Dissertation Fellowships
For Achieving Excellence in College and University Teaching
2009 Program Announcement
Dissertation Program Announcement (pdf)
Administered by the National Research Council
On-line Application Deadline: November 28, 2008
Announcement of Awards: April 2009
Statement of Program Goals
Through its program of Diversity Fellowships, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.
Dissertation Awards
This year the program will award approximately 35 dissertation fellowships. The dissertation fellowships provide one year of support for individuals working to complete a dissertation leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree.
Dissertation fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The awards will be made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.
Eligibility
Eligibility to apply for a dissertation fellowship is limited to:
- All citizens or nationals of the United States regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation (must have become a U.S. citizen by November 28, 2008),
- Individuals with evidence of superior academic achievement (such as grade point average, class rank, honors or other designations),
- Individuals committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level,
- Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree candidates studying in an eligible research-based discipline at a U.S. educational institution, and
- Individuals who have not earned a doctoral degree at any time, in any field.
(The term “national of the United States” designates a citizen of the United States or a native resident of a possession of the United States. It does not refer to a U.S. permanent resident who is a citizen of another country.)
Criteria for Selection
The following will be considered as positive factors in choosing successful candidates:
• Evidence of superior academic achievement
• Degree of promise of continuing achievement as scholars and teachers
• Capacity to respond in pedagogically productive ways to the learning needs of students from diverse backgrounds
• Sustained personal engagement with communities that are underrepresented in the academy and an ability to bring this asset to learning, teaching, and scholarship at the college and university level
• Likelihood of using the diversity of human experience as an educational resource in teaching and scholarship
• Membership in one or more of the following groups whose underrepresentation in the American professoriate has been severe and longstanding:
Alaska Natives (Eskimo/Aleut)
Black/African Americans
Mexican American/Chicanas/Chicanos
Native American Indians
Native Pacific Islanders (Polynesian/Micronesian)
Puerto Ricans
Review panels may also look at additional factors such as the suitability of the applicant's proposed institution and the likelihood that the applicant will fully utilize 9 to 12 months of support prior to receiving the Ph.D. or Sc.D.
Eligible Fields of Study
Awards will be made for study in research-based Ph.D. or Sc.D. programs that include the following major disciplines and related interdisciplinary fields: American studies, anthropology, archaeology, art and theater history, astronomy, chemistry, communications, computer science, earth sciences, economics, education, engineering, ethnomusicology, geography, history, international relations, language, life sciences, linguistics, literature, mathematics, performance study, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religion, sociology, urban planning, and women’s studies. Also eligible are interdisciplinary ethnic studies programs, such as African American studies and Native American studies, and other interdisciplinary programs, such as area studies, peace studies, and social justice. The complete list of eligible fields of study supported by the fellowship program is available by clicking on the link provided.
Individuals enrolled in the following practice-oriented programs will not be supported: business, management, administration, occupational health, nursing, consumer science, library and information science, speech pathology, audiology, personnel, guidance, social work, social welfare, public health, physical education, physical therapy, kinesiology, rehabilitation science, educational administration and leadership, fine arts, filmmaking, and performing arts. In addition, awards will not be made for work leading to terminal master’s degrees, the Ed.D. degree, the degrees of Doctor of Fine Arts (D.F.A.) or Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), or professional degrees in such areas as medicine, law, and public health, or for study in joint degree programs such as the M.D./Ph.D., J.D./Ph.D., and M.F.A./Ph.D.
Fellowship Institution
Fellowships are tenable at any fully accredited, nonprofit U.S. institution of higher education offering a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree in the eligible fields of study.
Verification of Doctoral Degree Candidacy
- A valid National Academies Verification of Doctoral Degree Candidacy Form, signed by the adviser or other authorized official, must be received by the Fellowships Office of the National Academies by January 16, 2009 to confirm that an applicant has advanced to doctoral candidacy.
- Applicants should expect to complete the dissertation during the 2009-2010 academic year, but no later than fall 2010.
Stipend and Benefits
- One-year stipend: $21,000
- Expenses paid to attend one Conference of Ford Fellows (see below)
- Access to Ford Fellow Liaisons, a network of former Ford Fellows who have volunteered to provide mentoring and support to current fellows.
Tenure
The tenure of a dissertation fellowship will be no less than 9 months and no more than 12 months, with tenure beginning no earlier than June 1, 2009 and no later than September 1, 2009.
