Malakeh Taleghani Scholarship & Endowment

Dr. Malakeh Taleghani (March 1926 – May 2010) was a respected community leader, educator, play write, director and regarded thinker. Throughout her life, she contributed to society in Iran and the United States.

In Iran she was a high school teacher, a principal as well as a professor.  Later, she served as Deputy Secretary of The Ministry of Education.  She was also a Representative in the Iranian National Assembly. Following her retirement in 1977, she immigrated to the United States where she became an active member and leader in her retirement communities in Portland, Oregon and Tucson, Arizona.

Dr. Malakeh Taleghani received a Ph.D. in Persian Literature from Tehran University and an M.A. in Education from Portland State University. She is the author of The Ups and Downs of the Life of an Iranian Woman, and a co-author of Zan dar Iran-e Bastaan (Women in Ancient Iran). As a lifelong educator and researcher, she was committed to helping students further their educational dreams and goals, particularly students in Iranian Studies.  Dr. Taleghani believed that anyone could achieve academic success at the highest level, even within cultures where the role of women was restricted. 

The Dr. Malakeh Taleghani Graduate and Undergraduate Endowment in Iranian Studies

Founded in May 2010, this endowment is devoted to support outstanding graduate and undergraduate research in all areas of Iranian Studies, including Persian literature, Iranian linguistics, anthropology, history, geography, political science, architecture, or topics in other areas, broadly conceived. Creative projects in Persian art (including Persian music) are also eligible for Taleghani Scholarship.  In 2023, the Taleghani Endowment created a Dissertation/Thesis Award for the best work in Iranian Studies at the University of Arizona.

Taleghani Scholarship

 The Taleghani Endowment committee is soliciting applications for the Taleghani Endowed Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarship. Note that this is a new award with new requirements that replaces the previous Taleghani Fellowship.

Eligibility

The applicant must be a University of Arizona undergraduate or graduate student at the time of proposal submission, working on some aspect of Iranian studies mentioned above. 

How to Apply

Deadline to apply: February 17, 2025

Application packets must include:  

1. A one page statement by the applicant addressing the following points:

      a.   A clear description of applicant’s area of study/specific research project.

      b. The potential contribution of their work to the field of Iranian Studies, and thus its significance with respect to the goals of the Taleghani Endowment.

      c. An explanation as to how this scholarship would financially help the candidate towards the completion of their degree/project (for example, living expenses while working toward one's degree, expenses while working on a research project/thesis/dissertation during the summer, conference expenses, interviewing consultants, etc. NO BUDGET STATEMENT IS REQUIRED)

2. CV (resume) 

3. Letter from Advisor (should address applicant’s academic status and the significance of their work). It should be sent directly by the advisor to jcarlin117@arizona.edu.

Scholarship winner(s) will receive the award at a ceremony in April 2025. Please ensure that all Taleghani Application materials (PDF format) are submitted to Jcarlin117@arizona.edu by February 17, 2025. Late application packets including support letter or incomplete application packets will NOT be considered. For more information, contact: Joshua Carlin (Jcarlin117@arizona.edu), University of Arizona Department of Linguistics.

Past Recipients and Reports