Dissertation Fellowships 2013-14

This page is for dissertation fellowships 2013-14 (including research fellowships, dissertation completion fellowships, and other predoctoral opportunities).

The previous year's page (2012-13) is HERE.

AAUW Dissertation Fellowship

 * I just applied to this. Does any body have any experience or knowledge of how they make decision?


 * I am also applying in interested in the same. Especially any numbers on how competitive it is.


 * I applied also, anyone else find it strange you have to pay $40 application fee? it's the only one I had to pay to apply to


 * applied x8 (including the 3 above); share interest in learning numbers v. awards


 * Yep, its a drag to have to pay $40.


 * The $40 and a quick scan through who they funded in my niche field told me I'd have a better chance using that $40 to buy a nice dinner and bottle of wine. Seriously though, seems you either have to have a woman or gender related topic -or- some compelling reason they'd be interested in you (one person I know who got it didn't have a gender topic at all, but she had worked in a rape crisis center--something noted more prominently than her project topic on the website).
 * WAITING GAME. Please post if you hear any word (2/8).

ACLS/ Luce Dissertation Fellowships in American Art
Applied

"Notifications will be sent by late March 2013"

ACLS/Mellon Dissertation Completion Fellowships

 * submitted yesterday - anyone else?
 * yes x9
 * submitted right at deadline from non-ivy, big research public university (x4)
 * Any idea what the chances are for those of us from non-Ivies?
 * My department is in a non-Ivy and someone gets it every couple of years - I think they make an effort to make sure the schools represented are diverse...
 * agreed, non ivy here as well, but R1; but winners last year were clearly ivy/private univ slanted; was rather disappointed by lack of field diversity as well (particularly the history emphasis)
 * I received the award last year and I am non-Ivy/non-private. Good luck to all those who applied!
 * I gave up on this because there are restriction about having to be in your 6th year including you MA. I am in a program in which you can not complete your MA and PhD in six years. No way.Make sure you check that detail for yourself. I even e-mailed them about it and talked to my dean.
 * I submitted but am also past the 6th year - sort of - will be beginning the 7th during the award. I'm in the same position as you; plus I took leave of absence to go do language learning, etc. There's a section on the application to plead your case, and they ask that your dissertation advisor mention this in the reference letter. I don't think it's a big deal as long as you have a valid reason. No one in my program has ever graduated in under 7 years, and some do it in 8.
 * I also applied and am in my 6th year now. I received my MA in a totally different field--and had a year's hiatus before starting my PhD. Any idea if those three years will also be counted? Thanks.
 * Actually, if you're in your 6th year, you're eligible. I called and asked about this before applying. Only if you're in your 7th year do you need to "plead your case."
 * Any idea what the numbers are (applicants / accepted) for this fellowship?
 * Last year there were around 1100 applicants and they selected 70 (last year they accepted 70 because they had the funds to do so, but it might be 65 again this year).
 * When do these decisions start coming out? In past years I've seen decisions as early as Jan. and as late as April. 
 * Last year they sent out notices during the first week of March.  Those who received the awards and those who did not all heard from ACLS via email on the first Friday in March (if I remember correctly).
 * WAITING GAME. Please post if you hear any word (2/8).
 * I wish I could just forget about it until March, but I'm already going nuts! Ugh.
 * The website says "late March."

American Academy in Rome- Rome Prize
Has anyone applied for this?

Yes. Judging by previous years, the short list should be contacted soon for interviews. The dates might be pushed back this year because of Sandy, however. (1/28/2013)
 * That's what I have assumed as well - though that hasn't stopped me from attempting to see if anyone else has heard! (Poster from above - 1/28)

Request for an interview received via email late this afternoon. (2/1)


 * Congrats! Mind sharing what field you applied in?
 * Applied in Early Modern and Modern; interview is for the former.
 * Thanks for replying-do all interview requests go out at the same time? In short, can I, an applicant in the field of medieval studies, stop checking my inbox for an email from the AA? (2/2)
 * Also congrats! I applied for EM so suppose I can stop checking my inbox now. I do know that Ancient went out a couple weeks ago so there may be some fields not yet notified.

