Fellowships and Funding for Current Students

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Off-Campus Dissertation Fellowships

Purpose:

These non-service fellowships support students conducting dissertation research away from the Chapel Hill campus.

Types of Fellowships:

  1. General Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship: award is for one semester
  2. Specialized Off-Campus Dissertation Fellowships: award is for one academic year
    • Werner Friederich Fellowship – must be from the following programs: History, Art History, Music, or any Humanities program. Preference is given to students who need to study or conduct research in Switzerland.
    • Georges Lurcy Fellowship – for study in France (students can be from any field)

Eligibility:

These fellowships are available to all students in doctoral programs within the UNC Chapel Hill Graduate School. Off-campus research must be necessary for the completion of the dissertation; travel must be beyond commuting distance from campus. For the General Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship, travel should be for a period longer than 6 weeks up to one full semester.

Graduate students who are receiving a 5-year fellowship from the Graduate School can apply for this fellowship. If awarded, this fellowship will count towards their service semesters.

Course Requirements: Must be completed prior to application.
Preliminary Exams: Must pass written and oral exams prior to award. Requirement waived if not normal within the department/discipline to complete oral exams prior to field research.
Dissertation Prospectus: Must be formally approved prior to application.
Student's Engagement in Dissertation: Must be engaged full time in research beyond commuting distance from campus.
Registration: Must only register for 3 credit hours of Doctoral Dissertation Credit (994).
Outside Employment: No service award, fellowship, scholarship or outside employment may be held during the award period without prior permission from the Graduate School.
IRB Approval: If IRB approval is required for your research, approval documentation must be submitted prior to receipt of this award by submitting a copy of the approval letter or email. Applications may be submitted prior to receiving IRB approval, however, it is strongly recommended that an IRB application be submitted as soon as possible since award is contingent upon such approval. Proof of IRB approval must be received by the Graduate School no later than six weeks after the date on the award letter, otherwise this award will be forfeited.

Students cannot apply for both the Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship and the Dissertation Completion Fellowship at the same time.

Award:

Awardees receive a competitive stipend, tuition, fees, and health insurance for one academic semester or one academic year for the specialized fellowships. Award notifications will be sent out at the end of November for the Spring Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowships and the middle of April for the Fall Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowships and the Friederich and Lurcy Fellowships.

Stipends: General Off-Campus - $7,350;
Friederich and Lurcy Fellowships - $16,000
Tuition, Fees, and Health Insurance: Paid directly to the University Cashier (3 credit hours of 994 only). Health Insurance is provided during the tenure of this award.

Application Procedure:

Graduate School Fellowship Online Application

Applications will be competitively reviewed each semester and awards made as Graduate School funding is available. Friederich and Lurcy Fellowship applications are only reviewed once a year, in the spring, for the following year.

Each Graduate Program can nominate a maximum of two students per semester for the General Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship and one student per year for each of the Specialized Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowships (Lurcy and Friederich). Applications for the Specialized Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowships do not count toward the General Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship nomination limit. Graduate Programs select, rank, and nominate their students by submitting the applications to the Graduate School by the posted due date. Graduate students should check with their departments regarding earlier internal deadlines. Graduate School deadlines are posted on the Fellowships & Funding Calendar.

Apply for an Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship by completing the online application.

A complete application includes:

  1. Research Description (as outlined below – not to exceed 5 pages, including abstract)

    Briefly describe your dissertation research project and progress toward completion. Address your narrative to an audience of intelligent, academic reviewers, who may not be very familiar with your specific field or discipline. You must clearly explain the importance/significance of your research to a general (lay) audience without using jargon or technical, field specific language. All parts, including abstract and any citations, may not exceed the 5 page limitation.

    • Abstract: summary of your research (no more than 300 words, double spaced).
    • Background: Depending upon your discipline or field of study, your dissertation description may include a summary of key literature, general concepts, frame of reference for your study, your research questions, and the significance of your research. Citations for important references may be included, within page limitations.
    • Methodology/Research Design: Depending upon your discipline or field of study, you may include a description of the data or other materials which will be/have been collected and analyzed, methods of collection and analysis, design considerations, etc. A full description of any necessary approvals, such as Human Subjects Review, should be included.
    • Research Progress, Work Plan, and Timetable:
      • Include a description of research progress made to date, and planned sequence of tasks to be completed, with estimated timetable.
      • Include the research tasks to be completed during the award period, with the specific off-campus location(s), dates of proposed travel, resources that will be utilized, and explain why this off-campus research is critical to your dissertation.
    • IRB approval: If necessary for your research, attach a copy of the approval documentation you received (a copy of the email or letter) – not included in the 5 page limit
  2. Curriculum Vita and other sources of funding (not to exceed two pages)

    Include recent professional activities, awards, honors and courses you have taught. Please list external funds for which you have applied, including funding source, and if funding was received or is pending. Because University funding is limited, application for external funding is encouraged and such efforts will be viewed positively by the reviewers.

  3. Two letters of recommendation
    • One from your dissertation advisor
    • One from another faculty member who is familiar with your research

    Only electronic letters of recommendation will be accepted. The online application will prompt you to submit the email addresses for your recommenders. Once you submit your application via the online system, an email will be sent to your chosen recommenders asking them to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf.

