Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship

Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship
Deadline: November 8
URL: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/FordFellowships/PGA_047959


FORD FOUNDATION DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS
For Achieving Excellence in College and University Teaching

The 2011 Application Deadline is November 8, 2010

This year the program will award approximately 20 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.

Dissertation Eligibility

In addition to the general eligibility requirements, 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 8, 2010),
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 ³national of the United States² 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 (Aleut, Eskimo or other Indigenous People of Alaska)
Black/African Americans
Mexican American/Chicanas/Chicanos
Native American Indians
Native Pacific Islanders (Hawaiian/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 women¹s
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 at the
dissertation level of the fellowship program is available here: Dissertation
Fields (.pdf).

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 master¹s 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 6, 2011 to confirm
that an applicant has advanced to doctoral candidacy.
Applicants should expect to complete the dissertation during the 2011-2012
academic year, but no later than fall 2012.

Stipend and Benefits

One-year stipend: $21,000
Expenses paid to attend one Conference of Ford Fellows
Access to Ford Fellow Regional 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, 2011 and
no later than September 1, 2011.


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 the Fellowship

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.


For additional information:
Fellowships Office, Keck 576
National Research Council
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001

Tel: 202-334-2872
Fax: 202-334-3419
E-mail: infofell@nas.edu