Center for Jewish History, Dissertation Fellowships
The Center for Jewish History, composed of its five partners (American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research) offers ten month fellowships to doctoral candidates to support original research using the collections at the Center. Preference is given to those candidates who draw on the library and archival resources of more than one partner institution. Fellows must be in residence at the Center from September 2013- June 2014 and applicants should have completed all requirements (coursework, exams, dissertation proposal) for the doctoral degree except for the dissertation. It is required that each fellow spend a minimum of 3 days/week in residence in the Lillian Goldman Reading Room using the archival and library resources. Fellows must also participate in the Center for Jewish History Fellowship Seminar Program, deliver a minimum of one lecture based on research conducted at Center, and submit a report upon completion of the Fellowship describing her/his experience as a Center Fellow. Full fellowships carry a stipend of up to $15,000 for a period of one academic year for students based in universities in the New York City metropolitan area as well as those who reside within approximately 125 miles of New York City. Fellows from universities more than 125 miles away from New York City will be entitled to a stipend of up to $18,000, and in some cases, additional funding of up to $5,000 may be made available to offset living expenses. For more information about the fellowship and complete application instructions please visit: http://www.cjh.org/p/36. Applications for the 2013-2014 fellowship are due February 18, 2013.

CFD

 * Any insight on when member institutions look at applications?


 * It varies by institution. You should contact the person in charge of the CFD stuff at the member school you're interested in to check. I do know that Macalester will not be selecting anyone this year due to budget constraints. (12/20)


 * Anyone receive an interview request yet? I know that CFD schools tend to call around this time of the year. (1/9)
 * None here. I was just wondering too if anyone had heard anything... (1/13)
 * Same. I've heard nothing at all and am guessing it could be a while based on last year's thread. (1/15)
 * Contacted by member institution asking me to apply for a 1 yr faculty replacement position (1/25)
 * Request for interview (1/30); Invited for campus interview (same institution) (2/6) --> This is for a postdoc position

Charlotte Newcombe Fellowship

 * Just Applied to this. Any experience or insight of how they make decision?


 * Applying - does anyone know if the focus has to be "religion AND ethics" or could it just be religion?


 * - From the website: 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.


 * -on 11/1/2012, the website for Woodrow Wilson institute and Newcombe fellowship has been done for 3 days since Sandy, phone number is also not working, has anyone been able to access website or call the office?


 * No, I have been trying to reach them via these mediums too. I got on Monday afternoon to get the address to send transcripts, no dice ever since.


 * 11/3 -- Web service restored!


 * 11/12––Is anyone else having trouble uploading documents? I'm using Safari, have the proper format and title, and when I click to upload nothing happens.


 * --I used Chrome on a Mac and couldn't upload my documents as PDFs despite what the site said, no matter how many times I tried, etc. So, I uploaded them as DOCs and then the site converted them to PDFs when refreshed o_O There are some serious tech issues for that application, however, such as dropdowns for the years being all out of order and the institutional database seems to be homemade (that is, not displaying them all).[Update to what I wrote: 11/14 and I am now having issues uploading my remaining documents - either in DOC or PDF form. I will write tech support I guess.]


 * 11/14 - Many thanks for this tip. I couldn't get it going on Firefox/Chrome 'Canary'/Safari on the Mac or Firefox on the PC and had to use the regular Chrome browser on the mac with the .doc extension before it took my files. I would have happily taken the copy-and-paste into the text box over that mess.


 * --I emailed their tech support, and they said to email them the documents and they would upload them to my application. However, I tried again (using Chrome and PDFs) and was able to upload anything without any trouble. Maybe there will still glitches they hadn't fixed after the storm that are only now being remedied...
 * WAITING GAME. Please post if you hear any word (2/12).

Chateaubriand Fellowship in the Humanities

 * does anyone know where/if we can get ahold of bios/project descriptions of previous winners? noone I know on French or American side knows anyone who has been awarded...not sure what kinds of projects are successful.
 * I found a little info on past winners here: http://www.fulbright-france.org/docs/2012142732_biodatas1213chateaubriand.pdf
 * does anyone know if the french faculty who's supporting you is allowed to support more than one applicant? and if they are, does it reduce the chances of the applicants they support?

