Doctoral Fellowships Dissertation Fellowships

Dissertation Fellowships are for African-American doctoral students who are writing their Ph.D. or Th.D. dissertations. The goal of this program is to increase completion rates and shorten time-to-degree periods for African-American doctoral students who intend to teach or do research in theological schools.

To apply for an FTE Dissertation Fellowship, you must be an African-American student in religion, theological studies, or biblical studies, and in the final writing stage of your dissertation.

Your dissertation committee must have approved your dissertation research proposal and writing plan and given you permission to proceed before you submit your application for the Dissertation Fellows Program. You must be able to write full-time during the fellowship year. You must also be a U.S. citizen.

If you're now preparing to enter your doctoral program, or are not yet at the dissertation stage, you are not eligible for this program, but you may be eligible for a Doctoral Fellowship or a North American Doctoral Fellowship.

Fellows receive a stipend of up to $18,000 from FTE. In addition, the recipient's institution must provide a full-tuition scholarship or remission as a condition of the award.

Each Fellow also attends FTE's Doctoral Conference. Expenses for conference attendance are included as part of the fellowship award. Fellows also receive a travel stipend to attend the annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature, as well as other professional development opportunities.

Applications for the 2010-2011 fellowship year are now available for download. The deadline for applications is February 1, 2010.

This conference provides an opportunity for Doctoral and Dissertation Fellows to engage with religious and theological faculty, as well as peers, to discuss contemporary issues in religion and theology, scholarship and teaching. The conference includes lectures, panels and workshops. Expenses for conference attendance are included as part of the fellowship award.