Evaluation and Selection of Fellows
Applications will be evaluated by panels of distinguished scholars selected by the National Academies. The panels will use academic records, essays, letters of recommendation, the proposed timetable and plan for completion of the doctoral degree, the application itself, and other appropriate materials as the basis for determining the extent to which candidates meet the eligibility requirements and the selection criteria.
Conditions of Fellowships
Dissertation fellows are expected to be engaged in a full-time program leading to a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree in an eligible field of study. Those who accept a dissertation fellowship must agree to the stipulations in the Terms of Appointment for Ford Foundation Fellows that accompanies the award letter. In addition, Ford Fellows must agree to participate in regular updates of the Directory of Ford Fellows, as well as periodic surveys designed to demonstrate the impact of this program.
How to Apply
The on-line fellowship application is available on this site. Applicants must register and establish a personal user ID and password. All application materials become the property of the National Academies and are not returned to applicants. Please note that all application materials must be written in English. (In special circumstances, when an applicant is unable to complete the electronic application, a paper application may be submitted. A paper application may be obtained by submitting a written request to the address listed under Contact Information, see below. Such a request must include a valid, current address and phone number, and must be received by the National Academies no later than November 1, 2008. Instructions for submitting the paper application and supporting materials will be provided with the paper application. The postmark deadline for paper applications is November 28, 2008. No paper application bearing a postmark later than November 28, 2008 will be accepted for review.)
In order to be reviewed, the on-line application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 28, 2008. Supplementary Materials must be received in the Fellowships Office by January 16, 2009. Items listed below in boldface are required.
On-line Application – Deadline November 28, 2008
- Personal information, contact information, educational background (names of all institutions attended, years attended, degrees received), list of any honors, awards, fellowships, employment, and publications,
- Statement of previous research (two-page limit, double-spaced ),
- Annotated bibliography (two to three sentences for no more than ten key items),
- Abstract of dissertation (one-page limit)
- Essay explaining the plan and timeline for completing the dissertation and describing the applicant’s long-range career goals (three-page limit, double-spaced, avoid technical jargon),
- Personal statement (not to exceed three pages, double-spaced) that describes the applicant’s background and experience and commitment to the goals of the Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships program by addressing all of the following that apply:
- the applicant’s capacity to respond in pedagogically productive ways to the learning needs of students from diverse backgrounds
- the applicant’s sustained personal engagement with communities that are underrepresented in the academy and ability to bring this asset to learning, teaching and scholarship at the college or university level
- the applicant’s likelihood of using the diversity of human experience as an educational resource in teaching and scholarship, and
- Membership in one or more of the following groups whose underrepresentation in the American professoriate has been severe and longstanding:
- Alaska Natives (Eskimo/Aleut)
- Black/African Americans
- Mexican American/Chicanas/Chicanos
- Native American Indians
- Native Pacific Islanders (Polynesian/Micronesian)
- Puerto Ricans
- Names and contact information of four professors who will upload a letter of reference on your behalf.
Supplementary Materials – Deadline January 18, 2008
- Transcript showing receipt of baccalaureate degree,
- Graduate School Transcript(s),
- Letters of reference (All letters must be submitted electronically. Applications with less than the minimum of three letters submitted in support of the fellowship application will not be included in the review), and
- Verification of Doctoral Degree Candidacy Form. (The adviser or another appropriate official must submit a standard National Academies Verification of Doctoral Degree Status Form verifying that the applicant has completed all requirements for a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree except for writing the dissertation.)
Advance Preparation
- Prepare essays and annotated bibliography in advance and save each in a separate file so that you are prepared to upload these texts. Get feedback from advisers, mentors, and colleagues.
- Contact potential referees. Be certain that they agree to upload a letter of reference for you and that they can do so by the deadline of January 16, 2009. The on-line system will require you to provide an e-mail address for each referee.
Conference of Ford Fellows
- A unique national conference of a select group of high-achieving scholars committed to diversifying the professoriate and using diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students
- Networking with peers and “elders”
- Face to face conversations with university and academic presses
- Publication workshops
- Strategies to complete the dissertation
- Planning an academic career
- Career advancement workshops
- Proposal, grant-writing, and research funding advice
- Paper and poster presentations with supportive comments and critiques from colleagues
- Opportunities to identify mentors and peers from across the country
- Opportunities to interact with established and emerging scholars in diverse fields
The Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships program also provides predoctoral fellowships for students working toward a Ph.D. or Sc.D., and postdoctoral fellowships for Ph.D. or Sc.D. recipients. Visit our web site for more information.
Contact information:
Fellowships Office, Keck 576
National Research Council
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-334-2872
web site: http://national-academies.org/fellowships
e-mail: infofell@nas.edu
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