2024-25 nomination deadline: Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at noon (12 p.m. PT).
The Graduate School Presidential Dissertation Fellowship assists Ph.D. candidates in the final stages of writing their dissertations. The 2024–25 Dissertation Fellowship is offered with the support of the University President and includes one quarter of UW state tuition and fees, GAIP insurance, and a stipend at the Predoctoral TA II rate (currently $3,076 per month). Each unit listed at the end of this announcement may submit ONE nominee.
Eligibility
- Must have passed the General Examination and attained Ph.D. candidate status at the time of nomination.
- Must have demonstrated progress on the dissertation that indicates completion by the end of Summer Quarter 2025 or sooner.
- Must be in a tuition-based program; students in fee-based programs are not eligible.
- Must not have received another dissertation fellowship from the Graduate School (e.g., Gatzert, GSEE)
Nomination Process
Nominations must be submitted in MyGrad through the ‘Admin’ > ‘Awards’ > ‘Requests’ links. Please do not email nomination packages. No late materials will be accepted; nominations will not be considered unless they are complete and submitted by the deadline.
Submit a nomination through MyGrad
Nomination Materials
- A robust letter of nomination from the GPC or Chair of the department. Information about the nominee’s current status and performance in the program or comparison with other recent students would be useful.
- A one-page statement from the dissertation adviser demonstrating their opinion of:
- The significance of the research;
- The progress made to date, including anticipated completion date;
- Where appropriate, the nature and importance of the nominee’s contribution to a team project should be included
- A four page, double-spaced statement from the candidate that describes the dissertation project and includes its title, relation to current literature, methodology and goals. Footnotes can be single-spaced and are included in the four page statement limit. Bibliography or end notes are limited to one page, single-spaced, and are not included in the four page statement limit.
- Timeline of expected dissertation activities in 2024–25 and specifically during the planned fellowship quarter (not to exceed one single-spaced page).
- The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
- An unofficial copy of the student’s current UW transcript.
Selection Criteria and Process
These awards are made on the basis of academic merit. Statements about the student’s financial need should not be included. Criteria used in evaluating nominations include:
- significance and originality of the dissertation project
- evidence of scholarly promise, such as publications or presentations at scholarly meetings
- evidence that the dissertation will be completed during the 2024–25 academic year
There will be separate selection committees for (1) nominees in the arts and humanities, and (2) nominees in the social sciences and social professions. Awards will be announced by the end of June 2024.
Terms of Award
- Fellowship must be used during the 2024–25 year (summer 2024–spring 2025). The choice of the quarter will be left to the discretion of the graduate student in consultation with the supervisory committee chair.
- Students must enroll for at least 10 credits during the quarter they receive the fellowship (except in summer, when it is 2 credits).
- The purpose of the fellowship is to facilitate full-time work on writing the dissertation. During the tenure of the fellowship, service responsibilities such as teaching and research are typically suspended.
- During the quarter of fellowship, students may not receive funding or employment from another source without prior approval from the Office of Fellowships and Awards.
- The number of awards will be determined by the caliber of the applications and the amount of funding available.
Questions?
Contact the Office of Fellowships & Awards.
Eligible programs for the Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship competition:
| Arts and Humanities | Social Sciences and Social Professions |
| Art History Asian Languages and Literature Classics Comparative Literature Digital Arts and Experimental Media Drama English French and Italian Studies Germanics History Individual Ph.D. Program Linguistics Music Near and Middle Eastern Studies Philosophy Scandinavian Studies Slavic Languages and Literature Spanish and Portuguese |
Anthropology Business School* Built Environment* Communication Economics Education Environmental and Forest Resources* Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies Geography History Human Centered Design and Engineering* Individual Ph.D. Program Information School* International Studies (Jackson School) Law Near and Middle Eastern Studies Philosophy Political Science Psychology* Public Affairs Social Work Sociology Speech and Hearing Sciences* Urban Design and Planning *Social sciences emphasis only |