Ford Foundation

Fellowship Program
For Achieving Excellence in
College and University Teaching
2013 PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT
Administered by the National Academies

DISSERTATION
FELLOWSHIPS
On-line Application Deadline:
NOVEMBER 19, 2012
Announcement of Awards:
APRIL 2013

STATEMENT OF PROGRAM GOALS

Through its program of Fellowships, the Ford Foundation seeks to
increase the diversity of the nations college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize
the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number
of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for
enriching the education of all students.

DISSERTATION AWARDS
This year the program will award approximately 35 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) of
the National Academies 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.

ELIGIBILITY
Eligibility to apply for a dissertation fellowship is limited to:
All citizens or nationals1 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 19, 2012),
Individuals with evidence of superior academic achievement
(such as grade point average, class rank, honors or other
designations),
Individuals committed to a career in teaching and research at
the college or university level,
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.

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
The term national of the United States 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.
1

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 Americans/Chicanas/Chicanos
Native American Indians
Native Pacific Islanders (Hawaiian, Polynesian, or
Micronesian)
Puerto Ricans
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
application itself, and other appropriate materials as the basis for
determining the extent to which candidates meet the eligibility
requirements and the selection criteria. Review panels may also
look at additional factors such as 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, cultural studies, earth sciences,
economics, education, engineering, ethnic studies, ethnomusicology, geography, history, international relations, language, life
sciences, linguistics, literature, mathematics, performance study,
philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religious
studies, sociology, urban planning, and womens 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.
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 masters 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, nonproprietary 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 9, 2013 to confirm that an applicant has
advanced to doctoral candidacy.
Applicants should expect to complete the dissertation during the
2013-2014 academic year, but no later than fall 2014.

STIPEND AND BENEFITS

ONE-YEAR STIPEND: $21,000

Opportunities to identify mentors and peers from across the

country
Opportunities to interact with established and emerging
scholars in diverse fields

HOW TO APPLY

The on-line fellowship application is available at this website:

http://national-academies.org/ford.
Applicants must register and establish a personal user ID and
password. All application materials become the property of the
National Academies and are not returned to applicants. Please
note that all application materials must be written in English.
In order to be reviewed, the on-line application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 19, 2012. Supplementary Materials must be received in the Fellowships Office by
January 9, 2013. Items listed below in boldface are required.

Expenses paid to attend one Conference of Ford Fellows

(see below)

ON-LINE APPLICATION
DEADLINE NOVEMBER 19, 2012.

Access to Ford Fellow Liaisons, a network of former Ford Fellows

who have volunteered to provide mentoring and support to current fellows.

Personal information, contact information, educational

background (names of all institutions attended, years
attended, degrees received), list of any honors, awards,
fellowships, employment, and publications,

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, 2013 and no later than September 1, 2013.

CONDITIONS OF FELLOWSHIPS
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.

CONFERENCE OF FORD FELLOWS

A unique national conference of a select group of highachieving scholars committed to diversifying the professoriate
and using diversity as a resource for enriching the education
of all students
Networking with peers and elders
Face to face conversations with university and academic
presses
Publication workshops
Strategies to complete the dissertation
Planning an academic career
Career advancement workshops
Proposal, grant-writing, and research funding advice
Paper and poster presentations with supportive comments
and critiques from colleagues

Statement of previous research (maximum 2 pages, doublespaced),

Annotated bibliography (two to three sentences each for no
more than ten key sources),
Abstract of dissertation (maximum 1 page, double-spaced)
Essay explaining the plan and timeline for completing the
dissertation and describing the applicants long-range career
goals (maximum 3 pages, double-spaced, avoid technical
jargon),
Personal statement (maximum 2 pages, double-spaced) that
describes the applicants background and experience and
commitment to the goals of the Ford Foundation Fellowships
program by addressing all of the following that apply:
the applicants capacity to respond in pedagogically
productive ways to the learning needs of students from
diverse backgrounds
the applicants sustained personal engagement with
communities that are underrepresented in the academy
and ability to bring this asset to learning, teaching and
scholarship at the college or university level
the applicants likelihood of using the diversity of human
experience as an educational resource in teaching and
scholarship, and
the applicants 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 Americans/Chicanas/Chicanos
Native American Indians
Native Pacific Islanders (Hawaiian/Polynesian/
Micronesian)
Puerto Ricans
Names and contact information of a minimum of 3 professors
who will upload a letter of reference on your behalf (4 letters
are highly recommended). Applications with less than 3 letters
submitted by January 9, 2013 will not be reviewed.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
STRICTLY ENFORCED DEADLINE
JANUARY 9, 2013
The following transcripts must be uploaded to the fellowship
application module:2
Transcript from institution that awarded baccalaureate
degree; must includes grades and degree completion date (if
applicable),
Transcript(s) showing completion of any Masters degree
(if applicable) and official Ph.D./Sc.D. transcript showing all
graduate work completed as of fall 2012,
Unofficial transcripts or grade reports are acceptable for the review;
however, if offered a fellowship award, applicants will be required to submit
official transcripts to verify the accuracy of the uploaded transcripts or grade
reports. All transcript documents must be in .pdf file format prior to upload.
2

Contact information:
Fellowship Office, K576
National Research Council of the National Academies
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001

Letters of reference (All letters must be submitted

electronically; a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 letters of
reference should be submitted on behalf of each applicant;
applications with less than 3 letters submitted by January 9,
2013 will not be reviewed), and
Verification of Doctoral Degree Candidacy Form.3

ADVANCE PREPARATION
Prepare essays and annotated bibliography in advance and save
each in a separate file so that you are prepared to upload these
texts. Get feedback from advisers, mentors, and colleagues.
Contact potential referees. Be certain that they agree to upload
a letter of reference for you and that they can do so by the
deadline of January 9, 2013. The on-line system will require you
to provide an e-mail address for each referee.

The Ford Foundation Fellowships program also provides pre

doctoral fellowships for students working toward a Ph.D. or
Sc.D., and postdoctoral fellowships for Ph.D. or Sc.D. recipients.
Visit our Web site for more information.

The applicants adviser or other appropriate departmental or university

official must submit a standard National Academies Verification of Doctoral
Degree Status Form verifying that the applicant has completed all requirements for a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree except for writing the dissertation by
January 9, 2013.
3

202-334-2872
Web site: http://national-academies.org/ford
Email: infofell@nas.edu