CLIR/ Mellon Fellowship

 * applied x5
 * In case anyone is wondering, it seems from looking at last year's page that applicants were notified at the beginning of March.

Council for European Studies (CES)/Mellon Dissertation Completion Fellowship
Deadline February 4, 2013

http://councilforeuropeanstudies.org/grants-and-awards/dissertation-completion

DAAD
applied (x1)


 * Last year they sent out emails for both acceptance and rejection on March 2.

Dartmouth College
applied (x1)


 * Anyone know what the odds are on this one?

Dumbarton Oaks Junior Fellowship

 * Has anyone else applied for this one? Yes. (X2)


 * Anyone asked for an interview yet?


 * No answer yet.


 * No, no answer yet either. But I'm pretty sure there is no interview component to the application. Have you heard otherwise?


 * Yeah, there is usually an interview. Had a friend last year make it as a finalist and she had to interview. Also, I think I remember that the application asked for special contact info through the holidays for Junior Fellows which I assumed was intended to allow the committee to contact finalists to schedule an interview. No word yet here either. Good luck all!
 * No letter or call or email as of 1/21. Anyone else?
 * I'm still waiting too!  I hear from past Fellows that they usually interview in February, which means they should be contacting people soon, I imagine. (x2)
 * Same here--no news.  I've heard that word of interviews usually comes via email and last year interviewees were contacted mid-January for Feb interviews.  *sigh*
 * Still no word as of 1/31. Has anyone received a note or call? (x2)
 * nope, not yet.
 * I wonder if they're doing it differently this year, and foregoing interviews.  I took another look at the website, and all it says about notification is: "Awards will be announced in February 2013 and must be accepted by March 15 of that year."  No mention of interviews.  Perhaps it's a new money-saving plan?
 * Good point - I had a flash of intuition that might be the case. Also, they've been making some changes, most notably since 2010 when they starting shifting the Harvard students out of the fellowship pool, by giving them their own fellowships...times, they are a-changin!
 * Here's hoping.  With every day that goes by I get a little less optimistic.  I just wish I knew what the status was so I could lick my wounds and move on if it's not in the cards!

Eleanor Tufts Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, Southern Methodist University

 * applied--anyone else?  Yes.
 * Any idea when notifications will be sent out, or if they are doing interviews?
 * I think two years ago they did interviews at CAA, but am not sure if that is still the case.
 * Has anyone heard anything yet? Nope, but I hope they will notify soon if they plan to interview at CAA in two weeks.
 * Any news? Are they interviewing at CAA? 2.12
 * I haven't heard anything at all.

Fisher Center Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, Hobart and William Smith Colleges

 * Screening begins March 25 (http://www.hws.edu/academics/fisher_center/Fisher_Center_Predoc_app.pdf)

Five Colleges

 * Starting the application. Any tips out there about why are looking for?


 * starting as well x4


 * It seems to me that diversity and teaching philosophy are key here. 


 * From looking at the past recipients, they favor students also working on dissertations about diversity. Does anyone know how much of a role this actually plays?


 * - Putting finishing touches to my application. Will have it sent by Friday at latest. Good luck to everyone applying!
 * applied!  crossing my fingers for everyone :) (x3)

Ford Dissertation Fellowship

 * Anyone know if you can submit references through interfolio?


 * above: no, they send an electronic upload link to recommenders when you submit email addresses on the website. also note the deadline extension to 11/24.


 * submitted x7
 * WAITING GAME. Please post if you hear any word (2/8).

Frick Collection Andrew Mellon Curatorial Fellowship

 * anyone apply?

Fulbright IIE

 * applied x2
 * 1/8/13: Does anyone know when announcements from the National Screening Committee are made?


