Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship for Underrepresented Students

Deadline: Monday, February 17, 2025

The Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship for Underrepresented Students (formerly known as the President's Dissertation Fellowship) was established in 2014 to provide one year of support to advanced doctoral students who are completing their Ph.D. dissertations. These are one-time fellowships meant to offset a scholar’s living expenses while completing the dissertation. This competition is specifically aimed at graduate students who are underrepresented minorities (URMs) in their field. Graduate students in the natural, physical, and life sciences, technology, and math fields, are especially encouraged to apply.

To apply for this award, applicants must have been admitted to candidacy and received Ph.D. recorder approval at least one month prior to the application deadline. Departments can also nominate a student who is scheduled to advance into candidacy by the end of the current academic year. In this case, departments must provide a document that guarantees the scheduled candidacy of the nominee within the application academic year.

Dissertation fellowships will be awarded in a campus-wide competition administered by core campus committees to individuals who have demonstrated academic achievement and show promise of future achievement as scholars, teachers, researchers, or professionals. Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate a strong likelihood of filing their dissertation at the end of 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

This fellowship is open to Ph.D. candidates earning a dual degree (e.g. M.D./Ph.D., J.D./Ph.D., etc.) who are underrepresented (< 30%) or minority students in their IU degree program. Departments may nominate up to four students who meet the following criteria:

1. Doctoral candidates in Ph.D. programs at Indiana University Bloomington: to apply for this award, applicants must be admitted to candidacy with their candidacy having been approved by the Graduate School Recorder at least one month before the application deadline.

* Departments can also nominate a student who is scheduled to advance into candidacy by the end of the current academic year. In this case, departments must provide a document that guarantees the scheduled candidacy of the nominee within the application academic year. The UGS will not distribute the award if the nominee fails to be admitted to candidacy by the set date.

2. U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents (holders of a Permanent Resident Card) of the U.S.A.

3. Individuals belonging to one or more of the following classes:

• An underrepresented minority, URM, in their particular discipline. The term URM includes DOMESTIC African Americans, Native American/American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, or Pacific Islanders/Native Hawaiians.
• Person with disabilities. Under the ADA, an individual is considered to have a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of their major life activities and have a record of such impairment.
• A gender minority (< 30% of the current graduate population in the department).
• A first-generation college student (a student whose legal custodian(s) did not complete a four-year college degree).
• Individuals with a current or high school address locaterd within a remote rural territory in the state of Indiana.* 

4. Individuals who have not received a dissertation fellowship.

*We define "remote rural" using the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) guidelines. According to these guidelines, a remote rural area is: a "Census-defined rural territory that is more than 25 miles from an urbanized area and is also more than 10 miles from an urban cluster. 
You can use the NCES Locale Lookup to determine if an address falls within a remote rural area. Simply visit the Locale Lookup website, enter the address, and click on the pin in the map.
For more information on locale definitions, please visit the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Locale Classifications and Criteria. 

Selection

View the Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Rubric.

Applications from each department will be evaluated by a fellowship committee. The committee will use the letters of support, academic records, the proposed timeline, plan for completion of the doctoral degree, and student summary as the basis for determining the extent to which candidates meet the eligibility requirements and the selection criteria, including:

1. Degree of promise of completing the Ph.D. dissertation near the end of the fellowship period
2. Type and amount of funding received before the application of the Dissertation Fellowship

Recipients of the Doctoral Dissertation for Underrepresented Students Fellowship will be notified directly by UGSB via their university email address. Those who are not awarded will also be notified.

Obligations and Requirements

Those who accept the Doctoral Dissertation for Underrepresented Students Fellowship must agree to the stipulations in the Terms of Appointment that accompanies the award letter. The University Graduate School Bloomington may request feedback on the efficacy of the award during the year.

The student:

1. will be enrolled full-time.
2. agrees not to accept other full fellowships or employment (including Student Academic Appointments) during the award period.
3. agrees to meet with deans in the University Graduate School Bloomington during the term of the fellowship (if requested).

The department will encourage the student to participate in University Graduate School Bloomington mentoring activities through the Graduate Mentoring Center that are both relevant and appropriate to their career aspirations and will submit an annual report on behalf of the student, summarizing their progress toward the degree.

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