Summer Research Fellowships

• Eligibility
• Selection Criteria
• Award Amount
• Nomination
• Deadline
• How to Apply
• Application Guidelines
• Contact Us

Summer Research Fellowships provide summer support to doctoral students so they may focus exclusively on their dissertation research. Each named fellowship is made possible through a generous gift to The Graduate School and is intended to enable students to complete their degree more quickly by supporting students who normally do not have funding during the summer.

• 2022 Summer Research Fellowship winners
• 2021 Summer Research Fellowship winners

Submit Application »

Eligibility

You are eligible if:

• You are a fully-enrolled, degree-seeking doctoral student in a residential program administered by The Graduate School.
• You are enrolled full-time for Spring 2023 and Fall 2023 (for Summer 2023 fellowship)
• You have no other funding for the summer (including TA or RA)
• You will not be taking summer courses

If you are awarded this fellowship, we ask that you present the products of your summer work to The Graduate School, and your faculty mentor must be willing to provide a written evaluation of your work to The Graduate School at the conclusion of your fellowship.

Selection Criteria

Your application will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

• You have a strong graduate academic record.
• Your application materials are understandable to a general audience outside of your field.
• Your research design is clearly outlined and appropriate.
• Your application materials reflect an understanding of and commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

You must clearly indicate on the online application all previous funding received (including RA/TAs, non-service funding and external funding) for each semester for which you have been enrolled as well as all awarded or pending funding for the summer. Applicants who do not include this information for each semester will not be considered for funding.

Your priority for this fellowship is based upon how much funding you have received throughout your graduate career. In order of priority:

1. No previous non-service funding; self-funded or funded through teaching assistantships; no previous summer support
2. Minimal non-service funding; funded through teaching assistantships or research assistantships not related to your dissertation; no previous summer support
3. Some non-service funding; research assistantships related to your dissertation; minimal summer support
4. Multiple-year funding, including continuing assistantships and non-service fellowships; Previous summer support

View an in-depth description of the review and selection process.

Students who have previously received a Summer Research Fellowship are not eligible to apply again.

In order for you to be able to devote yourself exclusively to your summer research, you may not enroll in any courses during the summer.

Award Amount

The award is a one-time $7,000 stipend at the beginning of the summer.

Depending on funding, this award may change from year to year.

Nomination

Each department may nominate up to TWO students per year for the Summer Research Fellowship.

Deadline

Deadlines are posted on the funding deadlines calendar.

How to Apply

Submit Application »

View Frequently Asked Questions about the online application.

1. Please check with your department for their internal deadline. You must complete your application early enough for your department to nominate you to The Graduate School by the deadline.
2. Prepare your application materials: research narrative, personal statement and curriculum vitae
3. Arrange for a letter of recommendation. Be sure to follow the application guidelines
4. Before submitting your application, we suggest you get feedback on your narrative from a person outside of your field.
5. Submit your materials on the Graduate School Award Online Application.
6. Once you submit your application, your recommender will receive an email asking him/her to submit a letter via the online system.
7. At the same time, the fellowship and award approver for your department will receive an email notifying them that you submitted your application.
8. Once your letter of recommendation has been submitted, your department may nominate you for the fellowship. If your department selects your application, they must nominate it to The Graduate School by the deadline.
9. We will notify awardees in mid-April.

Application Guidelines

We will not consider your application if you exceed any of the page limits or if you do not follow the proper format.

A complete application includes:

• Online Application
• Attachments:
  • Research Narrative
  • Personal Statement
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Letter of Recommendation

Research Narrative

Address your research description to an audience of intelligent reviewers who may not be familiar with your field. Clearly explain the importance of your research to a lay audience. Do not use jargon or technical, field-specific terminology.

Format: No more than 3 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, numbered pages, and your name on each page

• Describe your plan for utilizing this summer research fellowship.
• Describe your research goals, methodology, resources you will use, and specific plans for your summer work. You must include information on advance planning required to conduct your research in other locations, such as approvals from archives/libraries, or foreign countries, international universities/colleges, or other such permissions required to conduct your research or collect your data in that location.
• Describe what you hope to accomplish by the end of your summer fellowship.

Personal Statement

Format: No more than 1 page. Double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, numbered pages, your name on each page.

As appropriate, please include information relevant to the following:

• Your service contributions to UNC and the local community beyond any requirements of your program (including teaching and research duties).
• Your understanding of and commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. You may draw from your lived experience, cultural awareness and competencies, and/or research methodology and reflections.

Curriculum Vitae:

Format: No more than 2 pages, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, numbered pages, and your name on each page.

• Include recent professional activities, awards, honors, and courses you have taught.

Letter of Recommendation:

You must have a letter of recommendation from the faculty mentor who will provide you guidance in your research.

Indicate your recommender’s email address in your application.

Once you submit your application, your recommender will receive an email asking them to submit a letter of recommendation.

Instructions for recommenders:
The letter of recommendation should be no more than 4,000 characters (spaces included), which is approximately 600 words or one single-spaced page.

Address the letter of recommendation “To the Fellowship Committee.”
Include:

• How the faculty mentor will provide guidance to the student in preparing his/her plan for summer research
• What products the student will produce by the end of the summer
• How the student’s work will be evaluated
• A description of other funding received or pending (if applicable)
• The faculty mentor’s willingness to provide a written evaluation of the student’s summer research to The Graduate School no later than September 15, 2023.

We can only accept letters of recommendation through the online system. Recommenders cannot submit letters directly to The Graduate School or to the student’s department.

Contact Us

Graduate School Fellowships Office
gradfunding@unc.edu