SLCL Dissertation Completion Fellowship - Requirements and Application Guidelines

SLCL invites nominations for the Dissertation Completion Fellowship, which provides advanced doctoral students with an academic year of support to complete their dissertations.

The fellowship is meant to facilitate timely completion of the PhD; therefore, nominees must be able to complete their dissertations within the period of their fellowship tenure, and no later than the last day of August of the year after being awarded the fellowship.

The fellowship provides $25,000 (effective August 16, 2024), payable in either 9- or 12-month installments. It may not be held concurrently with any other fellowships, employment, or grant. The fellowship offer must be accepted in the terms in which it is offered.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Each department may nominate up to 2 students.

  • All nominees must have completed all requirements for the PhD except the dissertation (i.e., obtained ABD status) at least one semester prior to the nomination deadline.

  • Nominees may not currently hold another fellowship or have previously held a dissertation completion fellowship. Priority will be given to students who have not already received a year-long fellowship that freed them from instructional duties after they became ABD.

Proposal Requirements

  • Project description: describe the dissertation and give a specific timetable for completion of each chapter. The proposal should be no more than 3 double-spaced pages using 12-point type and one-inch margins. The table of contents of the thesis, sample chapter, and bibliography of the thesis are not included in the project description page limit.

  • Support information and progress towards degree: list all departmental or external support received (including teaching assistantships, research assistantships and awards) as well as pending outside grant applications to support the student's research and writing. If there are any extenuating circumstances that have impacted timely progress towards degree, please address briefly.

  • Table of contents of the thesis
  • Sample chapter. The sample chapter should have no fewer than 20 and no more than 30 double-spaced pages. A 20-page to 30-page excerpt from a longer chapter can be submitted as the sample. 
  • We recognize that there are different disciplinary fields in SLCL.
    • Those students working with data sets must have completed all data collection by the end of the semester in which the application is presented.
    • All other students must have completed the theoretical framework for the project and have undertaken writing their chapters.
  • ​​​​​​​Bibliography of the thesis
  • Two letters of reference:

             1)  One from the student's adviser. The letter should confirm the applicant's timely progress toward the degree up to the time of application, the current state of completion of the dissertation (e.g., data collection and analysis, chapters written), and the likelihood that it will be completed by August of the fellowship year. If there are exceptional circumstances as to why progress was interrupted or delayed, they should be addressed as well. 

             2)  One from the student's dissertation director. If the adviser and thesis director are the same person, the second letter should come from another member of the student's dissertation committee. 

  • Curriculum vitae, including publications.
  • Abstract (no more than 300 words)
  • SLCL Student Services will provide an Academic History
  • Cover Sheet (form available here) that includes:
    • Student’s Name
    • Department
    • Dissertation Title
    • Prior Fellowship Support
    • Abstract (maximum 300 words)
    • Date Student Started Ph.D Program
    • Date Preliminary Examinations Passed
    • Anticipated Date of Defense
Evaluation Criteria

  • The quality of the proposal, in relation to its scope, theoretical framework, methodology and grounding in the relevant scholarly literature.

  • The feasibility of the project, the applicant’s progress towards degree and the likelihood that the nominee will execute the work within the period of the dissertation completion fellowship.

  • The potential of the project to advance the field of study in which it is proposed and make an original and significant contribution to it.

  • The nominee’s overall academic record and potential for scholarly achievement.

  • Prior fellowship support. Preference will be given to students who have not had prior significant fellowship support after they became ABD, and who have made timely progress towards degree, notwithstanding exceptional circumstances.

N.B: Members of the Executive Committee will recuse themselves from rating or otherwise making deliberative comments during the selection process regarding proposals that originated in their home departments, or that involve their advisees.

Updated December 2023