Dissertation Fellowship Processing Guidelines
Contents
- Description of Award
- Eligibility
- Selection of Nominees
- Selection Criteria
- Letter of Recommendation
- Graduate Program Evaluation of Nominees
- Graduate Program Certification of Nominees
- Graduate Program Nomination Instructions
- Program Follow-up to Applicants
- Important Dates
Appendices
- Graduate Program Evaluation of Nominee (PDF file)
- Graduate Program Certification of Nominee (PDF file)
- Council of Graduate Schools Resolution (PDF file)
Description of Award
Approximately 14 academic-year (Fall/Spring) Graduate School Dissertation Fellowships are awarded annually to exceptional UWM doctoral students with dissertator status. Awards are for full-time study only. The current academic fellowship stipend for 2007-2008 is $14,000. In addition, fellows receive coverage of resident graduate tuition, currently valued at $1,920 (dissertator level), a remission of the out-of-state portion of the tuition (if applicable), low-cost comprehensive health insurance and other benefits. Awardees retain full responsibility for mandatory fees and additional instructional/course fees (including distance education) above basic graduate tuition levels.
Eligibility
- Dissertator Status: Dissertation applicants must have 1) completed all course work, 2) passed preliminary examinations, 3) completed Ph.D. residency requirements, and 4) obtained dissertation status by September 1, 2008. Dissertation Fellowships are subject to withdrawal if these requirements have not been met.
- Concurrent Fellowship/Scholarship Support: No other scholarship or fellowship may be held concurrently with a Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship (with the exception of the Chancellor's Graduate Student Award).
- Maximum Dissertation Support: A Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship may be held for a maximum of one academic year. No current or previous awardee may be nominated for further support.
- Concurrent Employment: Concurrent employment of Dissertation Fellowship recipients is limited to the following:
- University employment of a maximum of 25% TA, PA, or RA.
- Student hourly or outside employment of up to 15 hours per week.
Selection of Nominees
No more than two nominees from your graduate program may be forwarded for the Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship competition. (Remember, previous Dissertation Fellowship awardees are not eligible for support in this category.)
Selection Criteria
Dissertation Fellowships are highly competitive. Fellowships are awarded on the basis of the applicant's previous academic record, scholarly and other achievements, status towards degree*, and faculty and departmental recommendations.
*See Eligibility; please be sure that your program's nominees have achieved dissertation status or will do so by September 1, 2008.
Letter of Recommendation
Each applicant has been instructed to secure a letter of recommendation from his/her major professor. The letter must be on your program's letterhead stationery.
Graduate Program Evaluation of Nominees
Complete a Graduate Program Evaluation for each nominee (Appendix A).
Graduate Program Certification of Nominees
Complete a Graduate Program Certification for each nominee (Appendix B).
Graduate Program Nomination Instructions
Before submitting your program's nomination, please make sure that you have followed the instructions and have included all the necessary documentation.
If you encounter difficulties in converting documents to PDF format, please let us know well in advance of the deadline and we will be happy to help you.
- Verify all information submitted by your nominee, including GRE/GMAT scores, GPAs, and degrees earned.
- Once verified, convert all documents into one PDF file.
In that PDF file should be:- Nominee's application. This should be filled out completely and all information will have been verified by your program.
- One letter of recommendation (on letterhead stationery).
- An unofficial transcript.
- Graduate program's letter of evaluation and support (Appendix A).
- Graduate program's certification of nominee (Appendix B).
- Label PDF file as follows:
Name of Applicant-DISS08-09-Name of Depart.pdf - E-mail the PDF as an attachment to fellowship@uwm.edu no later than February 15, 2008. This is the deadline date. No nominations will be accepted after February 15, 2008.
- By return e-mail, you will receive confirmation that the Graduate School is in receipt of your nomination(s).
Program Follow-Up to Applicants
After you submit your nominated applicants to the Graduate School, please notify all of your program's fellowship applicants (non-nominated as well as nominated applicants) of the status of their fellowship applications. This is your program's responsibility.
Important Dates
| February 15, 2008 | Graduate program nominations deadline |
| March 14, 2007 | Announcement of awards |
For questions regarding any of these procedures, please contact the Graduate School at 229-6267 (e-mail: fellowship@uwm.edu).

