The Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship (DPDF) Program helps early-stage doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences formulate innovative dissertation research proposals through workshops, exploratory summer research, and writing guided by peer review and faculty mentorship. The program seeks young scholars who are interested in strengthening their dissertation research plans through exposure to the theories, literatures, methods, and intellectual traditions of disciplines outside their own. By the end of the fellowship, participating students will complete a draft dissertation research proposal that can be reviewed with academic advisors.
The DPDF Program consists of multiday workshops in the spring and fall that bookend a summer research and writing period. Workshops are led by faculty with extensive experience helping doctoral students to refine research proposals across disciplines.
The DPDF program covers all travel, lodging, and meals expenses related to mandatory attendance at both workshops. Applicants may request up to $5,000 to support summer research expenses, including travel, lodging, meals, and some necessary equipment and supplies.
All applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Applicants must be currently matriculated in PhD programs at accredited universities in the United States.
- Applicants may be US citizens or noncitizens.
- Progress within graduate program:
- Applicants must have completed at least two full years of graduate study (MA and/or PhD) by the end of June 2016.
- Applicants must be on track to obtain approval of their dissertation proposals after the September 2016 DPDF workshop but before the end of the 2016-2017 academic year.
- Applicants must commit to attend the spring and fall workshops in their entirety and to conduct at least six weeks of summer research away from their home institutions between the 2016 spring and fall workshops.
- Students who have already submitted dissertation research proposals to their departments for approval or to funding agencies for support of their dissertation research are not eligible to apply to the DPDF Program.
All applications to the 2016 Student Fellowship Competition are due October 15, 2015, 5 P.M. EST.
For access to the application and further information regarding eligibility, applications, deadlines, and for responses to frequently asked questions, please visit our website: www.ssrc.org/programs/dpdf/
Program staff are available at dpdf@ssrc.org to answer additional questions.