phd dissertation fellowships

Google PhD fellowship program

Google PhD Fellowships directly support graduate students as they pursue their PhD, as well as connect them to a Google Research Mentor.

Nurturing and maintaining strong relations with the academic community is a top priority at Google. The Google PhD Fellowship Program was created to recognize outstanding graduate students doing exceptional and innovative research in areas relevant to computer science and related fields. Fellowships support promising PhD candidates of all backgrounds who seek to influence the future of technology. Google’s mission is to foster inclusive research communities and encourage people of diverse backgrounds to apply. We currently offer fellowships in Africa, Australia, Canada, East Asia, Europe, India, Latin America, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and the United States.

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Program details

Application status, how to apply, research areas of focus, review criteria, award recipients.

Applications are currently closed.

Decisions for the 2024 application cycle will be announced via email in July 2024. Please check back in 2025 for details on future application cycles.

• Launch March 27, 2024
• Deadline May 8, 2024
• Winner selected by July 31, 2024

The details of each Fellowship vary by region. Please see our FAQ for eligibility requirements and application instructions.

PhD students must be nominated by their university. Applications should be submitted by an official representative of the university during the application window. Please see the FAQ for more information.

Australia and New Zealand

Canada and the United States

PhD students in Japan, Korea and Taiwan must be nominated by their university. After the university's nomination is completed, either an official representative of the university or the nominated students can submit applications during the application window. Please see the FAQ for more information.

India and Southeast Asia

PhD students apply directly during the application window. Please see the FAQ for more information.

Latin America

The 2024 application cycle is postponed. Please check back in 2025 for details on future application cycles.

Google PhD Fellowship students are a select group recognized by Google researchers and their institutions as some of the most promising young academics in the world. The Fellowships are awarded to students who represent the future of research in the fields listed below. Note that region-specific research areas will be listed in application forms during the application window.

Algorithms and Theory

Distributed Systems and Parallel Computing

Health and Bioscience

Human-Computer Interaction and Visualization

Machine Intelligence

Machine Perception

Natural Language Processing

Quantum Computing

Security, Privacy and Abuse Prevention

Software Engineering

Software Systems

Speech Processing

Applications are evaluated on the strength of the research proposal, research impact, student academic achievements, and leadership potential. Research proposals are evaluated for innovative concepts that are relevant to Google’s research areas, as well as aspects of robustness and potential impact to the field. Proposals should include the direction and any plans of where your work is going in addition to a comprehensive description of the research you are pursuing.

In Canada and the United States, East Asia and Latin America, essay responses are evaluated in addition to application materials to determine an overall recommendation.

What does the Google PhD Fellowship include?

Students receive named Fellowships which include a monetary award. The funds are given directly to the university to be distributed to cover the student’s expenses and stipend as appropriate. In addition, the student will be matched with a Google Research Mentor. There is no employee relationship between the student and Google as a result of receiving the fellowship. The award does not preclude future eligibility for internships or employment opportunities at Google, nor does it increase the chances of obtaining them. If students wish to apply for a job at Google, they are welcome to apply for jobs and go through the same hiring process as any other person.

• Up to 3 year Fellowship
• US $12K to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel
• Google Research Mentor
• 1 year Fellowship
• AUD $15K to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel
• Up to 2 year Fellowship (effective from 2024 for new recipients)
• Full tuition and fees (enrollment fees, health insurance, books) plus a stipend to be used for living expenses, travel and personal equipment
• US $10K to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel
• Yearly bursary towards stipend / salary, health care, social benefits, tuition and fees, conference travel and personal computing equipment. The bursary varies by country.

Early-stage PhD students

• Up to 4 year Fellowship
• US $50K to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel

Late-stage PhD students

• US $10K to recognise research contributions, cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel
• US $15K per year to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel

Southeast Asia

• US $10K per year for up to 3 years (or up to graduation, whichever is earlier) to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel

Is my university eligible for the PhD Fellowship Program?

Africa, Australia/New Zealand , Canada, East Asia, Europe and the United States : universities must be an accredited research institution that awards research degrees to PhD students in computer science (or an adjacent field).

India, Latin America and Southeast Asia : applications are open to universities/institutes in India, Latin America (excluding Cuba), and in eligible Southeast Asian countries/regions (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam).

Restrictions : All award payments and recipients will be reviewed for compliance with relevant US and international laws, regulations and policies. Google reserves the right to withhold funding that may violate laws, regulations or our policies.

What are the eligibility requirements for students?

All regions

• Students must remain enrolled full-time in the PhD program for the duration of the Fellowship or forfeit the award.
• Google employees, and their spouses, children, and members of their household are not eligible.
• Students that are already supported by a comparable industry award are not eligible. Government or non-profit organization funding is exempt.
• Past awardees from the PhD Fellowship program are not eligible to apply again.
• Grant of the Fellowship does not mean admission to a PhD program. The awardee must separately apply and be accepted to a PhD program in computer science (or an adjacent field) at an eligible institution.
• Grant of the Fellowship will be subject to the rules and guidelines applicable in the institution where the awardee registers for the PhD program.

Nominated students in Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Canada and the United States, East Asia and Europe.

Universities should only nominate students that meet the following requirements:

• Africa: Incoming PhD students are eligible to apply, but the Fellowship award shall be contingent on the awardee registering for a full-time PhD program in computer science (or an adjacent field) within the academic award year of the Fellowship award, or the award shall be forfeited.
• Australia and New Zealand : early-stage students enrolled in the first or second year of their PhD (no requirement for completion of graduate coursework by the academic award year).
• Canada and the United States : students who have completed graduate coursework in their PhD by the academic award year when the Fellowship begins.
• East Asia: students who have completed most of graduate coursework in their PhD by the academic award year when the Fellowship begins. Students should have sufficient time for research projects after receiving a fellowship.
• Europe: Students enrolled at any stage of their PhD are eligible to apply.

Direct applicant students in India, Latin America and Southeast Asia

• Latin America : incoming or early stage-students enrolled in the first or second year of their PhD (no requirement for completion of graduate coursework by the academic award year).

What should be included in an application? What language should the application be in?

All application materials should be submitted in English.

For each student nomination, the university will be asked to submit the following material in a single, flat (not portfolio) PDF file:

• Student CV with links to website and publications (if available)
• Short (1-page) resume/CV of the student's primary PhD program advisor
• Available transcripts (mark sheets) starting from first year/semester of Bachelor's degree to date
• Research proposal (maximum 3 pages, excluding references)
• 2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee''s work (at least one from the thesis advisor for current PhD students)
• Student essay response (350-word limit) to: What impact would receiving this Fellowship have on your education? Describe any circumstances affecting your need for a Fellowship and what educational goals this Fellowship will enable you to accomplish.
• Transcripts of current and previous academic records
• 1-2 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee's work (at least one from the thesis advisor)

Canada, East Asia, the United States

• Cover sheet signed by the Department Chair confirming the student passes eligibility requirements. (See FAQ "What are the eligibility requirements for students?")
• Short (1-page) CV of the student's primary advisor
• 2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee's work (at least one from the thesis advisor)
• Research / dissertation proposal (maximum 3 pages, excluding references)
• Student essay response (350-word limit) to: Describe the desired impact your research will make on the field and society, and why this is important to you. Include any personal, educational and/or professional experiences that have motivated your research interests.
• Student essay response (350-word limit) to: Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. (A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about what you accomplished and what you learned from the experience. What were your responsibilities? Did you lead a team? How did your experience change your perspective on leading others? Did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church, in your community or an organization? And your leadership role doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to school activities. For example, do you help out or take care of your family?)

Students will need the following documents in a single, flat (not portfolio) PDF file in order to complete an application (in English only):

• Student applicant’s resume with links to website and publications (if available)
• Short (one-page) resume/CV of the student applicant's primary PhD program advisor
• 2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the applicant's work (at least one from the thesis advisor for current PhD students)
• Applicant's essay response (350-word limit) to: Describe the desired impact your research will make on the field and society, and why this is important to you. Include any personal, educational and/or professional experiences that have motivated your research interests.
• Applicant's essay response (350-word limit) to: What are your long-term goals for your pathway in computing research, and how would receiving the Google PhD Fellowship help you progress toward those goals in the short-term?

How do I apply for the PhD Fellowship Program? Who should submit the applications? Can students apply directly for a Fellowship?

Check the eligibility and application requirements in your region before applying. Submission forms are available on this page when the application period begins.

India, Latin America and Southeast Asia: students may apply directly during the application period.

Africa, Australia, Canada, East Asia, Europe, New Zealand, and the United States : students cannot apply directly to the program; they must be nominated by an eligible university during the application period.

How many students may each university nominate?

India, Latin America and Southeast Asia : applications are open directly to students with no limit to the number of students that can apply from a university.

Australia and New Zealand : universities may nominate up to two eligible students.

Canada and the United States : Universities may nominate up to four eligible students. We encourage nominating students with diverse backgrounds especially those from historically marginalized groups in the field of computing. If more than two students are nominated then we strongly encourage additional nominees who self-identify as a woman, Black / African descent, Hispanic / Latino / Latinx, Indigenous, and/or a person with a disability.

Africa, East Asia and Europe : Universities may nominate up to three eligible students. We encourage nominating students with diverse backgrounds especially those from historically marginalized groups in the field of computing. If more than two students are nominated then we strongly encourage the additional nominee who self-identifies as a woman.

*Applications are evaluated on merit. Please see FAQ for details on how applications are evaluated.

How are applications evaluated?

In Canada and the United State, East Asia and Latin America, essay responses are evaluated in addition to application materials to determine an overall recommendation.

A nominee's status as a member of a historically marginalized group is not considered in the selection of award recipients.

Research should align with Google AI Principles .

Incomplete proposals will not be considered.

How are Google PhD Fellowships given?

Any monetary awards will be paid directly to the Fellow's university for distribution. No overhead should be assessed against them.

What are the intellectual property implications of a Google PhD Fellowship?

Fellowship recipients are not subject to intellectual property restrictions unless they complete an internship at Google. If that is the case, they are subject to the same intellectual property restrictions as any other Google intern.

Will the Fellowship recipients become employees of Google?

No, Fellowship recipients do not become employees of Google due to receiving the award. The award does not preclude future eligibility for internships or employment opportunities at Google, nor does it increase the chances of obtaining them. If they are interested in working at Google, they are welcome to apply for jobs and go through the same hiring process as any other person.

Can Fellowship recipients also be considered for other Google scholarships?

Yes, Fellowship recipients are eligible for these scholarships .

After award notification, when do the Google PhD Fellowships begin?

After Google PhD Fellowship recipients are notified, the Fellowship is effective starting the following school year.

What is the program application time period?

Applications for the 2024 program will open in March 2024 and close in May 2024 for all regions. Refer to the main Google PhD Fellowship Program page for each region’s application details.

A global awards announcement will be made in September on the Google Research Blog publicly announcing all award recipients.

How can I ask additional questions?

Due to the volume of emails we receive, we may not be able to respond to questions where the answer is available on the website. If your question has not been answered by a FAQ, email:

Africa: [email protected]

Australia and New Zealand: [email protected]

Canada and the United States: [email protected]

East Asia: [email protected]

Europe: [email protected]

India: [email protected]

Latin America: [email protected]

Southeast Asia: [email protected]

See past PhD Fellowship recipients.

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Stanford Dissertation Fellowships

The Stanford Humanities Center and the School of Humanities and Sciences collaborate to administer two Stanford humanities dissertation fellowships: the Stanford Humanities Center Dissertation Prize and Mellon Foundation Dissertation Fellowships. Stanford students submit one application to be considered for one or both of these fellowships. Applicants for these fellowships are typically in the 5th or 6th year of their doctoral program.

(You can find more information about the Stanford Humanities Center Next Generation Scholar fellowships, which are open to students in year 7 or above only,  linked here .)

Applications for 2024–2025 fellowships are now closed.

Eligible applicants may apply to the SHC Dissertation Prize/Mellon Dissertation fellowships  or  Next Generation Scholar fellowship, but not  both  NGS and DP/Mellon in the same application cycle. 

Fellowship Opportunities

The SHC Dissertation Prize Fellowships, endowed by Theodore and Frances Geballe, are awarded to doctoral students whose work is of the highest distinction and promise. The fellowship stipend includes three academic quarters of funding (fall/winter/spring). In 2023-24 the funding amount was $38,700; the exact amount for 2024-25 will be announced pending final budget confirmation by January 2024. The recipients of these fellowships have offices at the Humanities Center and take part with other graduate as well as undergraduate and faculty fellows in the Center's programs, promoting humanistic research and education at Stanford. The SHC Dissertation Prize Fellowships also provide an additional $2,000 in research funding.

