Grant Guidelines

Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute does not accept unsolicited proposals. Letters of inquiry, however, may be submitted for consideration in light of our Vision/Mission and the following guidelines.

PLEASE NOTE: Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute is currently not accepting inquiries.

Guidelines for Nonprofit Organizations:

Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute only considers inquiries that closely fit our Vision/Mission. After reviewing information about our grant-making on this website, we suggest that interested and qualified applicants submit a letter of inquiry according to the following guidelines. A select few among those will be invited to submit a full proposal. All letters of inquiry, proposals, and materials should be addressed to the Founder and Chair of Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute, and emailed to [email protected].

Letter of Inquiry

Letters of Inquiry should summarize the academic or other nonprofit affiliation of the potential applicant, the nature and anticipated results of the proposed program or activity, the amount of support requested, other major contributors and participants, and description of intended acknowledgment to be given to Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute for our eventual support. Please include or attach biographical information for the principal individuals involved and any brief supplemental materials that may assist the preliminary review. Please also include or attach a copy of the IRS Letter of Determination attesting of the 501(c)(3) public charity status of the nonprofit organization applying for a grant, as Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute does not provide grants directly to individuals. A Letter of Inquiry may be submitted throughout the year.

Full Proposal

After review of a Letter of Inquiry, Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute may invite a potential grantee to submit a full proposal. Please note that full proposals will be considered only from applicants thus solicited. The full proposal should include the following:

  • A comprehensive description of the potential grantee: in the case of an organization, its history, mission, programs and recent accomplishments; and for an individual, his or her full education and other background and affiliations.
  • A detailed statement of the proposed program or activity. Please include its intended outcome, projected duration, anticipated cost and relationship to the Vision/Mission of Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute.
  • An itemized budget setting forth all anticipated expenses for the program or activity. Please also identify all other contributors.
  • If the applicant is an organization: documentation of its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status (IRS Letter of Determination), a list of current Board members and their affiliations, a description of internal review procedures for project objectives and implementation, a list of other major supporters or potential supporters for the proposed program or activity, and a list of the organization’s past Persian-related activities and the major supporters of each.
  • If the applicant is an individual: full biographical information, including education, academic or other affiliations, and a list of individuals who may be consulted regarding the applicant’s qualifications.
  • A detailed description of how Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute will be acknowledged, including the use of our name and/or logo, in all products resulting from work funded in whole or in part by our grant. Forums for such acknowledgment might include: website, press releases, books, articles, catalogues, brochures, magazines, exhibitions, promotional materials, conferences, and other events.
  • Any additional information that the applicant believes may be useful in evaluation of the grant proposal.

Guidelines for Fellowship Applicants:

Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute offers a very limited number of Fellowships for Excellence in Persian Studies to Ph.D. candidates for the completion of their doctoral dissertation and studies related to Persian studies.

The following eligibility requirements and guidelines concern graduate students who are applying directly to Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute: Eligibility Requirements: 

  • The Institute’s Fellowships for Excellence in Persian Studies are open to Ph.D. candidates who have demonstrated excellence in Persian studies, are engaged in the last stages of writing their doctoral dissertation, and are scheduled to defend their dissertation and obtain their doctorate at the end of the academic year for which they are seeking funding. Fellowships are open to students of all nationalities, as long as they are enrolled in an accredited university in the United States. Dissertations must be related to Persian Culture, including language, linguistics, literature, history, geography, and civilization. Dissertation proposals should already be completed and approved.
  • Letter of Inquiry: Qualified graduate students may submit a Letter of Inquiry in light of the above eligibility requirements. The Letter of Inquiry should contain a description of the student’s academic focus and interest in Persian culture, academic information including any publications, a description of the doctoral thesis and its projected completion date, and a list of principal academic advisors.

    After review of the Letter of Inquiry, a determination will be made whether or not the student will be invited to submit a Full Fellowship Application.

    • Full Fellowship Application:  Only those students who receive an invitation to apply for a Fellowship for Excellence in Persian Studies should submit a Full Fellowship Application. Such applications should include: a cover letter, a full curriculum vitae with any additional information deemed useful to the evaluation process, copies of articles or publications, a copy of the dissertation proposal with evidence from the advisor that it has been accepted, timeline for dissertation and Ph.D. completion, school transcripts relevant to Ph.D. program, three letters of recommendation (one of which must be from the dissertation advisor), and other such supporting materials as may be deemed useful to the evaluation process.
    • Deadlines:  Ph.D. candidates may submit a Letter of Inquiry at any time during the year. However, once invited, they must submit their Full Fellowship Application by December 31 for fellowships to be awarded by September 1 of the following academic year.
    • Exclusion: Applicants will be automatically disqualified for failure to meet the eligibility requirements and guidelines set forth above. In addition, applicants will be disqualified if they are related to (a) any director, officer or employee of Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute or its Selection Committee; (b) any director, officer or employee of Silicon Valley Community Foundation dealing in any way with Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute Fund; or (c) any director, officer or employee of any financial institutions dealing in any way with the finances or investments of Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute.