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Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Students interested in US policy: Consider the Boren Awards, published by US Policy Careers on August 31, 2022 on The Effective Altruism Forum. Summary This post summarizes why and how to apply to the Boren Awards, a prestigious language program for U.S. undergraduates (“Boren Scholarship”) and graduate students (“Boren Fellowship”) lasting 2 to 12 months. The Boren Awards present a great opportunity for EAs to gain career capital for U.S. policy work, particularly in the federal government, by developing regional expertise regarding countries such as China, Russia, and India. To be eligible, applicants must be U.S. citizens and be currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program located within the United States. Application deadlines for this year are listed below and are typically in January/February: Graduate students: January 25th, 2023, for the Boren Fellowship Undergrads: February 1st, 2023, for the Boren Scholarship This post is informed by my (Grant Fleming’s) experience in 2016-2017 as a Boren Scholar in Shanghai, which I did after completing my degree requirements—while nominally still enrolled as a fifth-year undergraduate—at the University of South Carolina. If you are interested in applying for the Boren Awards—even if you are still unsure or plan to apply in future years—please fill out this form to receive support for your application and potentially be connected with former Boren Awardees. Program details The Boren Awards provide U.S. citizens up to $25,000 in funding to study abroad for up to a year, learn a language critical to U.S. national security (e.g., Chinese, Russian, Hindi, or Arabic), and complete other (non-language) academic credits of the student’s choosing. Boren awardees must be willing to seek and hold a job relevant to national security as a government employee or federal contractor for at least one year after returning to the United States. Note that China and Russia have recently been unavailable as Boren countries (though China is available again for 2023), so awardees studied Chinese in Taiwan or Singapore and Russian in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Republic of Moldova, or Ukraine. Rather than selecting their own study abroad program, applicants may also apply to one of the Regional Flagship Language Initiatives (FLI), which can have very favorable admission rates. These programs involve significant language study, beginning in the summer with a mandatory language course domestically prior to a semester of mandatory language study overseas in the fall. Interested applicants can opt to continue their award with self-organized study overseas for the spring semester. FLI students receive more structure and logistical support than "regular" Boren awardees, but they’re subject to more rules and are not able to choose their own city and program of study. After completing their time abroad, Boren awardees receive career support from the National Security Education Program (NSEP), including access to special hiring privileges, private government job boards, and online alumni groups to help them get a public sector job or a national security-oriented job in private industry. Jobs sought after program completion do not have to be directly relevant to an awardee’s language of study, country of award, or academic major, making the Boren awards a good opportunity to pursue for anyone who is seeking a career as a: Public sector employee of the U.S. government Private sector employee of a public policy firm, think tank, or advocacy group working with the U.S. government on projects dealing with national security Private sector consultant specializing in public sector clients In general, the Boren Awards present a good opportunity for students interested in working for, or with, the U.S. government in any capacity....