Application Deadline: October 8, 2020
The Dissertation Fellowship Program seeks to encourage a new generation of scholars from a wide range of disciplines and professional fields to undertake research relevant to the improvement of education.
These fellowships support individuals whose dissertations show potential for bringing fresh and constructive perspectives to the history, theory, analysis, or practice of formal or informal education anywhere in the world. The highly competitive program aims to identify the most talented researchers conducting dissertation research related to education. The Dissertation Fellowship program receives many more applications than it can fund. This year 35 fellowships will be awarded.
Award
• One Academic Year
• Two Professional Development Retreats Led by Senior Scholars
• $27,500 Fellowship Stipend
Eligibility
• Applicants need not be citizens of the United States; however, they must be candidates for the doctoral degree at a graduate school within the United States.
• Fellowships are not intended to finance data collection or the completion of doctoral coursework, but rather to support the final analysis of the research topic and the writing of the dissertation. For this reason, all applicants must document that they will have completed all pre-dissertation requirements by June 1, 2021 and must provide a clear and specific plan for completing the dissertation within a one or two-year time frame.
• Applicants should have a demonstrated record of research experience in education.
• Proposed project must be an education research project. NAEd/Spencer funds studies that examine the efficacy of curriculum and teaching methods; however, they do not fund the initial development of curriculum or instructional programs.
• Applications will be judged on the applicant’s past research record, career trajectory in education research, and the quality of the project described in the application.
• Fellows may not accept employment other than as described in the application, nor may they accept other awards without prior approval (including awards from NAEd or Spencer) that would provide duplicate benefits.
• Applications must be made by the individual applying for the fellowship; group applications will not be accepted.
Selection Criteria
Basic selection criteria are as follows:
• Importance of the research question to education;
• Quality of the research approach and feasibility of the work plan;
• Applicant’s future potential as a researcher and interest in educational research.
Application
Application components include:
• Demographic Information and Contact Information
• Current Educational Information
• Educational/Employment History (including Career Plan and Publications)
• Project Information
• Uploads and References
For more information, visit NAEd/Spencer Fellowship.
