PROVOST'S DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIP
Thank you for your interest in the Provost Dissertation Fellowship. Due to budgetary constraints, we are not accepting applications for the Fall 2023 application cycle. Please visit out Fellowships page to learn about other fellowship opportunities.
The Provost’s Dissertation Fellowship supports Ph.D. students from across the university as they complete their dissertations, allowing them to minimize other obligations. Award recipients will receive a stipend of $1,500 a month for up to 12 months.
Applicants, with an approved prospectus, may apply for funding to support focused efforts toward dissertation completion, which they will lay out in a plan detailing their monthly goals. It is expected that this plan will be written in collaboration with the applicant’s dissertation advisor and should be realistic and comprehensive. Every month, fellows will meet with the Dean of The Graduate School to discuss their progress and the students’ advisors will submit monthly status reports. Funding may be suspended at any time should a fellow fall behind on their monthly goals.
In order to be eligible for the Provost’s Dissertation Fellowship, students must meet the following criteria:
- For this cycle, applicants must be within 12 months of defending their dissertation, from the time the fellowship begins.
- Applicants must have an approved dissertation prospectus at the time of application.
- The Provost’s Dissertation Fellowship is awarded in the form of a Graduate Assistantship. Once awarded, fellows must comply with the requirements of the Georgia State University Graduate Assistantship Policy.
- Fellows who are international students must be eligible to work as Georgia State Graduate Assistants.
- Fellows will receive a tuition waiver, which requires the student to sign up for at least 12 credit hours during fall and spring semesters and 9 credit hours during the summer.
Applicants are evaluated based on the feasibility of their monthly plan, their recommendation form, and their scholarly accomplishments.
Fellows will receive a $1,500 stipend (for a maximum of 12 months), plus a tuition waiver. Fellows will still be responsible for paying student fees and health insurance.
Thank you for your interest in the Provost Dissertation Fellowship. Due to budgetary constraints, we are not accepting applications for the Fall 2023 application cycle. Please visit out Fellowships page to learn about other fellowship opportunities.
Georgia State University doctoral students who receive the Provost's Dissertation Fellowship are eligible to receive a stipend of $1,500 for up to 12 months.
1. Fellows will be expected to complete their monthly goals.
2. Once a month fellows will meet with the Dean of The Graduate School.
3. Once a month the fellows’ dissertation advisor will submit a progress report.
Please have all the materials and information ready to be entered and uploaded when you begin the application. It is not possible to save parts of the application and return later to complete it. It must all be completed in one sitting. Your application includes the following:
1. Basic Information about the applicant
2. Updated CV
3. Monthly Completion Plan (click link to download template)
4. Abstract of the Dissertation
5. Narrative describing progress toward degree completion
6. Description of how the fellowship would assist you
Contact The Graduate School at [email protected].
Q: What are the eligibility requirements for this award?
A: This award is for PhD students who plan to defend their dissertation by the end of the fellowship period. PhD students from across the university are welcome to apply, but they must have an approved dissertation prospectus by the application deadline.
Q: Are EdD, DrPH, or DBA students eligible for this award?
A: Unfortunately, no. This fellowship is only open to PhD students.
Q: What are the evaluation criteria for the PDF?
A: Applications are reviewed based on feasibility of the monthly goals plan; endorsement from faculty as to the feasibility of their plan; scholarly accomplishments; and financial need. Priority is given to repeat applicants, applicants from undersubscribed programs, and applicants who have applied for external funding. There is also an attempt to distribute funds across the various colleges, departments, and faculty advisors.
Q: I have applied before but was not awarded. Should I apply again?
A: Yes, we encourage repeat applicants and give their application special attention, reviewing it to see that progress has been made since the previous application. If there has been little to no progress made, please provide an explanation so the reviewer can understand how this funding will speed up progress to graduation.
Q: How often do you open applications for this award?
A: There are two application cycles a year. We accept applications in the fall for fellows to start in January and we accept applications in the spring for fellows to start in July.
Q: I’m a staff or faculty member at a USG institution. Am I eligible?
A: Because the fellowship is designed to limit other professional obligations by providing financial support, staff and faculty with full-time positions at other universities will NOT be prioritized in the review process.
Q: Does it matter when I start and finish the fellowship?
A: For students applying in the fall, you can request your fellowship to begin in January, February, or March. For students applying in the spring, you can request your fellowship to begin in July, August, or September. Choose a timeline that works best for you and your schedule.
Q: I am a current Provost’s Dissertation Fellow who has fallen behind. Can I apply again, for more months of funding?
A: Unfortunately, no.
Q: Are there any limits on the number of students from a given department that will be funded?
A: At this time, no, we are not limiting the number of applicants from any given department.
Q: Many of the students in my program have received this fellowship. Does that mean I have a good chance of being awarded?
A: Not necessarily. In fact, because we try to distribute funding across the various colleges, departments, and faculty advisors, it may mean that you are less likely to be funded if your department has already received many of these awards. We give priority to students applying from programs that have not had many PDFs, as we consider these to be undersubscribed programs.
Q: If I’m funded over the summer and spring/ fall semesters, how does the tuition waiver work?
A: If you receive at least $2,000 in stipend in fall or spring semester or $1000 in summer semester, you can receive a tuition waiver for that semester.
Q: If I already have a GA position, can I continue in my current position and accept the PDF? Can I have other jobs?
A: The goal is to fund students so that they can step away from other obligations, such as existing GA positions, to focus exclusively on their dissertation. However, we do not monitor students’ other obligations. Instead, students are monitored on whether or not they meet their monthly goals. To the extent other obligations interfere with meeting those monthly goals, you may risk losing the PDF.
Q: Can I receive the PDF and other fellowships at the same time?
A: Students funded on 2CI, Brains & Behavior, Microbial Basis of Disease, and Language & Literacy fellowships cannot receive the PDF at the same time they are receiving funding from these fellowships.
Q: How many hours FTE is the assistantship?
A: At the $1500 rate, this fellowship counts as 10 hours per week.
Q: I do not yet have an approved prospectus, but I have a prospectus defense scheduled for just after the deadline. Can I apply?
A: Unfortunately, no. You must have an approved prospectus at the time of application. Please wait and apply next semester.
Q: How is the fellowship awarded?
A: The fellowship is awarded in the form of a Graduate Assistantship. Please refer to the GA Policy to ensure compliance: https://gsu.policystat.com/policy/8944245/latest/
Q: In the application, why do you ask if a student has applied to external funding?
A: We give priority to applicants who have pursued external awards. Students who have applied to nationally competitive fellowships are at an advantage during the review process.
Q: I am a Psychology student who will be on internship. Can I apply for the PDF?
A: We do not fund students while they are on internship. However, you can receive the PDF while writing your dissertation either before or after your internship.
Q: I am a 2CI student. Can I apply for the PDF?
A: You may apply for the PDF if you are approaching your 4th and final year of 2CI funding.
Q: What happens if my advisor or department chair have not sent in their endorsements by the deadline?
A: Don’t stress. The application system has some flaws, including the fact that you cannot see when faculty have completed their endorsements. Please be sure to ask them to do so, but if it does not happen, we will follow-up with you and your advisor/ chair to request the endorsement.
Q: How many months of funding should I request?
A: You should request the number of months that you need in order to complete your dissertation. Please do not request fewer months because you think you’ll have a better chance of getting funded. This is setting yourself up for failure, which will result in your not finishing your dissertation on time which will reflect poorly on yourself, your advisor, and your department.