The Mellon Dissertation Fellowships, which are generously funded by the Mellon Foundation, are awarded to advanced doctoral students whose work is of the highest quality and whose academic record to date indicates a timely progression toward completion of the degree. The fellowship stipend includes three academic quarters of funding (fall/winter/spring). In 2023-24 the funding amount was $38,700; the exact amount for 2024-25 will be announced pending budget confirmation in January 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

The SHC Dissertation Prize and Mellon Dissertation Fellowships are awarded to advanced graduate students, based on accomplished work of the highest distinction, and on the promise of further outstanding achievements in the humanities. Applicants must have:

• advanced to candidacy;
• completed all requirements for the doctoral degree with the exception of the dissertation and the University Oral Examination (when a defense of the dissertation);
• an approved dissertation reading committee;
• a dissertation proposal approved by their committee;
• a strong likelihood of completing the degree within the tenure of the fellowship;
• reached TGR status by the beginning of autumn quarter of the fellowship year;
• completed supervised teaching, if required by their department, before the tenure of the fellowship.
• Outside employment must be aligned with university policy and approved by the home department (including the Humanities Center for SHC fellowships). Please be in close contact with your home department, H&S office, and/or the SHC before confirming any teaching assistantships or accepting other employment or fellowships.
• SHC DP fellows are expected to take part in the daily life of the Center for the duration of their fellowship (i.e. attend lunches and weekly seminars). Next Generation fellows are encouraged but not required to be in regular physical residence at the Center.
• Mellon fellowship: there is no on-campus requirement akin to the expectations for SHC fellows. However, Mellon dissertation fellows are subject to University residency expectations and departmental residency requirements—i.e., having a Mellon does not exempt a student from these residency expectations.
• Applicants who have previously held one of these fellowships are not eligible to reapply for that same fellowship.
• Applicants who have not previously held a Stanford dissertation fellowship will be given the most serious consideration.
• SHC Dissertation Prize Fellowships are open to applicants from the School of Education.
• The fellowships provides tuition support at the TGR rate regardless of whether a student has moved to TGR status. If the student is not yet TGR at the start of the fellowship, the department may provide supplemental funds to cover tuition shortfall.
• Students who are TGR or in a graduation quarter status must enroll in the appropriate zero unit TGR course.
• These fellowships awards are not deferrable to future years or to the summer quarter  

Applications must be submitted via our online application system and must be in English. Access to the system opens in the fall quarter and closes on February 4, 2024, 11:59 PM Pacific time. We discourage the submission of additional materials with the application and cannot circulate these to the committee or return such materials.

Applicants will be notified when their applications have been received, and will be notified of the fellowship competition outcome in late March/early April.

• Contact and biographical information about the applicant
• A curriculum vitae (C.V.)
• Current unofficial transcript (download from AXESS)
• Detailed timetable for the completion of the degree (e.g. dissertation outline detailing status of each chapter)
• Statement of the dissertation’s scholarly significance: Provide a concise explanation of the ways in which the project is a significant contribution to its area of study. Assume the audience to be academics who are not specialists in the field. (250 word maximum)
• A brief description (no more than 1,000 words) of the dissertation
• Two reference letters - one should be from the applicant’s advisor: Please ensure that faculty recommenders have reviewed the proposal and timetable (including status of chapters) in advance and are well prepared to discuss this in their letters. Referees are encouraged to submit letters through our online application system. Referees who wish to submit their letter of reference via email may send them to  [email protected] . Reference letters must be received at the Center by the application deadline - consideration of letters received after that date cannot be guaranteed.

A selection committee representing humanities departments and programs will review and rank the applications on the basis of the following criteria:

• the evidence of intellectual distinction;
• the quality and precision of the dissertation proposal;
• the applicant's timely progress toward the degree;
• the likelihood of completing the degree within the tenure of the fellowship;
• in the case of SHC applicants, the likelihood of the applicant contributing to, as well as benefiting from, the programs of the Humanities Center.

For more information contact  Kelda Jamison , the Humanities Center fellowship program manager.

The application deadline for 2024-25 will be 11:59 pm Pacific time, February 4, 2024.

For more frequently asked questions, click  here .

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This section provides information about the requirements and policies associated with financial support. Financial support is the shared responsibility of Harvard Griffin GSAS, the academic program, and the student. Your financial aid officer can help you navigate the many options available.

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• Dissertation Completion Fellowship

Eligibility

Tuition and fees.

For questions concerning the DCF, please email [email protected] .

Harvard Griffin GSAS provides a dissertation completion fellowship (DCF) for one academic year to eligible PhD students in the humanities and social sciences who anticipate completing their dissertations within the year. Eligibility for the DCF extends to students in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences humanities and social sciences programs and most humanities and social science programs in partnership with other Harvard Schools. The DCF represents the final year of eligibility for Harvard Griffin GSAS tuition grants and fellowships.

Students in Business Administration, Business Economics, and Organizational Behavior typically complete their programs using guaranteed funding that excludes the DCF. Prior to applying, they must consult with their program’s director of graduate studies to determine if the DCF is appropriate for their individual circumstances.

Dissertation completion fellowships are available to students who have:

• completed all departmental requirements;
• completed an approved dissertation prospectus;
• completed two draft dissertation chapters (or one draft article for students in fields where the dissertation consists of three articles), confirmed by two faculty advisors, one of whom is the principal dissertation advisor.

To receive a DCF, students must review the Dissertation Completion Fellowship  and Instructions for Dissertation Completion Fellowships sections of the Harvard Griffin GSAS website and apply for all internal and external completion fellowships for which they are eligible, either from a Harvard source, such as a research center or department, or from an external funding source.

• Presidential Scholars, Graduate Prize Fellows, and Ashford Fellows are not required to apply for alternative fellowships but must complete the dissertation completion fellowship application.
• Students who receive funding from a source external to Harvard Griffin GSAS must accept that award in lieu of DCF funding. In the event that the amount of the alternate award is less than that provided by the DCF, Harvard Griffin GSAS will provide a supplement to make up the difference. In some cases, an external award bonus may be offered.
• Students should plan to utilize their DCF funding during their G5 or G6 year and no later than their G7 year. While DCF requests from students beyond the G7 year will be considered on a case-by-case basis with the recommendation of a faculty advisor, awards are not guaranteed. Students beyond the G7 year should contact Academic Programs to determine their eligibility.
• While students ordinarily take the DCF over one academic year, Harvard Griffin GSAS will consider requests to take a DCF split between the spring term of one academic year and the fall term of the subsequent academic year; students interested in this possibility should contact Academic Programs for guidance.
• While on a DCF, students may not hold a teaching appointment or other form of employment.
• Students ordinarily may not take classes while on a DCF.
• The DCF may not be combined with grants from other sources, with the exception of smaller grants. Students should contact their financial aid officer for guidance.
• Students may not hold research fellowships and DCFs concurrently. Research fellowships awarded to DCF recipients will be considered alternate completion funding, triggering a reduction to the DCF award and rendering the student ineligible for DCF funding in future years. Students interested in pursuing research fellowships are advised to withdraw their DCF applications.
• Students are expected to complete their dissertations during the completion year.
• Students who do not complete their dissertations during the DCF year may register for no more than one additional academic year of post-DCF study. During this time they are ineligible for Harvard Griffin GSAS tuition and fellowship support. They may, however, hold teaching and research appointments , apply for Emergency Funding and Parental Accomodation and Funding Support , or apply for educational loans.

Students awarded a DCF receive grant support to cover the  Harvard Griffin GSAS facilities fee (i.e. tuition for advanced doctoral students) and Harvard University Student Health Program fees.

Stipend amounts vary and are noted in the Notice of Financial Support. Once a student has been awarded a DCF, the stipend amount can be viewed in the Student Aid Portal.

Stipends are disbursed on or around the first day of the month, August through May.

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Nationally Competitive Graduate Fellowships

Fellowships below are just a few of the many options that exist – this is NOT an exhaustive list. Please make sure to search the databases listed on the previous page for even more funding options.

The majority of fellowships have deadlines from October – January and require institutional nomination/assistance.

LEGEND: (M) = Master’s (D) = Doctoral/PhD candidates;  Awards open to most programs unless designated “STEM”

Please click the headers to organize the table differently, if desired.

“*” indicates eligibility to international students

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Dissertation Completion Fellowships

Types of fellowships, eligibility, selection criteria, award amount, how to apply, application guidelines.

Dissertation Completion Fellowships support final-year doctoral students. These non-service fellowships allow students to focus exclusively on their research and writing without service obligations. Fellows are expected to defend their dissertation by the end of the academic year.

Submit Application »

General Dissertation Completion Fellowships

• Non-service fellowship
• Supports dissertation research and writing

Royster Society of Fellows (SOF) Dissertation Completion Fellowships

• Supports interdisciplinary learning and engagement
• Opportunities for mentoring, leadership, and professional development

Royster SOF Dissertation Completion Fellowships are endowed through the generous gifts of many friends of the University, most notably Dr. Thomas S. and Mrs. Caroline Royster Jr.

Royster SOF Special Purpose Dissertation Completion Fellowships:

• Membership in the Royster Society of Fellows
• Includes the Jessie Ball duPont Fellowship for Adolescent Studies

Submit only one application. Select the fellowship(s) you are interested in being considered for on the application form and submit the required supporting materials as appropriate. You will be considered for all fellowships that you select on your application.

Eligibility criteria apply to all Dissertation Completion Fellowships. You may not combine the Dissertation Completion Fellowship with other funding without permission from The Graduate School.

You are eligible if:

• You are a fully-enrolled, degree-seeking doctoral student in a residential program administered by The Graduate School.
• You are engaged full-time with writing your dissertation.
• You are able to complete your dissertation within the fellowship term.

Royster SOF 5-Year Fellows are NOT eligible to apply for continued support through a Dissertation Completion Fellowship.

Before applying, you must:

• Complete course requirements
• Pass written and oral preliminary exams
• Have your Dissertation Prospectus formally approved

You cannot apply for both a Dissertation Completion Fellowship and an Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship at the same time.

Your application will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

• You have a strong graduate academic record.
• Your application materials are understandable to a general audience outside of your field.
• Your research design is clearly outlined and appropriate.
• Your research will contribute to and advance the scholarship within your field.
• There is confidence you will be able to complete your dissertation by the end of the fellowship term.
• Your program has minimal resources to support you during the fellowship term.
• You will be an involved and contributing member of the Royster Society of Fellows (for Royster SOF applicants only).

View an in-depth description of the review and selection process.

The fellowship provides a stipend, tuition, fees, and health insurance for one academic year (fall and spring semesters only). Royster SOF fellowships may also provide funds for professional travel.

Depending on funding, this award may change from year to year.

Each program may nominate up to three students for consideration.

Deadline The nomination deadline each year is in late February . -->

Check with your department for an internal deadline. You must submit your application early enough for your department to submit their nomination to The Graduate School by the nomination deadline. Deadlines are posted on the funding deadlines calendar.

• View Frequently Asked Questions about the online award application .
• Prepare an abstract, research description, research workplan, statement of research significance, and curriculum vitae . If appropriate, prepare a Royster SOF interest statement . Arrange for a letter of recommendation from your dissertation advisor. Be sure to follow the application guidelines .
• Before submitting your application, we suggest you get feedback on your materials from a person outside of your field.
• Submit your materials to The Graduate School Award Online Application .
• Once you submit your application, your recommender will receive an email notice to submit a letter of recommendation through the online system.
• Once your letter of recommendation is submitted, the fellowship and award approver(s) for your department will receive an email notifying them that your application is eligible for nomination.
• Your department must nominate you to The Graduate School by the deadline .
• We will notify awardees in April.

We will not consider your application if you exceed any of the page limits and/or you do not follow the proper format.

In addition to the online application, a complete application includes the following:

Format: No more than ½ page. Double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, numbered pages, your name on each page.

• Briefly summarize your research

Research Description

Briefly describe your dissertation research and your progress toward completion.

Address your research description to an audience of intelligent reviewers who may not be familiar with your field. Clearly explain the importance of your research to a lay audience. Do not use jargon or technical, field-specific terminology.

Format: No more than 3 pages. Double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, numbered pages, your name on each page.

