The Joan Andrea Kleinman Travel and Language Grant is made in memory of Joan A. Kleinman, a scholar of Chinese language and literature and co-researcher with Dr. Arthur Kleinman of projects in medical anthropology. Joan Andrea Kleinman was committed to language as the basis for cultural and international studies and developed Chinese fluency only after her initial graduate studies in French. The goal of this grant is to promote language acquisition for use in the service of global health research. The language acquisition aspect of the summer research project may involve formal coursework or informal tutoring.
One or two annual awards are made to support summer field research and language learning outside of the United States in East Asia: China (including Hong Kong), Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. This grant supports research on the broadest aspects of health, illness and social suffering. Bessie Zhang was the first (2016) award recipient of the Joan Andrea Kleinman Travel and Language Grant at its launch. Zhang’s project was titled “Cultivating ‘Sunniness’: Childhood, Collective Caregiving and the Moralization of Mental Health in Contemporary Shanghai.” Zhang’s recent statement about her project and experience is below.
“I was honored to be the first recipient of the Joan Kleinman Travel and Language Grant in 2016. This grant supported my thesis fieldwork, where I spent the summer with a community of elementary school teachers and families in Shanghai, understanding how parents and educators were working to improve and support children's mental health. This work culminated in my senior thesis titled 'Cultivating ‘Sunniness’: Childhood, Collective Caregiving and the Moralization of Mental Health in Contemporary Shanghai.' I am grateful to all I learned from this experience, the opportunity to focus my research in this area, and for Professor Kleinman's generous advice and guidance throughout.”
The Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School invites MD and MD-PhD students of Harvard Medical School and students of Harvard College to apply for this year’s Joan Andrea Kleinman Travel and Language Grant. The maximum award will be $7,500. Applications will be accepted until February 3, 2023. Apply via CARAT at https://carat.fas.harvard.edu/. Search for Joan Andrea Kleinman Travel and Language Grant.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please note that all support related to international travel is contingent upon Harvard University guidelines and safety protocols. Please see the following sites for the most up-to-date guidance: Harvard Travel Guidance and Harvard GSS COVID-19 travel advice.
Please contact Kathryn Vandever with any questions at kathryn_vandever@fas.harvard.edu.