 * I think the official website says by 1/31, but posts on thegradcafe.com seem to indicate that in previous years announcements have come ca. 1/15-1/20.
 * I heard from my campus advisor that decision e-mails will be sent out today, 1/18/13
 * First round decision sent via e-mail 1/18/13
 * Skype interview scheduled for 2/12/13.  Nepal

Gaius Charles Bolin Fellowships, Williams College
NOTE: also posted at CreativeWriting 2013 and Humanities and Social Sciences Postdocs 2012-13


 * acknowledgment received: 11/20 (x6)


 * 1/3: Received email asking for anonymous EEOC survey at: https://webapps.williams.edu/admin-forms/ephapp/facultyeeoc.php?jo_id=2012-0028  (x2)
 * 2/1: Rejection received via email. From the email: "We received a record number of applications this year -- more than 250 for just two new positions." (x4)
 * are your names at the beginning of the alphabet?
 * ​nope P.
 * oh, these went directly to specific departments, right? what departments did rejections come from?


 * IDK, but am curious. Applied to Gender and Latino Studies. Anyone know?
 * idk, either. Applied to Classics, no rejection yet. Anyone know if they do interviews for this?
 * I applied under Africana Studies and got a rejection email on 2/1.
 * I applied to French & Comp Lit, no rejection and no interview.
 * Philosophy, rejection.

Getty Library Research Grant

 * applied x1

Getty Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowship

 * -I applied this year for a pre-doctoral fellowship (this year's theme: Connecting Seas). Does anyone have insider knowledge about the number of applicantions they typically receive or have an understanding of the review procedures for this fellowship? Do they invite some of their pre-selected senior scholars to review the other applications? The Getty doesn't seem to want to disclose this information for whatever reason...


 * -I don't know about the whole process, but can tell you that last year acceptances were notified mid-February.
 * -Curious about typical application volume from past years. Any insights?
 * People are starting to hear, as of the week of second week in February. Presumably first-round accepances.
 * How are applicants being contacted, by email or phone? What do you mean by 'first round acceptances'?
 * "People"?

Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Dissertation Fellowship

 * These fellowships of $20,000 each are designed to contribute to the support of the doctoral candidate to enable him or her to complete the thesis in a timely manner and are only appropriate for students approaching the final year of their Ph.D. work.
 * This fellowship is not for support of doctoral research. Applications are evaluated in comparison with each other and not in competition with the postdoctoral research grant proposals. Applicants may be citizens of any country and studying at colleges or universities in any country.
 * Questions that interest the foundation concern violence and aggression in relation to social change, intergroup conflict, war, terrorism, crime, and family relationships, among other subjects. Dissertations with no relevance to understanding human violence and aggression will not be supported. Priority will also be given to areas and methodologies not receiving adequate attention and support from other funding sources.
 * Application submitted x 2

Illinois Institute of Technology Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in Philosophy
Anyone else apply to this? Applied x1

Ithaca College Pre-Doctoral Diversity Fellowship

 * anyone heard anything about this for 2013-2014? All I can find online is last year's information. 

https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=44063


 * Last year they didn't post the call until January, so it's likely that we can expect a similar timeline this year?


 * New information has been posted. See here: https://apply.icjobs.org/postings/21459. And note the limited number of departments you can apply to: Art History, Communication Studies, English, Economics and Modern Languages and Literatures.


 * applied x4
 * WAITING GAME. Please post if you hear any word (2/8).

Josephine de Karman Fellowship

 * -their website is sparse and they want such short essays, what's the deal on this fellowship? anyone have any idea on what kinds of people they are looking for?


 * Keep this in mind: "Potential applicants should note that the competition for DeKarman fellowships is extreme. For the 2012-2013 cycle, the committee reviewed 356 applications and awarded ten (8) fellowships. To be competitive, graduate applicants should have outstanding letters of recommendation, significant publications, and have completed several chapters of the dissertation at the time of application." - http://www.dekarman.org/qualifications/
 * Applied x5

Lehigh University Pre-Doctoral/Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Latin American Studies

 * The College of Arts and Sciences and the Latin American Studies Program at Lehigh University invite Ph.D. candidates specializing in Latin America, with a clear contemporary Latin American cultural studies focus, to apply for a two-year predoctoral / postdoctoral fellowship, beginning Fall 2013. Applications are welcome from candidates whose research concentrates in any of the following areas: social movements, identity (gender, ethnic, religious, etc.), transnational migration, and/or urbanization. Successful candidates will also demonstrate breadth and depth of cultural and Spanish language experience, and ability to create and offer a Latin American Studies introductory course.