Depending on your field of study, include:

• A summary of key literature
• General concepts
• Frame of reference for your study
• Your research questions
• Description of the data or other materials which will be/have been collected and analyzed
• Methods of collection and analysis
• Design considerations
• Description of any necessary approvals, such as Human Subjects Review

Research Progress, Work Plan, and Timetable:

Format: No more than 1 page. Double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, numbered pages, your name on each page.

• Describe your research progress to date and your planned sequence of tasks to be completed, with estimated timetable.

Significance of your Research:

• Explain the significance of your research to your field of study

Curriculum Vitae

Format: No more than 2 pages. 12-point font, 1-inch margins, numbered pages, and your name on each page.

• Include recent professional activities, awards, honors, courses you have taught, and research publications/presentations.
• Departmental funding received
• External funding (please note if received or pending)
• Because University funding is limited, we encourage you to apply for external funding, and such efforts will be viewed positively by the reviewers.

Citations (optional):

• May be included for important references
• Can be either footnotes or endnotes
• Can be single-spaced
• Must be within the three-page limit of the Research Description

Royster Society of Fellows Interest Statement:

*Required only if you are interested in being considered for the Royster Society of Fellows*

• Include a statement addressing your interest and ability to contribute as an active member of the Society of Fellows.

Letter of Recommendation from your Dissertation Advisor

Indicate the email address of your recommender in your application. Please note that only a single recommendation letter will be accepted. If you have joint advisors, they must submit a joint letter of recommendation.

Once you submit your application, your advisor will receive an email notice to submit the letter of recommendation. We can only accept letters of recommendation through the online system. Recommenders cannot submit letters directly to The Graduate School or to your department.

Instructions for recommenders: Each letter of recommendation should be no more than 4,000 characters (spaces included), which is approximately 600 words or one single-spaced page.

Address the letter of recommendation “To the Fellowship Committee.” Include:

• The quality of the student's research
• A rating of the student’s overall ability and potential based on the your knowledge of other students in the field
• The likelihood that the student will complete the dissertation during the award period
• The likely contributions of the student's research to the field
• Jessie Ball duPont Fellowship for Adolescent Studies

Graduate School Fellowships Office [email protected]

Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship

Region: Global

For eligible students at universities globally pursuing research aligned to Microsoft Research areas of focus.

Update : Microsoft Research has paused our call for proposals/nominations for the 2023 calendar year. We are exploring new avenues to invest in our academic partnerships and bring together students and researchers to collaborate, share knowledge, and pursue new research directions.

To learn more about the recently announced Microsoft Research AI & Society Fellows program , uniting eminent scholars and experts to collaborate on research at the intersection of AI and society, visit our program page .

The Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship is a global program that identifies and empowers the next generation of exceptional computing research talent. Microsoft recognizes the value of diversity in computing and aims to increase the pipeline of talent receiving advanced degrees in computing-related fields to build a stronger and inclusive computing-related research community. We currently offer PhD fellowships in Asia-Pacific, Canada and the United States, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.

Over the last two decades, the Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship program has supported over 700 fellows around the world, many of whom have gone on to work at Microsoft. Others have gone on to perform pioneering research elsewhere within the technology industry or accept faculty appointments at leading universities.

See your region for details, instructions, and answers to common questions.

• Asia-Pacific
• Australia & New Zealand
• Canada & United States
• Middle East
• Latin America

We are always looking for the best and brightest talent and celebrate individuality. We invite and encourage candidates to come as they are and do what they love.

The Microsoft Research 2022 Global PhD Fellowship recipients were announced in October 2022. Meet all the 2022 PhD Fellowship recipients on our “ 2022 Fellows ” page or hear about what this opportunity means to a few PhD fellows from around the globe below.

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American Fellowships

Funding:  $8,000–$50,000 Opens:  August 1 every year Deadline: November 15 every year EXTENDED Now Accepting Applications through November 30

The American Fellowship program began in 1888, a time when women were discouraged from pursuing an education. It is AAUW’s largest fellowship program and the oldest non-institutional source of graduate funding for women in the United States.  

AAUW American Fellowships support women scholars who are pursuing full-time study to complete dissertations, conducting postdoctoral research full time, or preparing research for publication for eight consecutive weeks. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Candidates are evaluated based on scholarly excellence; quality and originality of project design; and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research.  

Dissertation: The purpose of the American Dissertation Fellowship is to offset a scholar’s living expenses while they complete their dissertation. F ellows must use the award for the final year of writing the dissertation. Applicants must have completed all course work, passed all preliminary examinations, and received approval for their research proposals or plans by the preceding November. Students holding fellowships for writing a dissertation in the year prior to the AAUW fellowships year are not eligible. Open to applicants in all fields of study. Scholars engaged in science, technology, engineering , and math fields or those researching gender issues are especially encouraged to apply.  

Postdoctoral: The primary purpose of the American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship is to increase the number of women in tenure-track faculty positions and to promote equity for women in higher education. This fellowship ’s purpose is to assist the candidate in obtaining tenure and further promotions by enabling them to spend a year pursuing independent research. Tenured professors are not eligible. Open to applicants in all fields of study. Scholars engaged in science, technology, engineering , and math fields or those researching gender issues are especially encouraged to apply.  

Publication: The Short-Term Research Publication Grants provide support to scholars to prepare research manuscripts for publication. AAUW’s funding priority is for applicants whose work supports the vision of AAUW: to break through educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance. Time must be available for eight consecutive weeks of final writing and editing in response to issues raised in critical reviews. These fellowships can be for both tenure-track and part-time faculty, and to new and established researchers. The purpose is to assist the candidate in obtaining tenure and other promotions. Tenured professors are not eligible. Open to applicants in all fields of study. Scholars engaged in science, technology, engineering , and math fields or those researching gender issues are especially encouraged to apply.  

Award Amount

Dissertation Fellowship: $25,000

Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship: $50,000

Short-Term Research Publication Grant: $8,000

August 1, 2023 Application opens.

November 15, 2023, by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time Deadline for online submission of application, recommendations, and supporting documents.

April 15, 2024 Notification of decision emailed to all applicants. AAUW is not able to honor requests for earlier notification.

July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025 Fellowship year

When a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the date will be observed on the following business day.  

Eligibility

Applicants of all American Fellowships must meet the following criteria:  

• Members of the AAUW Board of Directors, committees, panels, task forces and staff, including current interns, are not eligible to apply for AAUW’s fellowships and grants. A person holding a current award is eligible for election or appointment to boards, committees, panels and task forces.  
• American Fellowship candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.  
• Fellowships are open to women, including people who identify as women, in all fields of study at an accredited institution of higher education. AAUW will make final decisions about what constitutes eligible institutions.  
• Applicants may not apply for another AAUW national fellowship or grant in the same year.  
• Distance learning/online programs: Fellowships support traditional classroom-based courses of study at colleges or universities. This fellowship program does not provide funding for distance learning or online programs or for degrees heavily dependent on distance learning components. Final decisions about what constitutes distance learning under these fellowships will be made by AAUW. AAUW will accept applications from applicants who are temporarily studying remotely due to COVID-19 precautions at their institution.  
• American Fellowships are not open to previous recipients of any AAUW national fellowship or grant (not including branch or local awards or Community Action Grants).

A pplicants of Dissertation Fellowships must also meet the following criteria :  

• The American Dissertation Fellowship must be used for the final year of writing the dissertation. Applicants must have completed all coursework, passed all preliminary exams, and had the dissertation research proposal or plan approved by November 1, 2023 . The doctoral degree/dissertation must be completed between April 1 and June 30, 2025 . Degree conferral must be between April 1 and September 15, 2025 .  
• Dissertation Fellows are not required to study in the U.S.  
• Students already holding a fellowship or grant for the purpose of supporting their final year of writing or completing the dissertation the year before the fellowship year are not eligible to apply for the American Dissertation Fellowship.  
• The Dissertation Fellowship is intended for applicants who are completing their first doctoral degree.  
• Applicants may apply up to two times for a fellowship for the same dissertation project.  

A pplicants of Postdoctoral Fellowships must also meet the following criteria :  

• American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship applicants must hold a Ph.D., Ed.D., D.B.A., M.F.A., J.D., M.D., D.M.D., D.V.M., D.S.W., or M.P.H. at the time of application.  
• Tenured professors are not eligible.  

Applicants of Publication Grants must also meet the following criteria :  

• American Short-Term Research Publication Grant applicants must hold a Ph.D., Ed.D., D.B.A., M.F.A., J.D., M.D., D.M.D., D.V.M., D.S.W., or M.P.H. at the time of application.  
• Tenured professors are not eligible.
• American Short-Term Research Publication Grants are for tenure-track, part-time, and temporary faculty, as well as new and established researchers at universities. Scholars with strong publication records should seek funding elsewhere. Applicants must have time available for eight consecutive weeks of final manuscript preparation. While many recipients, especially full-time faculty members, will use the award s during the summer, recipients may use the funds at any time during the award year. Applicants must demonstrate that the support will result in a reduction of their ongoing work-related activities during the eight-week period .  
• American Short-Term Research Publication Grants are not for preliminary research. Activities undertaken during the grant period can include drafting, editing, or modifying manuscripts; replicating research components; responding to issues raised through critical review; and other initiatives to increase the likelihood of publication.  
• The grantee must be listed as the sole author, senior author, first author, or an author of equivalent significance.  

Selection Criteria and Application Review

The panel meets once a year to review applications for funding. Awards are based on the criteria outlined here. The panel’s recommendations are subject to final approval by AAUW. Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis according to funds available in a given fiscal year.  

To ensure a fair review process, AAUW does not comment on the deliberations of the award panels. AAUW does not provide evaluations of applications. No provisions exist for reconsidering fellowship proposals.

Applications and supporting documents become the sole property of AAUW and will not be returned or held for another year.  

In selecting fellowship recipients, the following criteria will be considered:  

• Applicant’s scholarly excellence.  
• Quality of project design.  
• Originality of project.  
• Scholarly significance of project to the discipline.  
• Feasibility of project and proposed schedule.  
• Qualifications of applicant.  
• Applicant’s commitment to women’s issues in the profession/community.  
• Applicant’s mentoring of other women.  
• Applicant’s teaching experience.  
• Potential of applicant to make a significant contribution to the field.  
• Applicant is from an underrepresented racial/ethnic background.  
• Applicant will be in an underrepresented area of the country and/or type of university other than a top-level research institution during the award year.  
• Financial need.  

The primary criterion for fellowship awards is scholarly excellence. Applications are reviewed by distinguished scholars and should be prepared accordingly.  

American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship and American Short-Term Research Publication Grant: When comparing proposals of equal merit, the review panel will give special consideration to women holding junior academic appointments who are seeking research leave, women who have held the doctorate for at least three years, and women whose educational careers have been interrupted. Preference will also be given to projects that are not simply a revision of the applicant’s doctoral dissertation and applicants whose work supports the vision of AAUW: to break through educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance.  

Regulations

American Fellowships funds are available for:  

• Educational expenses (American Dissertation Fellowship and American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship only).  
• Living expenses.  
• Dependent child care.  
• Travel to professional meetings, conferences, or seminars that does not exceed 10 percent of the fellowship total (American Dissertation Fellowship and American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship only).  

Additionally, American Short-Term Publication Grant funds are available for:  

• Clerical and technical support.  
• Research assistance related to verification (not basic research).  
• Office supplies, postage, copying and related expenses.  
• Journal fees.  

American Fellowships funds are not available for:  

• Purchase of equipment.  
• Indirect costs.  
• Research assistants.  
• Previous expenditures, deficits, or repayment of loans.  
• Publication costs (except for American Short-Term Publication Grants).  
• Institutional (overhead) costs.  
• Tuition for dependent’s education.  
• Tuition for coursework that is in addition to credits required for maintaining full-time status while completing a dissertation.  
• Extended field research (applicable to American Dissertation Fellowships only).  

Additionally, American Short-Term Research Publication Grants funds are not available for:  

• Salary increase.  
• Doctoral dissertation research or writing.  

