Graduate Student Opportunities

Dissertation Year Fellowships

Dissertation Year Fellowships in International Studies fund advanced Kellogg Doctoral Student Affiliates in the social sciences, history, theology, and international human rights law. The residential fellowships are intended for students to complete the writing of their dissertations.

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Levels of Support

The awards will usually be equal to the respective department's academic year stipend for graduate student assistants. Award recipients are required to notify the Kellogg Institute of any funding received from other sources; the Institute may adjust the award.

We strongly encourage students to apply for external grants and we will usually allow you to combine Kellogg stipend funding with other kinds of funding in a total amount that exceeds a normal annual stipend from the Graduate School.

DEADLINE: Friday, February 28, 2025

You can sign in to the online application system by clicking on "Sign in with Google" and use your Notre Dame credentials

Application Procedure
Eligibility

To Apply

A complete application consists of the following submitted by midnight, Friday, February 28, 2025 to our online application:

A research prospectus that does not exceed 6 double-spaced pages, including a summary of bibliographical references, clearly stating how the proposal fits into the priorities of the Institute. Proposals that exceed the page limit may be downgraded.
A plan of work and timeline for the fellowship period.
A curriculum vitae, including education, awards, professional experience, and publications.
The name and email address for two faculty recommendations - one from the principal dissertation advisor and one from another faculty member, preferably including an applicant's graduate professor. At least one of the letters must come from a Kellogg faculty fellow. Your recommenders will be sent an email with the link to upload their recommendation letter to our online system. As a courtesy to the faculty, the deadline for LOR is extended to Monday, March 3, 2025.

In addition, applicants must upload:

An official transcript
A letter from the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) confirming successful completion of all predissertation requirements. Recipients of the Dissertation Year Fellowship must have departmental approval of the dissertation prospectus. Applicants who have not completed their predissertation requirements by the deadline may still apply for funding. However, if these students are awarded funding, they must complete predissertation requirements by the first day of exams of the semester when they apply. Students awarded the Dissertation Year Fellowship but who do not have the above-mentioned letter from the DGS on file with the Institute by the final day of exams, will not receive funding.

Please contact Program Manager Lupe Ramirez (gramirez@nd.edu) if you have any questions about eligibility and Kellogg priorities.

We highly recommend that applicants read the article "On the Art of Writing Proposals: Some Candid Suggestions for Applicants to JCLAS Competitions" by Adam Przeworski and Frank Salomon found online.

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Eligibility

The dissertation topic must pertain to international studies. The Institute will prioritize dissertation work supervised by a Kellogg faculty fellow addressing the thematic priorities of the Kellogg Institute. Applicants must be enrolled and in good standing in a PhD program or the JSD program at the University of Notre Dame, be in good academic standing, and be a Kellogg Institute Doctoral Student Affiliate. Students who have other stipends (basic living expenses) support equal to a full departmental graduate student stipend from Notre Dame sources for the time period being considered are not eligible. Students applying for this fellowship are not eligible for the Institute's Graduate Research Grant competition.