 * Also posted at Humanities and Social Sciences Postdocs 2012-13
 * Application acknowledged x 2


 * Skype interview scheduled x 2


 * On campus interview scheduled x 1
 * Offer made and accepted

Mabelle McLeod Lewis Memorial Fund Grants (for Nor-Cal schools only)
Applied x3

Confirmation e-mail received 1/20 (x3)

"You will be notified of the outcome of the process in mid-March."


 * It's tough to condense entire project - including background info for humanistic audience, work to date/summary, and timeline to completion in < 1000 words. Also really difficult to locate stapler for snail mailing 4 collated copies of everything...!

Marilyn Yarbrough Dissertation Fellowship (Kenyon College)
Anyone else apply for this one?


 * 1/7: Yes, but haven't heard anything from them yet x2


 * 1/16 -- They began reviewing applications this week.


 * 1/18: ^ thanks for the update!


 * 1/25: Contacted for phone interview x2


 * 2/4: Campus visit scheduled

The Mary Isabel Sibley Fellowship (Greek)
1/18: Applied


 * 1/23: Email confirming application received and asking follow-up question

McNeil Center for Early American Studies Fellowships
Applied (x4)

Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art History Fellowship Program

 * confirmation received 11/30 (x5)

National Gallery of Art CASVA Pre-Doctoral Fellowship

 * applied x3


 * Has anyone received word yet about interviews? I think last year they took place during the first or second week of February, so I'm surprised not to have heard something (either way) by now.


 * -no word yet here either, perhaps the delays caused by the hurricane also delayed the processing and reviewing of applications.


 * -no word here either x2.  I think the application form asked for contact info in mid or late January, didn't it?  I had taken that to mean that this was when they would contact people for interviews.


 * -you are right, I think the application did ask for contact information for where we'd be in mid to late January, so I would bet that's when they are planning to contact us. Personally, I think they will try and sync travel plans for interviews around the time of CAA, since it's in NYC this year. But that's just a hunch...


 * I was called for an interview last year the week of January 15th. The interviews took place around February 8th at CASVA in DC. I hope this helps...
 * No word here either x3. I second the opinion that the long submission delay because of Hurricane Sandy might push back notification time.
 * called for interview 01/14/13 (x6)
 * nothing yet as of 01/14/13 (x6, alas)
 * Does anyone know how many applicants are interviewed for each fellowship category?If interviews are taking place for 9 fellowships over the course of 2 days, it can't be that many.  Or can it?
 * I think that 2 people are interviewed for each fellowship --> at least that is how it was last year.
 * The number of interviewees, I think, may vary by year and fellowship. For the fellowship I applied for, I personally know two people who were called for interviews last year, but they ultimately offered it to another person, so that is at least 3 finalists interviewed.  The interviewing committee seems to be field specific, so CASVA may have different committees for each general period specialization. My field is early modern, and when they told me the names of the interviewing committee, I knew the scholarship of 5 out of 6: they were all early modernists.
 * How are the calls for interviews and rejection letters arriving? Snail mail? Email?
 * I found out about my interview via a phone call. (x3)
 * For those with interviews, which specific fellowship are you interviewing for? Chester Dale (x1) Wyeth (x1) Smith (x1) Mellon (x1) (Kress x 1) Finley (x1)
 * Does anyone know who is on the final selection (interview) committee?  Not their names, but rather their respective fields of specialization?
 * As far as I know, their specializations are: 17th century Dutch art, Italian Renaissance (emphasis on Theory), Medieval to Early Modern China, Italian Renaissance, 19th century French art.
 * x3 on the above committee, but I am not certain if it is the same for each fellowship.
 * My understanding is that it's the same committee for all the interviews, and thus for all the fellowships, but I could be wrong. [In response, I'm interviewing for the Ittleson (non-Western) fellowship and have the same committee as above; so I imagine it's the same for everyone.]
 * Does anyone know how long it takes the committee to notify grant recipients after the interview? A week? Two weeks?  Very fast, within a few days.
 * Has anyone heard from interviews for the Chester Dale fellowship? I haven't so I'm assuming I'm already out of the competition. As of 01/22/13.
 * Do post-interview acceptions/rejections come via phonecall or email?
 * Post-interview acceptances come via phone.  I'm not sure about post-interview rejections.
 * Do they choose alternates in case their first choice candidate declines the award?
 * Very kind rejection email (with PDF of letter) sent 1/29. (x3)
 * Anyone hear about the travel abroad fellowship for historians of American art?  Perhaps that's on a different timeline than the main CASVA predoctoral fellowships?
 * When should we expect post-interview acceptances/rejections? Wednesday - Thursday next week?
 * Not sure, but it seems like they come quickly.  It would be really nice to know before CAA.
 * Any insights on how the decision is made? Does the dean's opinion carry more weight?
 * I assume they vote but that the final decision belongs to the Dean. I heard that last year some people already knew on the Monday following the interviews.
 * If anyone hears anything tomorrow, please let the rest of us know!
 * Got a call last night telling me I was accepted. I don't know if they call everyone on the same day or not - I know people who were informed on the Monday last year. (x3).
 * Congratulations!  Were you one of the people above who indicated which fellowship you were nominated for (trying to figure out if I should give up hope yet...)
 * Yes, please tell us which ones - that would help so much. Cheers!
 * Samuel H. Kress
 * Andrew Mellon
 * Smith
 * any word today?
 * Has anyone heard of acceptances coming out after the main group finds out in past years?  It seems unlikely, but I suppose one never knows.
 * The recipients have until early March to inform CASVA whether or not they intend to accept the fellowship offered, but I don't know whether or not alternates are selected... I would imagine they wouldn't make offers to anyone they hadn't interviewed.