AAUW regards the acceptance of a fellowship as a contract requiring fulfillment of the following terms:  

• All American Fellowship recipients are required to sign a contract as acceptance of the award. Retain these instructions as they will become part of the fellowship contract if the applicant is awarded a fellowship.  
• An AAUW American Fellow is expected to pursue their project full time during the funding period (July 1–June 30). No partial fellowships are awarded. Fellowships may not be deferred.  
• American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellows and American Short-Term Research Publication Grantees cannot pursue a degree during the award period.  
• Any major changes in plans for the award year must have prior written approval from AAUW.  
• AAUW must be notified promptly of any change in the status of an application resulting from acceptance of another award.  
• Stipends are made payable to fellows, not to institutions.  
• The determination of whether there is a tax obligation associated with the receipt of an AAUW award is the sole responsibility of the applicant. Specific questions regarding income tax matters should be addressed with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the applicant’s financial aid office or a personal tax adviser. AAUW cannot provide tax advice. AAUW is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity founded for educational purposes.  

Required Components*

Start the application process by clicking the Apply Now button below to access the application and create an account through our vendor site. Complete all required components in the following tabs.  

• Recommendations: Standardized or form-letter recommendations are discouraged. AAUW does not accept references from dossier services such as Parment or Interfolio.
• Dissertation Fellowship applicants: Applicant must provide two recommendations from the applicant’s advisers, colleagues or others well acquainted with the applicant, their project and their teaching. One of the two recommendations must be from the applicant’s dissertation advisor.
• Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship applicants: Provide two recommendations from the applicant’s advisers, colleagues or others well acquainted with their project or work.
• Short-Term Research Publication Grant applicants: Provide two recommendations from the applicant’s advisers, colleagues or others well acquainted with the applicant, their project/work and their teaching.
• Dissertation Fellowship applicants: Submit transcripts for all graduate work and courses listed in the application. Transcripts must show grades for coursework transferred in. If the transcript shows transfer courses and credits without grades, a transcript from the institution where the courses were taken is required. If you studied at an institution that does not require coursework or provide transcripts, an institutional letter stating that is required.
• Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship and Short-Term Publication Grant applicants: Proof of degree: Submit transcript(s)** or original letter showing proof of a Ph.D., Ed.D., M.F.A., J.D., M.D., D.M.D., D.V.M., D.B.A., D.S.W., or M.P.H. degree.
• Dissertation Fellowship applicants: Dissertation certification form: Submit the form verifying the completion of all required coursework and qualifying examinations for the doctorate and approval of your dissertation research proposal (plan of research) signed by an institutional officer. No substitutions for this form will be accepted.
• Dissertation applicants: If you will conduct your project at an institution other than your own during the fellowship year, submit the form that indicates you have approval from the institution and the authority with whom the work will be done to conduct the research, laboratory or office space, and library privileges during the fellowship year. No substitutions for this form will be accepted. If you will conduct your project at your home institution, no project institution form is needed.
• Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship and Short-Term Publication Grant applicants: Submit the form that indicates you have approval from the proposed institution and the authority with whom the work will be done to conduct the research and have institutional affiliation, laboratory or office space, and library privileges during the fellowship year. No substitutions for this form will be accepted.

*A certified English translation is required for all components provided in a foreign language. Translations must bear a mark of certification or official signature that the translation is true and complete.

**All transcripts provided must include the applicant’s full name, the school’s name, all courses and all grades, as well as any other information requested in in the application instructions.  

See More Fellowship and Grant Opportunities

For questions or technical support from ISTS, our technical consultant, please email [email protected] . Enter AAUW-AF if the website prompts you for a program key. We encourage applicants not to opt out of communications from ISTS, to ensure you receive important communications from AAUW.  

Meet a Recent American Fellow

Sarah Biscarra Dilley ’s research is focused on matrifocal and gender-expansive governance from northern villages of yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini to Mokupuni o Hawai‘i, rooted in shared land and kinship-based epistemology. Her written, visual and material practice is grounded in collaboration across experiences, peoples and place, connecting extractive industries, absent treaties and enclosure to emphasize movement, embodied protocol and possibility. Her aspirations are toward cultural resurgence and the return of land to her families’ stewardship.

Our Alumnae

Ayana Johnson

2010–11 American Fellow and marine biologist, policy expert and conservation strategist. She is the founder and CEO of Ocean Collectiv and founder of Urban Ocean Lab.

Melissa Harris-Perry

2001-02 AAUW American Fellow and Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University, a columnist for the Nation, editor-at-large for ZORA, author of Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America , and former host of The Melissa Harris-Perry Show on MSNBC.

Kimberly Ennico-Smith

1997-98 AAUW American Fellow and staff scientist with NASA who served as deputy project scientist for NASA’s New Horizons Mission, the historic project responsible for capturing unprecedented photos of Pluto.

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The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation

Supporting students in pursuit of higher education, doctoral dissertation fellowships.

The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation funds a major program of graduate fellowships in the humanities and social sciences. These fellowships support students in the final stages of doctoral study whose work offers significant potential for advancing academic scholarship related to ethics and/or religion. The Institute for Citizens & Scholars administers all aspects of this program, including a rigorous national competition for Newcombe Fellowships each year.

Since the first round of competition in 1981, over 1,300 Newcombe Fellows have been named representing over 100 American universities. These promising scholars’ dissertations have added knowledge in their disciplines and have addressed issues of contemporary significance. History, literature, religion, philosophy and anthropology have been the most-represented fields of study. View a list of recent Newcombe Fellows .

Fellows from the early years of the program are now senior faculty members at major research universities and selective liberal arts colleges, curators and directors at significant scholarly archives, and leaders and policymakers at nonprofit organizations and in cabinet-level government agencies. Past Newcombe Fellows have received national honors such as the MacArthur Fellowship, the Guggenheim Fellowship, and election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Newcombe Fellowship Program Policy and Guidelines

Learn more about the Fellowship Program .

Graduate Student Fellowships

The application for 2024–2025 is now closed. The 2025–2026 application portal on  CARAT  will open on November 4, 2024.

For 2025–2026, graduate student fellowships provide the following:

• A stipend with the possibility of an additional $750 for travel related to conferences and job interviews. (The stipend for 2025–2026 has not yet been determined but will be equal to or greater than the standard GSAS stipend amount.)
• Tuition and health fees.
• Private work space at Harvard Radcliffe Institute's Byerly Hall.

Graduate student fellows are expected to reside in Cambridge during their fellowship year and participate in the Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Program by attending all weekly fellows' talks and lunches. They will also present their own work to the fellows.

View a list of  current and past graduate student fellows  and learn more about their work.

How to Apply

The 2025–2026 application on CARAT will open on November 4, 2024. The deadline for applications will be in early February, 2025.

Applicants for Harvard Radcliffe Institute Dissertation Completion Fellowships must include a brief statement describing how an affiliation with the Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Program would benefit them; a two-page resume; a dissertation abstract and a table of contents; two letters of recommendation, one of which must be written by the dissertation advisor; and two faculty evaluation forms. 

While a candidate's scholarly qualifications, the merits of the dissertation topic, and faculty references are important in the selection process, consideration is also given to graduate fellows with research interests matching those of one or more of the year's Radcliffe Institute fellows. This increases opportunities for intellectual interaction and mentorship within the community. 

Semester Dissertation Fellowships (Wylie and Lee Thonton)

The Graduate School's Semester Dissertation Fellowship program includes the  Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship  and the  Lee Thornton Endowed Fellowship . Dissertation fellowships provide full-time support to University of Maryland doctoral candidates who are in the latter stages of writing their dissertations.  Awarded students for AY 24-25 can choose to use the fellowship in either Fall 2024 or Spring 2025. Fellowship benefits include a $15,000 Stipend, a Candidacy Tuition award (899 only), a credit for mandatory fees associated with 899 registration, and reimbursement for the purchase of an individual student health insurance plan for the semester.  

Eligibility:  Eligible candidates are current UMD doctoral students who will have advanced to candidacy by June 1, 2024, and expect to graduate by August 2025.  

Nomination Process :  Doctoral programs are eligible to nominate candidates for the Semester Dissertation Fellowship. Please see the Nomination Allocation Schedule in the Guidelines. Programs must submit nominations by  noon, Wednesday, February 5, 2025.   Students:   Please write your abstract for a non-specialist audience and submit your materials to your program according to their internal deadline.  

Lee Thornton Fellowship Recipients

Lee Thornton Fellows History

Ann G. Wylie Fellowship Recipients

AY 2023-24 Dissertation Fellows AY 2022-23 Dissertation Fellows AY 2021-22 Dissertation Fellows AY 2020-21 Dissertation Fellows AY 2019-20 Dissertation Fellows AY 2018-19 Dissertation Fellows AY 2017-18 Dissertation Fellows AY 2016-17 Dissertation Fellows AY 2015-16 Dissertation Fellows AY 2014-15 Dissertation Fellows AY 2013-14 Dissertation Fellows

Dissertation Fellowships

American Academy in Rome Dissertation Fellowships (link is external)

The Academy offers 11-month and two-year pre-doctoral fellowships in Ancient Studies, Medieval Studies, Renaissance/Early Modern Studies, and Modern Italian Studies. Pre-doctoral fellowships are meant to provide scholars with the necessary time to research and complete their doctoral dissertations.

American Council of Learned Societies  (link is external)

Dissertation fellowships of up to $25,000 for writing dissertations in Southeast European Studies. Also provides Southeast European language training grants.

Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (link is external) The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships encourage original and significant study of ethical or religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences, and particularly to help Ph.D. candidates in these fields complete their dissertation work in a timely manner.

Council on Library and Information Resources (link is external) The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is pleased to offer fellowships generously funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for dissertation research in the humanities in original sources. The program offers about fifteen competitively awarded fellowships a year. Each provides a stipend of $2,000 per month for periods ranging from nine to 12 months. Each fellow will receive an additional $1,000 upon participating in a symposium on research in original sources and submitting a report acceptable to CLIR on the research experience. Thus the maximum award will be $25,000.

DePauw University Consortium for Faculty Diversity in Liberal Arts Colleges (link is external) The Consortium invites applications for dissertation fellowships and post-doctoral fellowships from U.S. citizens or permanent residents who will contribute to increasing the diversity of member colleges by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, maximizing the educational benefits of diversity and/or increasing the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of students.

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) (link is external) This program provides academic year and summer fellowships to institutions of higher education to assist graduate students in foreign language and either area or international studies. Students can use the Summer FLAS internationally or domestically. Apply through UC Berkeley.

Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (link is external) Provides grants to colleges and universities to fund individual doctoral students to conduct research in other countries in modern foreign languages and area studies for periods of six to 12 months. Proposals focusing on Western Europe are not eligible.

Gaius Charles Bolin Dissertation Fellowship (link is external) The Gaius Charles Bolin Fellowships at Williams College are designed to promote diversity on college faculties by encouraging students from underrepresented groups to complete a terminal graduate degree and to pursue careers in college teaching.

Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Dissertation Fellowships  - Now HFG Emerging Scholars Awarded to scholars whose work can increase understanding and amelioration of urgent problems of violence, aggression, and dominance in the modern world. Particular questions that interest the foundation concern violence, aggression, and dominance in relation to social change, the socialization of children, intergroup conflict, drug trafficking and use, family relationships, and investigations of the control of aggression and violence.

Huntington Library Fellowships (link is external) Short-term residencies (up to $2300/month) at the library are available for Ph.D. students at the dissertation stage.

IHR Mellon Fellowships for Dissertation Research in the Humanities (link is external) $5,000 for pre-doctoral fellows and $25,000 for doctoral fellows will be awarded for archival history research in the United Kingdom.

International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF) (link is external) The International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF) offers nine to 12 months of support to graduate students in the humanities and social sciences who are enrolled in doctoral programs in the United States and conducting dissertation research outside of the United States. IDRF promotes research that is situated in a specific discipline and geographical region but is also informed by interdisciplinary and cross-regional perspectives. 

Mabelle McLeod Lewis Fellowships (link is external) Provides grants to advanced doctoral candidates in the humanities for completion of a scholarly dissertation project on which significant progress has already been made.

National Gallery of Art Dissertation Fellowships (link is external) The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Artshosts an annual program of support for advanced graduate research in the history, theory, and criticism of art, architecture, and urbanism. Each of the nine fellowships have specific requirements and intents, including support for the advancement and completion of a doctoral dissertation, for residency and travel during the period of dissertation research, and for post-doctoral research.

Samuel H. Kress Dissertation Fellowships in Art History (link is external) Competitive Kress Fellowships administered by the Kress Foundation are awarded to art historians and art conservators in the final stages of their preparation for professional careers, as well as to art museum curators and educators.

Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowships (link is external) Offers approximately 30 fellowships of $20,000 to support dissertations bringing "fresh and constructive perspectives to the history, theory, or practice of formal or informal education anywhere in the world."

Soroptimist International Founder Region Women’s Fellowship (link is external) The mission of the Founder Region Fellowship is to advance the status of women. This will be accomplished through financial support to women in the last year of their doctoral degree. Competition is open to any outstanding graduate woman who is working toward a doctoral degree, preferably in the last year of study but permissibly during the last two years. She must be enrolled in a graduate school within Founder Region, Northern California.

Templeton Dissertation Fellowship at University of Notre Dame (link is external)   “The Problem of Evil in Modern and Contemporary Thought.”   The Center for Philosophy of Religion at University of Notre Dame invites doctoral candidates working in the areas of early modern philosophy of religion and/or theology to apply for a one-year fellowship. The program aims at encouraging Ph.D. students to pursue research in this area while in residence as dissertation fellows in the Center for Philosophy of Religion. 

The Erksine A. Peters Dissertation Year Fellowship at Notre Dame (link is external) The Peters Fellowship will enable two outstanding African American doctoral candidates (at the ABD level) to devote their full energies to the completion of the dissertation, and to provide an opportunity for African American scholars at the beginning of their academic careers to experience life at a major Catholic research university. Administered by both the Office of the Provost and the Department of Africana Studies at the University of Notre Dame, the Peters Fellowship invites applications from African-American doctoral candidates in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and theological disciplines who have completed all degree requirements with the exception of the dissertation.

United States Institute of Peace Dissertation Fellowships (link is external) One-year stipend ($17,000) supports students who have completed all requirements for their degree, except the dissertation, by the start of the fellowship. Dissertation must advance the state of knowledge about international peace and conflict management. 

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Graduate School Presidential Dissertation Fellowship in the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Social Professions

2024-25 nomination deadline: tuesday, april 16, 2024 at noon (12 p.m. pt). .

The Graduate School Presidential Dissertation Fellowship assists Ph.D. candidates in the final stages of writing their dissertations. The 2024–25 Dissertation Fellowship is offered with the support of the University President and includes one quarter of UW state tuition and fees, GAIP insurance, and a stipend at the  Predoctoral TA II rate  (currently $3,076 per month). Each unit listed at the end of this announcement may submit ONE nominee.  

Eligibility

• Must have passed the General Examination and attained Ph.D. candidate status  at the time of nomination.
• Must have demonstrated progress on the dissertation that indicates completion by the end of Summer Quarter 2025 or sooner.
• Must be in a tuition-based program; students in fee-based programs are not eligible.
• Must not have received another dissertation fellowship from the Graduate School (e.g., Gatzert, GSEE)

Application Process

Award requests are made to the Graduate School by departments. Students wishing to be considered for this opportunity should contact their Graduate Program Adviser.

Eligible programs for the Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship competition:

Contact the  Office of Fellowships & Awards .

Return to List of Fellowships

Graduate School

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2021-2022 Doctoral Dissertation Fellows

The graduate school is pleased to announce the 2021-2022 ddf fellowship recipients.

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2021-2022 DDF Fellowship! The Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF) gives the University's most accomplished Ph.D. candidates an opportunity to devote full-time effort to an outstanding research project by providing time to finalize and write a dissertation during the fellowship year.

Jessica Friedman

Epidemiology Influences of parity, caregiving, and COVID-19 on depression in women Advisor(s): Susan Mason & Darin Erickson

Marissa Milstein

Veterinary Medicine The risk of zoonotic disease transmission from primate bushmeat in Guyana Advisor(s): Tiffany Wolf & Peter Larsen

Theatre Arts Voices from the Margins of a Heterosexual Black Dance Form: A Study of the Hmong Experience and Queer Blackness in the Twin Cities Break(danc)ing Scene Advisor(s): Ananya Chatterjea

Chelsea Cervantes de Blois

Geography Modeling Human Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards in Azerbaijan Advisor(s): Steve Manson

Cole Pulice

Comparative Studies In Discourse and Society Fight Fantasies: Combat Sports, the Alt-Right, and the Crisis of Modern Masculinity Advisor(s): Alice Lovejoy & Sumanth Gopinath

Stephen Heinsch

Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology (All-University) Decoding the mechanisms of disease-suppressive soils Advisor(s): Michael Smanski

Biomedical Engineering 3D Bioprinting Pre-aligned and Pre-vascularized Microtissues for Tissue Engineering of the Gastroesophageal Junction Advisor(s): Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari

William Peria

Physics Magnetic damping in ferromagnetic thin films and multilayer structures Advisor(s): Paul Crowell

Zachary Levonian

Computer Science Facilitating online relationships between health peers Advisor(s): Loren Terveen & Lana Yarosh

Dominique Ebbenga

Entomology Understanding the Biology and Management of Japanese beetle in Minnesota Fruit Crops: Influence of a Changing Climate Advisor(s): William Hutchison

Carlie Cervantes de Blois

History of Science, Technology and Medicine Damming Indonesia: Contested Progress in Cold War Development Advisor(s): Susan Jones

Upasana Arvindam

Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology Overcoming mechanisms of immune suppression to improve natural killer cell-based cancer immunotherapy Advisor(s): Jeffrey Miller

Pang Chaxiong

Educational Psychology Hmong Parent Beliefs about Autism and Identification Experiences Advisor(s): Jason Wolff & Rose Vukovic

Andrew Zhou

Pharmaceutics Insulin resistance promotes blood-brain barrier dysfunction during aging, type-II diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease Advisor(s): Karunya Kandimalla

Nicholas Heller

Computer Science An Open Science Approach to Kidney Tumor Segmentation Advisor(s): Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos 

Timothy Rose

Pharmacology Inhibitory signaling in the prefrontal cortex: plasticity, regulation, and addiction-related behavior  Advisor(s): Kevin Wickman

Corrie Nyquist

Entomology Effects of environmental temperature on dynamics of cold-adapted midges from Minnesota and Iceland Advisor(s): Leonard Ferrington

Jacob Wittman

Entomology Harnessing the power of numbers to inform management practices of a devastating invasive insect, emerald ash borer Advisor(s): Brian Aukema

Elise Toedt

Education, Curriculum and Instruction "It's Really Hard to Pump as a Teacher!": An Inquiry into the Embodied Experiences of Lactating Teachers Advisor(s): Timothy Lensmire 

Megan Smith

Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology Development of Novel Screening Methods to Identify and Study Beta-Lactone Producing Bacteria and Genes Advisor(s): Lawrence Wackett

Elizabeth Howard

English Borrowed Grief: The Patchwork of Nineteenth-Century Consolation Verse Advisor(s): Andrew Elfenbein

Magaly Ortiz

Hispanic and Luso Literatures, Cultures and Ling The Iberian Veil: Veiling Practices in Medieval and Early Modern Texts Advisor(s): Michelle Hamilton & Raúl Marrero-Fente

Comparative Studies In Discourse and Society Virality, Feminism, and Neocolonial South Korea Advisor(s): Travis Workman

Tessa Cicak

Anthropology Examining the role of competition in primate dietary morphology and isotopes Advisor(s): Kieran McNulty

Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Understanding the impact of pharmacogenetic differences in drug-drug interactions (DDIs): A model-based approach to predict differences in drug exposure Advisor(s): Richard Brundage & Mahmoud Al-Kofahi

Rafa Della Coletta

Plant and Microbial Biology  Structural variation and genomic prediction in maize Advisor(s): Candice Hirsch 

Laise Moreira

Applied Plant Sciences Phenotypic and genetic characterization of flavor and aroma compounds in cold-hardy grapes Advisor(s): Matthew D Clark

Medicinal Chemistry Targeting N-Myc with Selective Aurora Kinase A Degraders Advisor(s): Dan Harki

Collin Calvert

Epidemiology The Role of Policies in Cancer Pain, Health Disparities, and Substance Use Advisor(s): Rhonda Jones-Webb & Darin Erickson

Angelica Maier

Art History Toxic Matter: American Sculpture, Materials Science and Cultural Fear, 1962-1979 Advisor(s): Jane Blocker

Jose Manuel Santillana

Feminist Studies Racial Motherhood Ecologies: Towards a Mapping of Social Life, Violence & Resistance in the Southwest Borderlands, 1980-Present Advisor(s): Zenzele Isoke & Edén Torres

Alexandra Klapperich

Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development Contending Purposes of Pre-Kindergarten: A Comparative Case Study of Early Childhood Education Policy in Minnesota Advisor(s): Roozbeh Shirazi 

Abraham Seda

History A Contested Ring: African Boxing, Social Control and "Subversive Culture" in Colonial Zimbabwe, 1890 to 1980 Advisor(s): Allen Isaacman & Helena Pohlandt-McCormick

Mara McPartland

Geography Characterizing the persistent effects of drought in North American forests Advisor(s): Scott St. George

Surabhi Talele

Pharmaceutics Optimizing chemo- and radio-sensitizing drug regimens that inhibit DNA damage response (DDR) mechanisms for brain tumor therapy Advisor(s): William Elmquist

Gian Pujakusuma

Music Music for Aurally Diverse Audiences; Inclusive Design in Composition Advisor(s): Alex Lubet

Jacqueline Patz-DiPiero

English In the Air: Atmospheric Tonality and the Death of Plot Advisor(s): Timothy Brennan

Andrew Hardt

Mathematics Lattice models, Hamiltonians, and Generalized Free Fermion Conditions Advisor(s): Ben Brubaker

Ozge Ersan Cinar

Educational Psychology Advances in Item Selection and Test Adaptivity to Improve Measurement in Computerized Adaptive Testing Advisor(s): Michael Rodriguez

Gerardo Rodriguez Orellana

Biomedical Engineering Investigating Ultrasound Effects on the Auditory System for a Novel Hearing Aid Advisor(s): Hubert Lim

Business Administration Guaranteeing the Right to Health: The Role of Supply Chains and Access to Care Advisor(s): Kevin Linderman

Morgan Brisse

Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics The RIGI/MDA5 pathway as a source of innate protection against arenaviruses in mice Advisor(s): Hinh Ly

Amber Hamilton

Sociology Doing Race Online: An Exploration of Race-Making on Social Media Platforms Advisor(s): Joyce Bell & Michael Walker

Alyssa Palmer

Child Psychology Promotive and Protective Influences of Early Childhood Mental Health in the Context Rural Poverty Advisor(s): Ann Masten & Dan Berry

Amanda Shopa

Education, Curriculum and Instruction Exploring the Life and School Histories of First-Generation College Graduate Teachers Advisor(s): James Bequette 

Dmitry Chichinadze

Physics Competing instabilities in the particle-hole channel and superconductivity in strongly-correlated electronic systems Advisor(s): Andrey Chubukov

Natalie Dollison

Theatre Arts The Paradoxical Twenty-fifth”: Performance, Race, and Conditional Belonging on the American Imperial Frontier, 1870-1935 Advisor(s): Margaret Werry & Cindy Garcia

Aamod Zambre

Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Dynamics of sexual signal divergence Advisor(s): Emilie Snell-Rood

Vidya Chhabria

Electrical Engineering Machine-learning-based Open-source Chip Design Tools for Power Management Advisor(s): Sachin Sapatnekar

Keira Leneman

Child Psychology The Psychophysiology of White Fragility Advisor(s): Dan Berry & Megan Gunnar

Katherine Pierpont

History The Public Body: Sex Work in 12th and 13th Century Southern France Advisor(s): Kathryn Reyerson & Ruth Karras

Sarah Hammarlund

Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior The Ecological Stability of Microbial Mutualisms Advisor(s): William Harcombe

Rachit Shrivastava

Electrical Engineering Regulation of Intracellular Transport by Molecular Motors: Theory, Instrumentation and DNA based Single Molecule Methods Advisor(s): Murti Salapaka

Caroline Doenmez

Anthropology Water Carriers: Indigenous Women Reclaiming Birth along the Red River Advisor(s): Hoon Song & Jean O'Brien

Aditya Dhumuntarao

Physics Applications of Holographic Models and Black Holes Phase Transitions Advisor(s): Joseph Kapusta

Brendan Cook

Mathematics Poisson learning: A new approach to semi-supervised learning with very limited data Advisor(s): Jeff Calder

Clementine Hamelin

Earth Sciences How does material flow in the depth of continents? Advisor(s): Donna Whitney & Christian Teyssier

Elizabeth Hazel Rickard

Theatre Arts Material Spirits: Race and Performing Objects in Nineteenth-Century American Spiritualism Advisor(s): Margaret Werry

