Dissertation Fellowship

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Click here to view list of current Fellows

About the OHC Dissertation Fellowship Program

Apply now! Applications for 2024–25 fellowships are due Monday, January 29, 2024 at 4 p.m. PST. Departmental/Advisor approval emails and Advisor Statement of Support are due Monday, February 5, 2024 at 4 p.m. PST.

The Oregon Humanities Center (OHC) offers the Dissertation Fellowship in partnership with the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation. The purpose of this fellowship program is to provide the fellow with a one-term research appointment in order to allow full-time work on the dissertation. Academic year 2024-25 fellowships provide the following, subject to GTFF and Graduate School policies (which are subject to change):

    1. A one-term Research GE3 appointment in your home department for the fellowship term. As a GE you will receive the following GE benefits:
      • GE salary equivalent to a GE3 with a .49 FTE appointment for the fellowship term, including salary and associated OPE. Your department will process your GE appointment documents using the OHC’s index to pay for your salary. The exact value of the award will depend on the still-to-be-announced GE salaries for FY25.
      • A one-term tuition waiver (up to 16 credits; you must register for at least 9 credits).
      • A fee subsidy covering all but $61 of mandatory student fees.
      • GTFF health insurance eligibility with the university covering 95% of the premium (GE is responsible for 5% of premium).
    2. When space is available, an office at the OHC during the term of the fellowship.

Students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Overview of the application process

  1. Download the fillable application form at the bottom of this page.
  2. Complete the form, following the instructions below.
  3. Request a Statement of Support from your advisor, following these guidelines (direct your advisor here and/or copy this language in your request):
    • The Statement of Support must be in PDF format.
    • Statement of Support must be submitted directly to the OHC by your dissertation advisor, via email to: ohcapplication@uoregon.edu.
    • The submission deadline for the Statement of Support is 4 p.m. PST on Monday, February 5, 2024. If the statement is not received by the deadline, the application will not be considered.
    • If dissertation committee is co-chaired, either advisor may submit the statement of support, or it may be co-authored, but only one Statement of Support may be submitted.
    • Statements of Support should address:
      1. Why the applicant and research project are worthy of support.
      2. Where the applicant is in the dissertation writing process.
      3. How this fellowship will facilitate the completion of the project.
  4. Submit your application via email by 4 p.m. PST on Monday, January 29, 2024.
  5. Your department head and dissertation advisor both must “reply all” to the email to indicate their approval by 4 p.m. PST on Monday, February 5, 2024.
  6. Your dissertation advisor must submit the Statement of Support directly to the OHC by 4 p.m. PST on Monday, February 5, 2024.

Note on timing: It is your responsibility to communicate with your dissertation advisor in advance of the deadline so they have time to submit a Statement of Support before the deadline.

Please read all guidelines, conditions, and instructions completely before beginning to work on your application.


Eligibility Guidelines

  1. University of Oregon doctoral students who have been advanced to candidacy at the time of application and are conducting research for and/or writing an approved dissertation in a humanities-related field are eligible to apply. Applicants must be ABD at the time of application.
  2. This fellowship is intended to be used for work on the dissertation and may not be taken during the term in which the student plans to defend.
  3. Applicants must expect to defend within one year of the fellowship term.
  4. Fellows may not teach during the fellowship term. If the recipient holds a GE teaching appointment during the 2024-25 academic year, they will be required to give it up for the fellowship term in order to hold a GE research appointment.
  5. Research projects must be humanistic, but applicants may be enrolled in any department, college, or school. The term “humanities” as used here includes literature; philosophy; history; religion; ethics; linguistics; the history, theory, and criticism of the arts; and historical or interpretive aspects of the social and natural sciences and the professions.
  6. Students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines are encouraged to apply.
  7. 2024-25 Dissertation Fellowship applicants are not eligible to apply for the 2024-25 OHC Graduate Research Support Fellowship.

Conditions

  1. Upon receipt and acceptance of a Dissertation Fellowship, the Fellow must sign an agreement outlining their commitment to make significant progress toward the completion of the dissertation during the fellowship term and their willingness to adhere to all other conditions of the program.
  2. Dissertation Fellows will be hired for a one-term GE3 appointment in the home department for the fellowship term, with a salary and OPE for the fellowship term totaling the equivalent of a GE3 .49 FTE appointment (GE salaries for FY25 have not yet been announced). All GE requirements apply. (For details see GE Salary and Benefits.)
  3. Fellows must give a Work-in-Progress talk (WIP) during the fellowship term.
  4. Fellows must submit a brief fellowship report within two weeks of the conclusion of the fellowship term.
  5. Fellows must acknowledge the Oregon Humanities Center in any work resulting from research conducted during the fellowship term.
  6. Fellowship recipients must immediately notify the OHC of any conflicts with the guidelines and conditions of this fellowship program. Fellows who receive another fellowship, doctoral research award, or appointment for the same academic year (September 16, 2024 through June 15, 2025), whether internal or external, must inform the OHC immediately, and may be required to choose between the OHC fellowship and the other opportunity.
  7. While we recognize that limited travel (maximum of 2 weeks during the fellowship term) may be necessary, we expect that Dissertation Fellows will be in residence in Eugene and/or on the UO campus during their fellowship term, and will attend the fall fellows orientation, a gathering with the VP for Research and Innovation sometime during the fellowship year, OHC WIPs, and, when possible, other OHC events. Dissertation fellows are expected to participate in the OHC intellectual community.

