Call for Application 2025 American Dissertation Fellowship (Up to $25,000)

AAUW’s proud tradition of funding women pursuing higher education is anchored in its American Fellowship Program — AAUW’s flagship initiative. The American Dissertation Fellowship Program, in particular, offsets scholars’ expenses during their final year of dissertation writing and deepens AAUW’s impact by accelerating diversity, equity and inclusion in academia. The program is open to women in all fields of study, though those engaged in science, technology, engineering and math fields, or those researching gender issues, are especially encouraged to apply. AAUW American Fellowships are the oldest non-institutional source of graduate funding for women in the United States. The program began in 1888, at a time when women were discouraged from pursuing an education.

• Table of Content
• About AAUW
• AAUW American Dissertation Fellowship
• Aim and Benefits of AAUW American Dissertation Fellowship
• AAUW American Dissertation Fellowship Courses
• Requirements for AAUW American Dissertation Fellowship Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for AAUW American Dissertation Fellowship
• Documents Required for Application
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About AAUW

OUR MISSION Gender Equity & Economic Security We’ve led the fight for fair pay and economic opportunity for women — and the battle continues: Women still get just 83 cents for every dollar paid to a man, and men continue to dominate the top roles and highest-paying professions. OUR VALUES Intersectional. Inclusive. Intergenerational. Empowering. Though we are nonpartisan, we are not values-neutral: We fight to remove the barriers and biases that stand in the way of gender equity. We train women to negotiate for pay and benefits and to pursue leadership roles. And... continue reading

AAUW American Dissertation Fellowship

Application Deadline	15 Nov 2024
Value	$25,000
Country to study	United States
Type	Fellowship
Course to study	View courses
Sponsor	AAUW
Gender	Women

Aim and Benefits of AAUW American Dissertation Fellowship

American Dissertation Fellowships carry a stipend of $25,000 and are disbursed in two equal payments over the fellowship term, which runs from July 1 – June 30, annually. Stipends are made payable to fellows only.

AAUW American Dissertation Fellowship Courses

• Arts and Humanities
• Natural and Physical Sciences
• Social Sciences

Requirements for AAUW American Dissertation Fellowship Qualification

• Applicants must be or identify as a woman.
• Applicants must have completed all coursework, passed all preliminary exams, have a prior-approved research proposal or plan and be engaged in completing the final year of their dissertation writing on a full-time basis from July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026.
• Applicants must be completing their first doctoral degree.
• Applicants must be enrolled at an institution accredited by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Applicants pursuing doctoral studies in science, technology, engineering, or math fields; or those researching gender issues (preferred).
• Applicants who have demonstrated resilience in overcoming life challenges beyond their control, such as socioeconomic status, discrimination, limited academic resources or opportunities or other adverse circumstances (preferred).
• Applicants who were the first in their family to attain a bachelor’s degree (preferred).
• Applicants who hail from or lead single parent households (preferred).
• Applicants who hail from or intend to study in any of the following geographies: Arkansas, West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee or Indiana (preferred).

Citizenship & Immigration Status

Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Disqualifying Factors

The following are not eligible for consideration:

• Members of the AAUW Board of Directors
• Employees of AAUW, including paid or unpaid, part-time or temporary employees, consultants, interns and contract employees
• Review Panelists
• Immediate families (i.e., spouses and dependent children) of individuals described in the points above
• Applicants for another national AAUW fellowship or grant, in the same year
• Previous national AAUW fellowship or grant recipients (excluding Community Action Grants or branch or local AAUW awards)
• Applicants cannot be working on a Master’s degree during their fellowship year

Interview date, Process and Venue for AAUW American Dissertation Fellowship

Selection Criteria

• Scholarly excellence, as demonstrated by academic records and achievements, recognition from peers, professors, and/or institutions, and other forms of distinction
• Dissertations that are original in design and will make significant contributions to the relevant field
• Feasibility of dissertation plan and the proposed timeline
• Applicant’s teaching experience
• Demonstrated commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions or fields of research
• Financial need

Review Panels

Applications to the American Dissertation Fellowship Program are reviewed by sub-panels of distinguished scholars in the following broad discipline fields:

• Arts & Humanities
• Natural & Physical Sciences
• Social Sciences

Timeline

Milestone	Date
Application Submission Period	September 16, 2024 – November 15, 2024
Fellowship Award Status Notification	April 15, 2025
First Stipend Disbursed	July 2025
Fellowship Term	July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026
Interim Report	December 15, 2025
Second Stipend Disbursed	January 2026
Final Report	July 31, 2026

Documents Required for Application

In addition to a narrative application, all applicants are required to submit the following:

• Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must provide two letters of recommendation. One must be from the applicant’s dissertation advisor, and the second may be from an individual of the applicant’s choosing, provided they are well acquainted with the applicant, their scholarly work and their teaching. Note: AAUW does not accept references from dossier services, such as Parment or Interfolio, and standardized or form-letter recommendations are discouraged.
• Transcripts: Transcripts for all graduate, credit coursework. All transcripts must include the applicant’s full name, the school’s name, and all graduate credit coursework and grades. Transcripts must also include the name of coursework and grades from transfer courses, if applicable. If transcripts reflect transfer courses without grades, a transcript from the institution where courses were taken is required. Applicants who studied at an institution that does not require coursework or provide transcripts must provide an institutional letter affirming the same.
• Dissertation Certification Form: This form can be found in AAUW’s application portal and must be signed by an institutional officer to confirm completion of all required coursework, qualifying examinations and approval of your dissertation research proposal. No substitutions for this form are accepted.

A certified English translation is required for all components provided in a foreign language. Translations must bear a mark of certification or official signature that the translation is true and complete.

Applicants are responsible for the submission of all required documents. Incomplete applications will be reviewed and considered at the discretion of AAUW.

Application Deadline

November 15, 2024

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to AAUW on aauw.applyists.net to apply

International Scholarship & Tuition Services (ISTS) serves as the application portal for AAUW American Dissertation Fellowship. Please follow the steps below to start the application process:

1. Review the eligibility criteria to ensure you are eligible.
2. Click the Apply Now button below to access the application and create an ISTS account. If a program key is requested, please use the following program key: AAUW-ADF
3. Follow the instructions provided in the Applicant Guide.

For more details visit: AAUW website.