Chemistry Enzymatically lipidated chemically self-assembled nanorings for cell-based cancer immunotherapy and targeted drug delivery Advisor(s):  Mark Distefano & Carston Wagner

Rafid Mahbub

Physics Primordial black hole formation in the inflationary universe Advisor(s): Joseph Kapusta

Diana Chandara

Education, Curriculum and Instruction Complicating Racialized Femininity: An Exploration of Lao and Cambodian American Girls Advisor(s): Bic Ngo

Tristan Truttmann

Materials Science and Engineering Hybrid Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth of Group-IV-Based Ultrawide Bandgap Semiconductors Advisor(s): Bharat Jalan

Allison Steinke

Mass Communication The Institutionalization of Solutions Journalism Advisor(s): Valerie Belair-Gagnon & Matthew Weber

Pearl Han Li

Child Psychology Acquiring Moral Knowledge: Children’s Use and Evaluations of Moral Testimony Across Two Cultures Advisor(s): Melissa Koenig

Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology (All-University) Developing next-generation methods for analyzing CRISPR genetic screens Advisor(s): Chad Myers

Isabella Stallworthy

Child Psychology Infant-parent physiological and affective synchrony in the context of technological distraction Advisor(s): Daniel Berry & Jed Elison

Civil Engineering Advancing Satellite Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture and Vegetation Water Content Advisor(s): Ardeshir Ebtehaj

Sijin (Cathy) Chen

Psychology Sex-modulated strategy in Value-based Decision making Advisor(s): Nicola Grissom

Mohammad Reza Zamani Kouhpanji

Electrical Engineering Introducing novel and cost-effective approaches for large-scale fabrication and characterization of multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles Advisor(s): Bethanie Stadler

Rashad Williams

Public Affairs Twin Cities, Split Politics: Reparations and the Politics of Recognition and Redistribution Advisor(s): Edward Goetz

Sang Min Lee

Economics Globalization, Innovation, and Economic Growth Advisor(s): Timothy Kehoe

Cedric Ndinga Muniania

Plant and Microbial Biology  Effect of ecological context on the evolution of plant-symbiont interactions Advisor(s): Georgiana May

Christopher Warkentin

Chemistry Understanding Plasmon-Mediated Chemistry and Photophysical Processes in a Selection of Plasmon-Molecule Systems Advisor(s): Renee Frontiera

Public Affairs Nonlinear and threshold effects of built environment attributes on travel behavior Advisor(s): Jason Cao

Kedar Nawathe

Mechanical Engineering Effects of Aero-thermal Interactions among Different Coolants on Vane Passage Surface Cooling in a Gas Turbine Advisor(s): Terrence Simon

Jae Shin Yoon

Computer Science Human Rendering Machine: Learning to Render Photo-realistic Human from a Single Image Advisor(s): Hyun Soo Park

Sarunas Verner

Physics No-Scale Supergravity and Inflation Advisor(s): Keith Olive

Cristian Aguilera Arellano

Economics The China Shock and Job Loss in Mexico Advisor(s): Mariacristina DeNardi

Aaron Morris

Conservation Sciences Elephant carcass effects in savanna ecosystems and how ivory poaching reshapes carrion ecology Advisor(s): Joseph Bump

Mathematics Scattering of the Colinear Three-Body problem Advisor(s): Richard Moeckel

Chemistry Development of Small-Molecule Inhibitors and Biophysical Methods for the Epigenetic Protein BPTF Advisor(s):  William Pomerantz

Yangzesheng Sun

Chemistry Machine learning in conjunction with molecular simulations for nanoporous materials discovery Advisor(s): Ilja Siepmann

Einar Gunnarsson

Industrial and Systems Engineering Modeling genetic and non-genetic heterogeneity in cancer: From the evolution of premalignant mutant fields to drug resistance driven by phenotypic switching Advisor(s): Kevin Leder & Jasmine Foo

Sagar Tamang

Civil Engineering Advancing the Predictability of the Earth System Processes: Insights from Optimal Mass Transport Theory Advisor(s): Ardeshir Ebtehaj

Samuel Reed

Natural Resources Science and Management Compounding Disturbances, Ecological Resilience, and the Turbulent Forest Advisor(s): Peter Reich & Lee Frelich

Cydney McGuire

Health Services Research, Policy, and Administration Pathways to Participation: Health and Structural Racism as Determinants of Individual Political Behavior Advisor(s): Sarah Gollust

Zhichen Shi

Chemical Engineering Strategies for selective and stable conversion of methanol to light olefins Advisor(s): Aditya Bhan

Neil Razdan

Chemical Engineering Mechanism, site requirements, and thermodynamic barriers of catalytic CH4 dehydroaromatization Advisor(s): Aditya Bhan

Andreas Mueller

Materials Science and Engineering Origins of Low Symmetry Particle Packings in Diblock Copolymer Melts Advisor(s): Mahesh Mahanthappa & Frank Bates

Sarah Anderson

Biomedical Engineering The Role of Cell Migration in Glioblastoma Progression Advisor(s): David Odde

Robert Alvarez-Quinto

Plant Pathology Study of the vertical transmission and activation of the plant pararetrovirus - Pelargonium  vein banding virus Advisor(s): Benham Lockhart

Julia Brokaw

Entomology Maximizing the potential of prairie restoration and policy to benefit wild bees Advisor(s): Daniel Cariveau

Isaiah Tolo

Conservation Sciences A new tool for an old problem: Investigating koi herpesvirus as a biocontrol tool for common carp Advisor(s): Nicholas Phelps

Anna Bennett

Plant and Microbial Biology  Hidden in plain sight: uncovering the diversity, distribution and functional potential of phototrophic Chloroflexi in Yellowstone hot springs  Advisor(s): Trinity Hamilton

Rehabilitation Science The Feasibility of Tele-Music Therapy on Children with Autism - A Concurrent Mixed Methods Study Advisor(s): Peggy Martin

Ilya Slizovskiy

Veterinary Medicine THE AGRICULTURAL ‘LABOR-OME’ PROJECT: Profiling the resistome and mobilome shared between pigs and agricultural workers Advisor(s): Noelle Noyes & Jeff Bender

Hon Ki Cheung

Music Different Uses of Chinese Musical Traditions and Their Sociocultural Implications in Contemporary Chinese American Music Advisor(s): Sumanth Gopinath

Maximillian Van Wyk de Vries

Earth Sciences Glacier change in Southern Patagonia: observations, forcings and feedbacks Advisor(s): Andrew Wickert & Emi Ito

Maria Ramirez

Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics Molecular and Cellular Forces in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Advisor(s): James Ervasti & Wendy Gordon

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Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship

The Social Science Research Council offers fellowships to support the completion of doctoral degrees and to promote next generation social science research in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. The fellowships support dissertation research on peace, security, and development topics.

Doctoral dissertation proposal fellowships  support PhD students working on developing a doctoral dissertation research proposal as well as students who recently completed a master’s degree and seek to enroll in a PhD program. The fellowships support short-term research costs of up to US$3,000 to develop a doctoral dissertation proposal.  This program also includes two workshops each year that have been designed to create fellows’ networks, help fellows refine, develop, and strengthen research questions, align research methods to questions, engage key literature in their fields, and finalize their doctoral research proposals.

Eligibility:

All applicants must:

• be citizens of any sub-Saharan African country
• be enrolled, or intend to enroll by the time of the award, and working towards a PhD in an accredited university, or affiliated to an institution in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda 
• hold a master’s degree at the time of application

The program prioritizes applicants holding a faculty position or demonstrating a durable commitment to higher education in Africa, but does not restrict eligibility to such individuals.

The program seeks to promote diversity and encourages women to apply.

Thematic Priorities: 

The program features a thematic focus on  peace ,  security , and  development  in order to renew basic research agendas and strengthen interdisciplinary social science research capacity addressing these issues. 

The program encourages innovative research on peace, security, and development topics, broadly conceived, moving the boundaries of scholarship and research by exploring concrete linkages between these themes. We envision supporting a diverse set of projects seeking to shed light on a range of economic, political, social, conflict and peacebuilding processes using evidence-based research. Some projects, we hope, will examine large-scale phenomena and others small-scale social processes. The strongest projects typically will explore connections across these scales. Some research projects will rigorously explore elements of governance, civil society, human rights, peacebuilding mechanisms/institutions and processes, and rule of law. Others will explore root causes of conflict, emerging trajectories and forms of conflict, insecurities, and human mobilities. Above all projects should advance important fields of study and social science knowledge. Please see the following list of prospective issues that are considered relevant to Next Gen fellowships:

• Causes and drivers of conflict
• Institutional and local approaches to conflict prevention, management, and resolution
• National and Regional approaches to peace, security, and development
• Identity and conflict
• Gender, youth, conflict, peacebuilding
• Conflict, peace and human mobilities
• Histories, Arts and Cultures of conflict and peace
• State-Society relations
• Economic and Humanitarian perspectives to conflict and peace
• Democracy, human rights, and development
• Post-conflict development, governance and reconstruction
• Peace agreements and transitional justice and reconciliation
• International justice, war crimes, peace and development
• Law and constitutionalism
• Natural resource governance, conflict, peace and development
• Climate Change, conflict, peace, and security
• Climate change adaptation and mitigation practices and peace
• Globalization and emerging insecurities
• Peace education and African literatures
• Media, digital technology, AI, peace, and security

Application Process: 

All applications must be submitted using our online application portal .

Strong proposals will offer clear and concise descriptions of the project and its significance. Proposals should display thorough knowledge of the relevant social science literature that applicants will engage in and the methodologies relevant to the project. In addition, applicants must demonstrate that all proposed activities are feasible and can be completed in a timely manner. All proposals will be evaluated for these criteria by an independent, international committee of leading scholars from a range of social science and related disciplines.  Fellows must be willing to attend two workshops sponsored by the SSRC each year that are intended to help early-career faculty engage in scholarly reflections, research, and writing. We anticipate awarding up to 36 fellowships in total across all three categories each year.

Information on eligibility, the application process, and award details can be found in our Answers to  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) . For inquiries or technical questions pertaining to the online application portal, please contact SSRC staff from the Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Program:  [email protected] .

This program is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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Today’s highly competitive faculty job market can be challenging to navigate for aspiring academics, particularly those from underrepresented communities. But one Stanford fellowship program is guiding doctoral students through that process and helping them land faculty jobs at colleges and universities across the nation and abroad.

DARE Fellows Greses Pérez, Eduardo Valle, Matthew Clarke, and Melissa Mesinas at the annual welcome reception for incoming fellows, faculty advisors, administrative partners, and guests. (Image credit: Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education)

The Diversifying Academia, Recruiting Excellence Doctoral Fellowship Program , or DARE, is for advanced Stanford PhD students who are interested in exploring and preparing for faculty careers. In addition to funding, DARE provides mentorship, courses, workshops and visits to local colleges and universities. Many fellows are the first in their families to attend college, are from underrepresented backgrounds or bring diversity to their field and academia in a multitude of ways. All fellows benefit from the support and guidance the program provides.

“There’s a lot that students don’t know about preparing for a faculty career,” said Anika Green, assistant vice provost for graduate education and director of the program. “DARE is meant to demystify the process.”

DARE was launched in 2008 as a pilot program by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE) with funding from the Office of the Provost, which continues to fund it today. 

“Designed and championed by VPGE’s inaugural vice provost, Patricia J. Gumport, DARE is truly a visionary program,” said Stacey F. Bent, vice provost for graduate education and postdoctoral affairs. “Patti successfully secured support from former and current Provosts John Etchemendy and Persis Drell, both of whom admire the DARE fellows as much as we do in VPGE.”

DARE fellows join annually in cohorts, which enables them to connect with other students––a key component of the fellowship. They come from all departments across the university in all seven schools and are U.S. citizens, international students and permanent residents. The program’s emphasis on building inclusive environments for students of all backgrounds, experiences and identities is closely aligned with the university’s IDEAL initiative . 

“The PhD experience can be isolating,” said Green. “For many fellows, DARE is their first time in a community of scholars who share similar career goals and are committed to advancing diversity.”

Demystifying the professoriate

The path to a teaching job in higher education is unlike the career trajectories in other fields or industries. According to Dr. anthony lising antonio, associate professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, a call for a faculty position is usually a national search for one person with a specific expertise.