Instructions: Completing the fillable application form

  1. Scroll to the bottom of this page and download the application form (a fillable Word file). Save it to your computer.
  2. Complete the first page.
  3. Prepare your Abstract, Narrative Proposal, and CV according to the instructions below.
  4. Copy and paste them into the gray fillable fields in the subsequent pages of the document. (Note: There is a page break after each section, to preserve the formatting for the reviewers.)

Abstract

An abstract of the dissertation, limited to 250 words, in language clear to a non-specialist. Insert into first fillable field after the cover sheet of the application.

Narrative proposal

Limited to 1800 words. Insert into the second fillable field after the cover sheet of the application. Adhere to the format and chronological organization outlined below, using the headings provided. Bibliographic information is optional and is included in the page limit. Proposals should address:

  1. Conception and definition of the dissertation: Describe the topic of the dissertation, explaining the basic humanistic ideas, problems, or questions to be explored. Make clear the relationship of the project to your own future research objectives. In cases where the humanistic content of the project may not be readily apparent, address this issue thoroughly.
  2. Significance of the dissertation: Explain the significance of the dissertation and its anticipated contribution to the body of research and writing in the area of the humanities in question.
  3. Plan of work and methodology: Specifically outline the plan of work, methodology, and schedule for the work to be completed during the fellowship term. Briefly describe any work already completed, the present state of the dissertation, and any stages to be completed after the fellowship term. Be as precise as possible about the activities you plan to undertake during the fellowship period. If you plan to engage in off-campus research or other travel during the fellowship period, you must explicitly address and justify your plans here.

Curriculum vitae

Abbreviated CV, not to exceed 2 pages. Insert into the third fillable field, at the end of the application. CV should include:

  • education, including title of dissertation;
  • academic honors or awards received;
  • employment history;
  • scholarly accomplishments; and,
  • the names and affiliations of two academic references in addition to your dissertation advisor.

All applications must:

  • use language that is jargon-free and clear to readers outside of your discipline;
  • be set in 12-point Arial font; and,
  • strictly adhere to specified word and page limits.

Instructions: Submitting your application

Application PDF

Save the complete application document as a single PDF, using the file naming convention “Last name_First name 2024-25 OHC Dissertation Fellowship” (for example, “Doe_Jane 2024-25 OHC Dissertation Fellowship”. Check that it is complete. A complete application PDF includes:

  • completed fillable form (cover sheet) with the following attached in the appropriate fields;
  • abstract (250 words or less);
  • narrative proposal (1800 words or less); and,
  • curriculum vitae (2 pages or less).

Application email

  1. Attach the application PDF to an email.
  2. Address the email to: ohcapplication@uoregon.edu, your department head, and your dissertation advisor. All three parties should be included in a single submission email. (Do not send separate emails.)
  3. The email subject line must read: “Last name, first name: 2024-25 OHC Dissertation Fellowship”. Example: “Doe, Jane: 2024-25 OHC Dissertation Fellowship.”
  4. Copy and paste the “Application email text” (found immediately below this list) into the email.
  5. Send the email no later than Monday, January 29, 2024 at 4 p.m. PST.

Application email text (required; copy and paste the 4 paragraphs below into your email):

“This email constitutes my OHC Dissertation Fellowship application, which will not be complete without your approval. Contact me directly with any questions or concerns about my attached application. Department Head and Dissertation Advisor: To approve my application “reply all” to include: ohcapplication@uoregon.edu and me (the applicant). Approval email must be received by the OHC no later than 4 p.m. PST on Monday, February 5, 2024 or my application will not be accepted. No exceptions will be made. Your approval confirms that:

  • I expect to defend my dissertation within one year of my requested fellowship term;
  • My project meets the definition of “humanities research” detailed below*; and,
  • If my application is successful, my academic unit will hire me for a one-term Research GE3 during the academic quarter specified, for which the Oregon Humanities Center will provide salary and OPE equivalent to the cost of a GE3 appointment at .49 FTE for FY25 (exact salary rates for FY25 not yet announced).

Dissertation Advisor: My application will not be complete until the OHC has received your Statement of Support, which should be emailed to ohcapplication@uoregon.edu by Monday, February 5, 2024 at 4 p.m. PST.

For full guidelines and conditions, fellowship requirements, and details about how the fellowships are administered, please visit the OHC Dissertation Fellowship website. *The term “humanities” as used here includes literature; philosophy; history; religion; ethics; linguistics; the history, theory, and criticism of the arts; and historical or interpretive aspects of the social and natural sciences and the professions.”


Application review and notification

Applications that do not abide by the guidelines may be corrected and re-submitted prior to the application deadline. Applications that do not abide by the guidelines but are submitted after the deadline has passed may not be accepted. Extensions will not be granted after the application deadline has passed. Following the advisor/department approval deadline, applications will be sent for review by a panel of UO tenured faculty members from a variety of disciplines who serve on the Oregon Humanities Center Faculty Advisory Board. Applicants will be notified via email by April 9, 2024.

Questions and FAQs

Answers to frequently asked questions may be viewed here: FAQ: Dissertation Fellowships Oregon Humanities Center.

For additional information, contact Jena Turner, Associate Director, at jenap@uoregon.edu or 541-346-1001.

Financial Aid Notice

This award may affect your financial aid eligibility. Please visit FAQ: Dissertation Fellowships Oregon Humanities Center and contact the appropriate resources listed below for more information. Federal regulations require students to notify the Financial Aid Office as soon as they know that they will receive any educational resources so that necessary revisions to their financial aid package can be made. For more information about how this fellowship may affect your financial aid, visit the Financial Aid Office website or call (541) 346-3221. The OHC will provide recipients and the Financial Aid Office with supporting documents if required.


2024–25 Dissertation Fellowship Application