    Each letter of recommendation is limited to 4,000 characters (spaces included) which is approximately 600 words or one single-spaced page.

    Letters of recommendation should be written “To the Fellowship Committee” and include the following:
    1. the quality of the student's research,
    2. a rating of the applicant's overall ability and potential for a successful career based on the recommender's knowledge of other students in the same field, and
    3. the recommender's assessment of the need for the student to conduct off-campus research during the semester, as a critical part of his or her dissertation.

Format:

The Research Description (including abstract) must be double-spaced, with 12 point font, 1-inch margins, pages numbered, and the applicant's name on each page. The Curriculum Vita must have 12 point font, 1-inch margins, pages numbered, and the applicant's name on each page.

Applications will not be considered if they exceed the page limit and/or the proper formatting is not followed. We cannot accept applications that exceed the total limit of seven pages (5 pages for the research description and 2 pages for the vita) plus IRB approval, if necessary.

Application Tips:

Frequently Asked Questions:

When will award notifications be sent out?
Award notifications will be sent out at the end of November for the Spring Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowships and in the middle of April for the Fall Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowships and the Friederich and Lurcy Fellowships.
Can I apply for both the Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship and the Dissertation Completion Fellowship at the same time?
No, students cannot apply for both the Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship and the Dissertation Completion Fellowship at the same time.
Can I apply for the Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship if I am currently receiving a 5-year fellowship from the Graduate School?
Yes, graduate students who are receiving a 5-year fellowship from the Graduate School can apply for this fellowship. If awarded, this fellowship will count towards your service semesters.
If I receive the General Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship, what are the minimum and maximum travel times?
For the General Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship, travel should be for a period longer than 6 weeks up to one full semester.
If I am not selected for the Specialized Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship, am I still eligible for the General Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship?
Yes, your application will also be considered for a General Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship for one semester if you indicate your interest on your application.
Am I eligible for the Werner Friederich Fellowship if I do not need to study or conduct research in Switzerland?
Yes, preference is given to students who need to study or conduct research in Switzerland. Applicants must be from the following programs: History, Art History, Music, or any Humanities program.
If I received an Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship in the past, am I eligible to apply again?
No, each student can only receive one Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship while a graduate student.
Can I apply without having IRB approval yet? If I don't have IRB approval yet, how long do I have to submit IRB approval?
Yes, applications may be submitted prior to receiving IRB approval, however, it is strongly recommended that an IRB application be submitted as soon as possible since award is contingent upon such approval. Proof of IRB approval must be received by the Graduate School no later than six weeks after the date on the award letter, otherwise this award will be forfeited.
Can the abstract be single-spaced?
No, the abstract is part of the research description, therefore, it must be double-spaced. Double spacing is required for ease of reading by the reviewers.
If I include citations, should they be footnotes or end notes? Do they have to be double-spaced?
Citations can be either footnotes or end notes and can be single-spaced. Citations are included in the 5 page research description page limit.
Does my second letter of recommendation have to be from a UNC faculty member?
No, the second letter of recommendation can be from a faculty member from any university who is familiar with your research.
Can my recommenders submit their letters of recommendation directly to the Graduate School or my academic department?
No, only electronic letters of recommendation will be accepted. The online application will prompt you to submit the email addresses for your recommenders. Once you submit your application via the online system, an email will be sent to your chosen recommenders asking them to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf.
What is the process from the student applying to the department submitting applications to the graduate school?
  1. student submits application online.
  2. email goes out to those chosen as recommenders asking them to submit letter via online system; at the same time, those marked with the role of “fellowship and award approver” for your department in the graduate school contact directory will receive an email notifying them the student submitted their application.
  3. once the letters of recommendation are submitted, they are linked to the student's electronic application.
  4. once the required number of recommendation letters are submitted, the department can mark the student’s application for selection, and submit it to the Graduate School via the online system by the Graduate School deadline.
Can the letter of recommendation request emails go out prior to me submitting my application?
No, the online application system can only send the email requests out after you submit your application since the submission triggers the emails.
Do all letters of recommendation need to be received in order for my application to be submitted to the Graduate School?
Yes, the online application system will not allow any incomplete applications to be submitted from the department to the Graduate School. A complete application includes the letters of recommendation. Therefore, letters of recommendation cannot be sent to the Graduate School after the deadline either.
What do the statuses associated with an application mean?
The statues are as follows:
  • Submitted — your application has been submitted, your department will be notified via email and emails for your requested recommenders will be sent out.
  • Waiting Letters of Recommendation — your application is waiting for letters of recommendation to be submitted. Your application cannot be submitted to the Graduate School until all letters have been submitted.
  • Waiting Department Selection — all letters of recommendation have been submitted (if applicable); your application is ready for your department to mark it for selection to the Graduate School
  • Department Selected — your application was selected for submission to the Graduate School
  • Department Nominated — your application has been submitted to the Graduate School
  • Reopened — your department reopened your application so you can make changes and resubmit it.

Questions:

For additional information, e-mail the Graduate School Fellowships Office.