Sarah Pettit Doctoral Fellowship (Yale)

 * Did anyone else think this had the most ridiculous application form?
 * Does anyone have any idea when they will announce the decision?

SSRC Eurasia Program Dissertation Development Awards

 * How many applied? x1

SSRC International Research Fellowship

 * LINK: http://www.ssrc.org/fellowships/idrf-fellowship/
 * applied x5
 * Has anyone heard anything from SSRC yet?
 * Transcript request received 1-31
 * Did anyone else receive a transcript request?  Is this typical?
 * Applicant from the last two years chiming in: SSRC requests transcripts from those who have advanced to the short list/final round of the competition.  If you have not been contacted with a request for a transcript, you probably did not make it to the next round, alas, and will be receiving a letter via snail mail in the next few weeks.  If you did receive a transcript request, you will get a decision in April or thereabouts.  (And if you don't receive a fellowship after making the finals, you will receive reviewer feedback, which can be very helpful and encouraging!)  Good luck to all!
 * Transcript request received 5th Feb. It seems like they come in over a period of time. Anyone knows how large the remaining pool is for those whose transcripts were requested? -My understanding of the process, which is based on following message boards over the years and some conversations with professors who have served as SSRC reviewers, is that the pool is cut to around 200 at the "transcript request" stage. So the first cut is quite a significant one (they have received 1,100-1,200 apps in recent years) when compared to other agencies (Wenner-Gren, for instance, cuts about 50 percent in their first round.) The national panel meets in April to go over the remaining 200 or so apps that received transcript requests and they select the 75-80 winners.  The reviewer comments are generally useful and encouraging, but unless you crack that top 15-20 percent, you won't be getting them.

Smithsonian American Art Museum Fellowships
Applied

"Notification of decisions will be made on April 15, 2013."


 * I spoke to the fellowship coordinator and she said that if you are offered another fellowship before the Smithsonian notifies in mid-April, you can call them around mid-March and ask about your status.


 * ^That's helpful, thanks!

United States Institute for Peace (USIP) Jennings Randolph Peace Scholarship Dissertation Program

 * -Any news from USIP?  When do they traditionally announce winners?  Or do they do interviews with finalists?

UT-Austin AADS Dissertation Fellowship

 * 1/15: Any word on what's happened to this program? I never saw an announcement for this year...


 * 2/1: The first year it wasn't annoced until Feb 23rd... Possiblly coming this month.