Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship

Please note that the terms, benefits, timeline, and all other logistics of this fellowship are currently under review by the University Graduate School Bloomington (UGS) in consultation with campus partners. Finalized details, including the fellowship’s timeline and structure, will be communicated to all campus units promptly in Fall 2025.

Deadline: Friday, February 13, 2026

Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship is a prestigious award designed to support outstanding doctoral candidates in the final stages of their Ph.D. at Indiana University Bloomington. This one-year fellowship provides financial support to enable recipients to focus solely on completing their dissertations and making significant scholarly contributions to their fields.

Awarded through a highly competitive, campus-wide selection process, this fellowship recognizes academic excellence, research innovation, and the potential for high-impact contributions in a variety of disciplines. Candidates are evaluated based on their scholarly achievements, research significance, and likelihood of completing their dissertations within the fellowship period.

Stipend and Benefits

Recipients receive:

• A one-year stipend of $25,000
• Student health insurance
• The opportunity to participate in workshops, symposia, and events in the Graduate Mentoring Center. Recipients may attend the Institute for Teaching and Mentoring conference by the Southern Regional Education Board Compact for Faculty Development (value: $3,850); and the possibility for expenses paid to participate in one of the semester-long activities sponsored by the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (value: $3,250).

Eligibility and Selection

Eligibility

Departments may nominate up to four students who meet the following criteria:

1. Doctoral Candidacy:
   • Applicants must be doctoral candidates in a Ph.D. program at Indiana University Bloomington and have their candidacy officially approved by the Graduate School Recorder at least one month before the application deadline.
   • Departments may nominate a student scheduled to advance to candidacy by the end of the current academic year. In such cases, departments must provide official documentation guaranteeing candidacy approval within the application academic year. The fellowship will not be awarded if the nominee fails to advance to candidacy by the required date.
   • This fellowship is also open to Ph.D. candidates pursuing a dual degree (e.g., M.D./Ph.D., J.D./Ph.D.).
2. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents (holders of a Permanent Resident Card).
3. Exceptional Dissertation Research Significance:
   • The nominee's dissertation must demonstrate significant academic impact, innovation, or contribution to their field.
   • The project should address critical questions, advance scholarly knowledge, or provide meaningful contributions to research, industry, or society.
4. Overcoming Societal Barriers: Candidates must demonstrate that they have confronted and surmounted significant societal barriers in their pursuit of graduate education. Such barriers may include:
   • Coming from a low-income background.
   • Residing in remote or rural areas.
   • Being the first in their family to attend college.
   • Living with a disability.
   • Following a non-traditional academic trajectory (such as taking a break from formal education due to insurmountable challenges).
   • Balancing significant caregiving responsibilities.

4. Individuals who have not received a year-long dissertation fellowship in the past.

Selection

Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship is awarded through a rigorous, merit-based selection process. The committee will evaluate nominations based on:

• The academic excellence of the nominee, as demonstrated through research achievements, scholarly publications, and external funding competitiveness.
• The significance and innovation of the dissertation project, including its contribution to advancing knowledge or addressing critical issues in the field.
• The likelihood of dissertation completion by the end of the fellowship period, based on the nominee’s proposed timeline and academic progress.
• The strength of departmental nomination materials, including faculty support letters and the department’s commitment to supporting the nominee’s academic success.

Obligations and Requirements

Fellowship recipients must:

• Remain enrolled full-time at Indiana University Bloomington.
• Devote full effort to completing their dissertation and refrain from accepting other full fellowships or employment (including Student Academic Appointments) during the fellowship period.
• Meet with University Graduate School Bloomington deans upon request to discuss academic progress.

Departments nominating a candidate must:

• Support the student’s academic progress and ensure they have access to necessary research resources.
• Encourage participation in dissertation support initiatives offered through the University Graduate School Bloomington.
• Submit an annual report summarizing the nominee’s progress toward degree completion.

Nomination Guidelines

Students must be nominated by their department. We will not accept nominations submitted directly to us by a student. Departments may nominate up to four(4) students for the Dissertation Fellowship.

COMPLETE THE NOMINATION FORM

In nominating the student, the department must submit:

1. 1. A letter of nomination from the department chair (maximum one page) that clarifies why the department believes the student is a strong candidate for this fellowship.
   2. A letter of support from the student’s dissertation chair or doctoral advisor (maximum two pages) that includes comments on the significance of the research project and the student’s potential for making substantial contributions to the field and enhancing the academic community.
   3. (If applicable): A document outlining a guaranteed schedule for candidacy by the end of the application year for the nominated student, signed by both the Dissertation Chair and the Director of Graduate Studies(DGS)/Department Chair.

Submit this information from the student:

1. A curriculum vitae

2. An unofficial transcript

3. A work-plan/timetable for completion of the doctoral degree and rationale for needing this fellowship year

4. A dissertation summary, not to exceed three pages that includes:

   1. Goals and methodologies

   2. Limitations of Study

   3. Significant Finding