“It’s very competitive to get one of those jobs,” said antonio. “Given the individualized nature of faculty positions, the job market is also unpredictable from year to year. Layer on top of this the variegated nature of the higher education landscape – community colleges, research universities, comprehensive colleges, liberal arts colleges that are public, private, small and large with differing missions, constituencies and student populations – and you have a fairly complex and confusing job market to navigate.”

During their first year in the program, fellows participate in a three-quarter class sequence. This includes the fall quarter course that covers the role of faculty. In the winter quarter, fellows visit local campuses to learn about faculty roles and responsibilities at different types of higher education institutions. In the spring, fellows learn about the nuts and bolts of the faculty job application process. The second year focuses on supporting fellows as they complete their thesis while managing the job application, interview and negotiation process. 

DARE relies heavily on the support of campus partners like the Center for Teaching and Learning, as well as Stanford faculty, many of whom serve as advisors to fellows. antonio, who is a DARE faculty advisor, said this role-modeling is extremely important in opening the possibility of a faculty position for students from diverse backgrounds.

“As institutions that create knowledge and educate students, colleges and universities are best served by faculty and a student body with diverse backgrounds and experiences,” antonio said. “Such an educational environment is vital for fostering critical thinking, innovation, and – in the applied sciences – socially productive knowledge.”

Where are they now?

Since the inception of DARE, 280 students have been named fellows. Most of the 218 alumni are working in the academic sector, with 88 in tenure-line positions and 27 working as postdoctoral scholars. They are working across the country and abroad, in numerous fields at research-intensive institutions, teaching-focused universities, liberal arts colleges, and community colleges. DARE alumni are currently working at Stanford, Bryn Mawr College, Harvard, San Jose State University, UC Berkeley, and the University of Texas, among other institutions.

Chelsey Simmons is a DARE alum who earned her PhD in mechanical engineering at Stanford in 2013 and is now an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Florida. She said the visits to local campuses gave her a more nuanced understanding of the differences in higher education institutions and greatly informed her career choices. She also praised the one-on-one support she received in the program.

“The DARE staff are amazing…they absolutely impacted the trajectory of my career.”

“The DARE staff are amazing,” said Simmons. “Anika Green and Chris Golde (former associate vice provost who co-designed DARE and teaches the first-year curriculum) were such valuable resources as I went through my job search. They served as a sounding board, gave advice on negotiating offers and startup packages, and helped edit my application materials. They absolutely impacted the trajectory of my career.”

DARE alum Tristan Ivory, who completed his PhD in sociology at Stanford in 2015 and is now an assistant professor of international and comparative labor at Cornell University, said that the academic job market has become increasingly competitive. For example, in recent years, postdoctoral fellowships have become a standard requirement for faculty positions in many fields. He said the ability to connect with recent DARE alumni who can advise on the rapidly changing industry is crucial.

“DARE has a large alumni network of folks who are fairly close in age and stage to some of the more recent cohorts, so there’s generally going to be someone that fellows can reach out to with questions about the academic job market,” said Ivory. “Having people that are going through the same experience and can serve as points of reference as you persist further in your career is a great benefit of the program that I am very fortunate to have. I am still in contact with a number of DARE alumni.”

DARE applications for the 2022-2023 academic year are now open. More information is available on the DARE website .

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Global Affairs

Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute

Dissertation research fellowship.

The Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute will fund one $5,000 dissertation research fellowship for the 2023-2024 academic year to support primary research activities. Applicants must have successfully completed their qualifying exams and dissertation prospectus by time of application.

2023 Dissertation Research Fellowship Recipient

Emily Loveland Ph.D. Candidate, School of Social Work

"Reframing The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Applying a Human Rights Framework to Federal Food Assistance in the United States"

Emily Loveland, MSW is a doctoral candidate at the UConn School of Social Work. She has worked at and with the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) for over 11 years. She began her career at DSS directly administering SNAP, cash and Medicaid programs and was perplexed by the rigid eligibility requirements and bureaucratic environment that accompanied social services. As she progressed to a SNAP policy consultant, she began to further understand the landscape of the social safety net at the federal and state level and how it clashed with many social work values and human rights principles. This led Emily to pursue her doctoral studies, focusing on social services, food insecurity, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from a human rights lens.

Former Recipients

• Madri Hall-Fau Ph.D. Candidate, School of Social Work "The Role of Devolution in Social and Economic Rights Fulfillment: The Case of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families in Connecticut"

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to University of Connecticut doctoral students (ABD) in all disciplines from any UConn campus.
• Applicants must have successfully defended a dissertation prospectus by time of application.
• Students may receive this award once during their tenure in the Ph.D. program.
• In any given year, a student may receive either the Dissertation Research Fellowship or the Dissertation Writing Fellowship, but not both.

How to Apply

The proposal process encourages doctoral students to model and meet the requirements for succeeding in competition for funds by defining a problem, a research project, and a timeline for completing the dissertation research.

Access the application via Microsoft Forms . The application requires the following materials:

• Project Rationale: Please describe your reasoning for undertaking this research project and the impact you believe your project will have on understandings of, or policies affecting, human rights.
• Impact: Identify the expected contribution your research will make to the field of human rights.
• Methodology: Explain how you will conduct your research. Be explicit in describing the types of methods employed and the advantage of using these particular methods.
• Anticipated budget and budget justification (Download the Anticipated Budget and Budget Narrative Template )
• Detailed timeline for the completion of your dissertation (no more than one page), describing precisely where you are in your research, what remains to be done, and when you will do it.
• Unofficial transcript
• Short statement from your advisor/dissertation supervisor that addresses the status of your dissertation research and your eligibility for the award. This should not be an evaluative statement about your actual dissertation research. The statement should be submitted electronically via https://forms.office.com/r/uNhcjRgDsi .

 Application Deadline for 2024: April 1st

Evaluation of Applications

The dissertation project should demonstrate overall excellence with a focus on human rights issues, understood broadly. The dissertation research is expected to make a significant contribution to the scholarly, policy or practice literature in human rights. Priority will be given to applications that evidence human rights coursework and/or prior substantive human rights engagement.

Students are encouraged to use the award as support for activities related to dissertation research, including data collection and travel.

All proposals will be reviewed and ranked by a multidisciplinary review committee chaired by the associate director of the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute and comprised of members of the Gladstein Human Rights Committee. The number of grants will depend on the number of applications ranked ‘excellent’ by the review panel.

• MyU : For Students, Faculty, and Staff

CS&E Announces 2024-25 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF) Award Winners

Seven Ph.D. students working with CS&E professors have been named Doctoral Dissertation Fellows for the 2024-25 school year. The Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship is a highly competitive fellowship that gives the University’s most accomplished Ph.D. candidates an opportunity to devote full-time effort to an outstanding research project by providing time to finalize and write a dissertation during the fellowship year. The award includes a stipend of $25,000, tuition for up to 14 thesis credits each semester, and subsidized health insurance through the Graduate Assistant Health Plan.

CS&E congratulates the following students on this outstanding accomplishment:

• Athanasios Bacharis (Advisor: Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos )
• Karin de Langis (Advisor:  Dongyeop Kang )
• Arshia Zernab Hassan (Advisors: Chad Myers )
• Xinyue Hu (Advisors: Zhi-Li Zhang )
• Lucas Kramer (Advisors: Eric Van Wyk )
• Yijun Lin (Advisors: Yao-Yi Chiang )
• Mingzhou Yang (Advisors: Shashi Shekhar )

Athanasios Bacharis

Bacharis’ work centers around the robot-vision area, focusing on making autonomous robots act on visual information. His research includes active vision approaches, namely, view planning and next-best-view, to tackle the problem of 3D reconstruction via different optimization frameworks. The acquisition of 3D information is crucial for automating tasks, and active vision methods obtain it via optimal inference. Areas of impact include agriculture and healthcare, where 3D models can lead to reduced use of fertilizers via phenotype analysis of crops and effective management of cancer treatments. Bacharis has a strong publication record, with two peer-reviewed conference papers and one journal paper already published. He also has one conference paper under review and two journal papers in the submission process. His publications are featured in prestigious robotic and automation venues, further demonstrating his expertise and the relevance of his research in the field.

Karin de Langis

Karin's thesis works at the intersection of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and cognitive science. Her work uses eye-tracking and other cognitive signals to improve NLP systems in their performance and cognitive interpretability, and to create NLP systems that process language more similarly to humans. Her human-centric approach to NLP is motivated by the possibility of addressing the shortcomings of current statistics-based NLP systems, which often become stuck on explainability and interpretability, resulting in potential biases. This work has most recently been accepted and presented at SIGNLL Conference on Computational Natural Language Learning (CoNLL) conference which has a special focus on theoretically, cognitively and scientifically motivated approaches to computational linguistics.

Arshia Zernab Hassan

Hassan's thesis work delves into developing computational methods for interpreting data from genome wide CRISPR/Cas9 screens. CRISPR/Cas9 is a new approach for genome editing that enables precise, large-scale editing of genomes and construction of mutants in human cells. These are powerful data for inferring functional relationships among genes essential for cancer growth. Moreover, chemical-genetic CRISPR screens, where population of mutant cells are grown in the presence of chemical compounds, help us understand the effect the chemicals have on cancer cells and formulate precise drug solutions. Given the novelty of these experimental technologies, computational methods to process and interpret the resulting data and accurately quantify the various genetic interactions are still quite limited, and this is where Hassan’s dissertation is focused on. Her research extends to developing deep-learning based methods that leverage CRISPR chemical-genetic and other genomic datasets to predict cancer sensitivity to candidate drugs. Her methods on improving information content in CRISPR screens was published in the Molecular Systems Biology journal, a highly visible journal in the computational biology field. 

Hu's Ph.D. dissertation is concentrated on how to effectively leverage the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) – especially deep learning – to tackle challenging and important problems in the design and development of reliable, effective and secure (independent) physical infrastructure networks. More specifically, her research focuses on two critical infrastructures: power grids and communication networks, in particular, emerging 5G networks, both of which not only play a critical role in our daily life but are also vital to the nation’s economic well-being and security. Due to the enormous complexity, diversity, and scale of these two infrastructures, traditional approaches based on (simplified) theoretical models and heuristics-based optimization are no longer sufficient in overcoming many technical challenges in the design and operations of these infrastructures: data-driven machine learning approaches have become increasingly essential. The key question now is: how does one leverage the power of AI/ML without abandoning the rich theory and practical expertise that have accumulated over the years? Hu’s research has pioneered a new paradigm – (domain) knowledge-guided machine learning (KGML) – in tackling challenging and important problems in power grid and communications (e.g., 5G) network infrastructures.

Lucas Kramer

Kramer is now the driving force in designing tools and techniques for building extensible programming languages, with the Minnesota Extensible Language Tools (MELT) group. These are languages that start with a host language such as C or Java, but can then be extended with new syntax (notations) and new semantics (e.g. error-checking analyses or optimizations) over that new syntax and the original host language syntax. One extension that Kramer created was to embed the domain-specific language Halide in MELT's extensible specification of C, called ableC. This extension allows programmers to specify how code working on multi-dimensional matrices is transformed and optimized to make efficient use of hardware. Another embeds the logic-programming language Prolog into ableC; yet another provides a form of nondeterministic parallelism useful in some algorithms that search for a solution in a structured, but very large, search space. The goal of his research is to make building language extensions such as these more practical for non-expert developers.  To this end he has made many significant contributions to the MELT group's Silver meta-language, making it easier for extension developers to correctly specify complex language features with minimal boilerplate. Kramer is the lead author of one journal and four conference papers on his work at the University of Minnesota, winning the distinguished paper award for his 2020 paper at the Software Language Engineering conference, "Strategic Tree Rewriting in Attribute Grammars".

Lin’s doctoral dissertation focuses on a timely, important topic of spatiotemporal prediction and forecasting using multimodal and multiscale data. Spatiotemporal prediction and forecasting are important scientific problems applicable to diverse phenomena, such as air quality, ambient noise, traffic conditions, and meteorology. Her work also couples the resulting prediction and forecasting with multimodal (e.g., satellite imagery, street-view photos, census records, and human mobility data) and multiscale geographic information (e.g., census records focusing on small tracts vs. neighborhood surveys) to characterize the natural and built environment, facilitating our understanding of the interactions between and within human social systems and the ecosystem. Her work has a wide-reaching impact across multiple domains such as smart cities, urban planning, policymaking, and public health.

