student's ability to undertake this opportunity. Staff applicants need a letter from the applicant's supervisor and from a second reference. Faculty applicants need a letter of support from their chair, program director, or dean, and from a faculty member—whether based at A-State or elsewhere—who is familiar with the applicant’s research abilities.
  5. If there is an international collaborator as part of the effort, that person or institution should send written confirmation of the level of involvement and an agreement to assist in the study or research defined in the proposal. E-mail correspondence is acceptable.
  6. All study and research should be completed by December 31st, 2026.
  7. Applicants should apply using the online form and letters of support may be emailed to Dr. Cameron Wimpy at cwimpy@astate.edu by 12:00 noon on Friday, February 13th, 2026.
  8. Applicants will be required to make a six to eight minute presentation on their proposed research to the Middle East Studies Committee to explain their proposed research and answer questions. Date to be announced.
  9. Past recipients of grants may be asked to present their research at Middle East Studies Night in Fall 2025 (or a symposium in Spring 2026) and will be asked to submit a report for the Middle East Studies Committee to review.
  10. Past recipients who are not presenting at Middle East Studies Night will be asked to have a professional poster display of their travels and research.
  11. Student recipients are also encouraged to present their work to Create@State.

*A-State does not support travel to any country considered dangerous by the United States Department of State (DOS). Therefore, awards for travel to countries on the DOS alert list will not be considered. Consult the DOS website for up-to-date information.

  1. The researcher must collaborate with a research or educational institution, or a community/government agency from the host country.
  2. Research activities must have academic merits and adhere to the recognized code of ethics.
  3. The A-State IRB must approve the research if human subjects are involved.
  4. The researcher must obtain documentation from the local/host country IRB if human subjects are involved. If there is no equivalent of the IRB in the host country, A-State expects the researcher to follow the recognized code of ethics.
  5. The researcher must include a letter of support and documentation from the local government agency or educational institution.
  6. The committee believes that culturally appropriate research procedures are of utmost importance for maintaining good and respectful relations with host countries.
  7. The researcher must seek information about the local laws, customs, and approval processes ensuring the appropriate completion of the academic research.
  8. Special attention should be given to local customs, cultural and religious norms when designing the research.
  9. All student grant recipients must register with the A-State Study Abroad Office.

The application should include the following:

  1. Description of the research project.
  2. The location and/or population of the research project.
  3. A description of the agency or educational institution that support or collaborate with the researcher and the capacity of their involvement in the research.
  4. Information about the cultural issues that may impact the viability of the research, such as Ramadan or summer vacation.
  5. Information about local customs that may impact the accessibility of research materials/documentation or population.
  6. Any additional information that may impact the conclusion of the research.

Apply for the Middle East Studies Grant

The committee plans to award at least one language fellowship to a student, faculty, or staff member to study a Middle Eastern language in an immersed environment. The general expectation is the study will take place at a legitimate language institute or university in the region. Applicants are required to submit the full cost of the program to the committee, and the committee reserves the right to fund a portion or the entire cost based on the availability of funds and feasibility of the proposal. For the purposes of this fellowship the potential languages are limited to Arabic, Hebrew, Kurdish, Persian and Turkish.
 
Language fellowship applications must include the following:
  • The applicant must submit an abstract and a three-to-four page proposal identifying the language, prior experience (if any), language institute, and plan of study.
  • The applicant should include a brief narrative on how this language will help them accomplish their academic or professional goals.
  • Proposals for the language fellowship should include a detailed budget and timeline.
  • Proposals must include a written letter of support or tentative acceptance from the language institute. E-mail correspondence is acceptable.
  • Student applicants must include a letter of support from the applicant’s faculty or staff advisor and from another faculty member familiar with the student's ability to undertake this opportunity. Staff applicants need a letter from the applicant's supervisor and from a second reference. Faculty applicants need a letter of support from their chair, program director, or dean, and from a faculty member—whether based at A-State or elsewhere—who is familiar with the applicant’s commitment to acquiring competency in the language of interest.
 
The deadline and MESC/A-State policies for the language fellowship are the same as listed throughout this RFP. 

Recipients of grants must be vetted through export control prior to making arrangements for travel.
Contact Jenny Estes, Director of Research Compliance at jlestes@astate.edu or (870) 680-8289.

 

 

At the time of this publication, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, Syria are subject to embargoes and other special controls. Most activities with or within these locations (including universities in these locations) will require licensure and, thus, must be discussed with the Director of Research Compliance first. License requests can take six to eight months to be reviewed and approved by governing agencies, and there is a presumption of denial. Please allow adequate time in your research plan.

Depending on the nature of your research, there may be other country-specific restrictions or considerations, as well. Please contact the Director of Research Compliance well in advance before any of the following activities with one of these countries or any entity of these countries:

  • Travel.
  • Engaging with an entity, including a university.
  • Any transaction or investment.
  • Providing services, which may include research activities, lectures, etc.
  • Attending any event.
  • Transmitting controlled information or technology to a citizen, wherever located.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of restricted activities, and Middle East countries subject to such embargoes and other special controls may change.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Completed proposals should be submitted via the online application form. After entering their basic application information, applicants will be asked to upload their proposal as a PDF file. No other file types will be accepted.

Applications must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Friday, February 13th, 2026. Letters of support may be emailed to Dr. Cameron Wimpy at cwimpy@astate.edu.

 

Review Process

The MESC will review all proposals and invite qualifying applicants to make a brief presentation based on merit, applicability, and the dissemination the proposed dissemination of results.

Final decisions will be announced by March 16th, 2026. The MESC reserves the right to abstain from funding any proposals if no qualifying submissions are presented for the research grant or language fellowship competitions.

Dr. Cameron Wimpy, Chair
Government, Law & Policy

Dr. Amin Abbasi-Pooya
Information Systems and Business Analytics

Dr. Ali Omar Abu-yasein 
Management and Marketing

Dr. Mohammad Akhter
Nursing and Health Professions

Dr. Hasim Ali
Chemistry

Dr. Erik Gilbert
History

Dr. Tarek Ragab
Engineering and Computer Science

Dr. Amany Saleh
Center for Education Excellence

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Room: 2007
Humanities and Social Sciences

Postal Address:
PO Box 1750
State University, AR 72467

cwimpy@AState.edu
870-972-3048