Mingzhou Yang

Yang is developing a thesis in the broad area of spatial data mining for problems in transportation. His thesis has both societal and theoretical significance. Societally, climate change is a grand challenge due to the increasing severity and frequency of climate-related disasters such as wildfires, floods, droughts, etc. Thus, many nations are aiming at carbon neutrality (also called net zero) by mid-century to avert the worst impacts of global warming. Improving energy efficiency and reducing toxic emissions in transportation is important because transportation accounts for the vast majority of U.S. petroleum consumption as well as over a third of GHG emissions and over a hundred thousand U.S. deaths annually via air pollution. To accurately quantify the expected environmental cost of vehicles during real-world driving, Yang's thesis explores ways to incorporate physics in the neural network architecture complementing other methods of integration: feature incorporation, and regularization. This approach imposes stringent physical constraints on the neural network model, guaranteeing that its outputs are consistently in accordance with established physical laws for vehicles. Extensive experiments including ablation studies demonstrated the efficacy of incorporating physics into the model. 

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GGIP Student Handbook

Registration, registration summary.

New students, it is best that you plan out your class schedule as soon as possible and be prepared to register for fall quarter by late August/early September.  In addition to the classes offered by the Graduate Group, many elective classes are offered outside of the GGIP. The best resource for the variety of classes offered at the University in the upcoming quarter is the  Class Search Tool .  Use the ‘Subject Area’ drop-down box. A complete list of course subject codes can be found  here . Common course codes that our students search/take courses from include ANB, ABG, ANG, ANS, BCB, BIS, BIM, BST, BIT, CHA, CLH, DEB, GGG, IMM, MMI, MIB, MIC, MCB, MCP, NPB, NSC, PMI, PTX, STA, and UWP. 

Tools for Registering

You can register for your classes online using  SISWEB or Schedule Builder .  GGIP Core Course registration numbers (CRN) can be obtained from the graduate group coordinator or by looking on the GGIP  website . Note, GGIP core courses are not scheduled in Registrar Rooms, so classroom numbers will not show in Schedule Builder. Please look on the GGIP website. For other elective classes offered outside of the GGIP, you may need to contact the professor who is teaching the class for permission to add the course and the CRN number.  To be registered as a full-time student, you MUST sign up for a minimum of 12 units per quarter .  

http://sisweb.ucdavis.edu

https://students.my.ucdavis.edu/schedulebuilder/  

https://registrar.ucdavis.edu/courses/search/index.cfm  

Registration Appointment Times

Graduate students do not have assigned  registration appointment times and may enroll in classes anytime Monday-Friday 6:00 am – midnight and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. The only exception to this is during registration freezes. 

Graduate students may not enroll in more than 16 units of upper-division and graduate-level courses combined, or in more than 12 units of graduate-level coursework, without the approval of the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. As a continuing student, you will receive an email from the graduate program coordinator (GPC) when registration opens. Please register early, as classes do fill up. Also included in the registration email from the GPC are PMI 299 CRNs for each faculty. If your faculty prefers you to use a 299 CRN with their department, they will need to provide it to you. Registration emails for Fall, Winter, and Spring quarter registration will go out in May, November, and February, respectively.

Graduate (Academic) Advisor

A Graduate Adviser will be assigned to you in the GGIP.  They are available to talk with you about your course plan (MS or PhD) and track your progress throughout the program.  Your Graduate Adviser is the first point of contact for any conflict resolution, concerns with your mentor, lab, or funding. If you have any questions about the coursework, electives, examination, and thesis/dissertation research contact your Graduate Academic Adviser.  GGIP requests that all students meet with their academic advisor quarterly in years 1 and 2. All students are required to meet with their academic advisor at least once a year to go over their annual student progress report.  Lisa A. Miller is the GGIP Master Academic Advisor and is always available as an additional resource for you.

Major Professor (Mentor/P.I.)

Major professor summary.

The role of the major professor is very important. Your major professor is also known as your primary mentor or the Principal Investigator (P.I.) in your lab. They will guide you throughout the program and oversee your research project.  They will also act as the chair of your dissertation committee (or MS thesis committee) and are crucial in securing funding for your dissertation project.  Finding a major professor who fits your needs as soon as possible will ensure that you meet goals within the targeted timeline.  Also, do not feel the need to apologize for making an appointment to meet with your major professor or any other professor at UCD.  Professors are here to help graduate students with their studies and research.  

Major Professor & Employment

Major professors are responsible for communicating to their student(s) how they will be paid for the entire year. If they hire you as a GSR, their department is responsible for providing you with a GSR appointment letter and for communicating who in their department is responsible for submitting your hiring ticket. If you don’t know who the hiring staff is, please ask! 

Academic Appointments

The most common form of graduate support,  teaching and research assistantships , include a salary and tuition & fee remission (including student health insurance). Recipients are assigned to a major professor who supervises the experience. Graduate assistants support undergraduate or professional school instruction as TAs OR undertake research projects, as GSRs. Appointments are available only to graduate students who are registered for courses and enrolled in degree programs. Students whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate  a sufficient level of English language proficiency  to receive a teaching assistantship. 

Students should actively look for TAships 1-2 quarters in advance. Departments post applications on their website and/or on  Handshake .

More information on understanding your graduate student funding can be found  here . Information on the New Bargaining Agreements can be found  here .

Fellowships

Fellowships are highly prestigious financial support packages that typically include a stipend and cover tuition & fees (including student health insurance). They derive from University or outside awards. Unlike academic employment, they do not have required instruction or research responsibilities. Recipients must be enrolled in a degree program and be registered full-time. Find out more information about Graduate Studies' fellowship competitions for incoming and  continuing graduate students .

Fellowships are paid through Banner and are reported on your 1098-T. Information on fellowship disbursement dates can be found  here .

If you are awarded an internal fellowship from Graduate Studies, please reach out to them directly ( [email protected] ) about whether you are allowed to accept other fellowships or employment.

Loans and Financial Aid

A variety of aid is available for all income levels, including various types of student educational loans ( Graduate and Professional Student Loans ,  Short-Term and Emergency Loans ), grants, and  Work-Study  funding. Contact your graduate program regarding the availability of work-study funding. Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need and is administered by the Office of  Financial Aid and Scholarships . Check the  Financial Aid and Scholarships  website for important dates and deadlines related to financial aid.

Fellowships: https://grad.ucdavis.edu/financial-support  

Job Listings: https://grad.ucdavis.edu/resources/student-employment & https://icc.ucdavis.edu/employer/handshake  

MCB Job App : https://www.mcb.ucdavis.edu/jobs/

All UC Davis Students should fill out a  FAFSA Application annually. The Graduate Coordinator will typically remind you when it is time to do this.

Prerequisites

All students are expected to have a strong background in Cell Biology and the equivalent of the below UC Davis courses:  

STA    100    Applied Statistics    4 units

Bis     104    cell biology    3 units.

You must take Cell Biology (BIS 104) before you take PMI 201. 

You must take Applied Statistics (STA 100) before you take PMI 203.  

Please talk with your graduate academic advisor if you have not completed comparable courses. You can use the Fall quarter to complete the two deficiency courses above. STA 100 and BIS 104 are undergraduate courses, meaning they fill up fast. If you have to take these courses, please make sure to register ASAP. Both courses undergo  prerequisite checking . If you submit a prerequisite petition and do not hear back within a week, please follow up with the instructor of record. 

Student Progress Assessment (SPA)

Spa summary.

In addition to completing MS/PhD coursework, Graduate Studies and GGIP  REQUIRE that all graduate students complete the annual online Student Progress Assessment (SPA) report by June 15 th of each academic year. Students must meet in person with both their major professor and their academic adviser to discuss progress. 

SPA & Dissertation Committee Meeting

Once the student has advanced to candidacy, they must hold a meeting with their dissertation/thesis committee before meeting with their academic adviser to discuss their annual progress. The entire dissertation/thesis committee must meet together. If you are having trouble scheduling this meeting, please let the GGIP Coordinator know.

Mentor/Mentee Conflict Resolution Guidebook

GGIP’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee created a helpful Mentor/Mentee Conflict Resolution Guidebook, filled with information, resources, and exercises, including a contract for growing and moving forward. 

GGIP Weekly Newsletter

To reduce inbox overload and endless forwarding, GGIP’s Coordinator will send you a weekly newsletter of all announcements and opportunities that either directly pertain to you or were asked to pass on to you. The newsletter always includes academic dates and deadlines for that week and other important information for you to review.

International Students

Please refer to the  Services for International Students & Scholars office for all questions related to international student status, passport, visas, etc. In addition, the office assists international students in their pre-arrival preparation and provides immigration advice, financial information, general advising and counseling, and a variety of cross-cultural activities. Due to these services, international students are charged a  one-time administrative fee of $159. 

Three Umass Amherst Doctoral Students Earn 2024 Mellon/Acls Dissertation Innovation Fellowships

Three UMass Amherst doctoral students have been awarded  2024 Mellon/American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Dissertation Innovation Fellowships , which support doctoral students in the humanities and interpretive social sciences as they pursue bold and innovative approaches to dissertation research

Jose Mari Lanuza in the Department of Communication,  Mabrouka M'Barek in the Department of Sociology and  Marcus P. Smith in the W. E. B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies are among 45 awardees selected nationally from a pool of more than 700 applicants. Each honoree receives an award of up to $50,000 to support external mentorship that offers new perspectives on the fellow’s project and expands their advising network. With fellows pursuing their research across the country and beyond, ACLS will also provide opportunities for virtual networking and scholarly programming throughout the award terms.

Lanuza’s research explores electoral disinformation in the Philippines by considering social factors, which have often been neglected in prior research. It examines the information-seeking and meaning-making behaviors and processes of people who engage with conspiracy theories about Philippine elections and view contemporary electoral contexts as deeply intertwined with conspiracy theories. This approach illuminates disinformation vulnerability and consumption at the community level as products of micro-level social interactions and macro-level political communication. Lanuza is also a graduate fellow in the newly launched Global Technology for Social Justice Lab and co-author of a study comparing  Brazil and Philippines elections .

M'Barek’s dissertation is a comparative historical sociological project that seeks to analyze how colonization affected North African and North American semi-nomadic communities in the long term, and how these communities are re-engaging in land-based relations while celebrating their nomadic past. Drawing on indigenous methods, her research contributes to the field of sociology by conceptualizing mobility as a web of social relationships and connections with land and natural environment — deepening the understanding of the articulation between colonialism and capital accumulation.

The research pursued by Smith employs an interdisciplinary methodology, drawing from history, ethnography and landscape studies to examine the development of grassroots museums in historically Black rural, agro-urban and coastal communities as sites of community empowerment and resistance. His project investigates and recounts the narratives of museum inception, community mobilization, resource acquisition, curatorial decision-making and establishing the museums as viable and sustainable institutions in different social, political and economic contexts.

The ACLS launched the fellowship program in 2023 with the support of the  Mellon Foundation to advance a vision for doctoral education that prioritizes openness to new methods and sources, underrepresented voices and perspectives and scholarly experimentation. The awards are designed to accelerate change in the norms of humanistic scholarship by recognizing those who take risks in the modes, methods and subjects of their research.

More information about these other fellowship programs offered by the ACLS can be found at https://www.acls.org/fellowship-grant-programs .

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Katherine Scahill Awarded 2024 Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship

Penn Music's Katherine Scahill has been named one of 22 Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellows for 2024. administered by the Institute for Citizen's & Scholars. The award will fund her upcoming dissertation, "The gendered politics of religious authority in Thai Buddhism: Voice, embodiment, and sonic efficacy in the movement for female monastic ordination."

From the Institute for Citizens & Scholars:

The Newcombe Fellowship, funded by the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation, is the largest and most prestigious award for Ph.D. candidates in the humanities and social sciences addressing questions of ethical and religious values in interesting, original, or significant ways. Fellows receive a 12-month award of $31,000 to support the final year of dissertation writing.

The Newcombe Dissertation Fellowship helps promising scholars generate momentum, strengthening fields of study, and preparing new generations of citizens through their teaching and research. For more information on the Newcombe Dissertation Fellowship, please visit  citizensandscholars.org/fellowships/newcombe/ .

© 2024 The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania

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Biophysics Graduate Program

Quantitative Science in the Biological World

Graduate students win Dissertation Completion Fellowship Awards

Graduate students Wayne Water Vigil Jr. and Giulia Alboreggia have each won a Dissertation Completion Fellowship Award. The award, given by the UCR Graduate Division , is given to doctoral students for up to two quarters.