Last updated in 2012
By Janet Gunn
Getting funded, getting published, and getting hired—these are goals shared by most
graduate students! The links below may be helpful.
Getting
Funded: Major North American Fellowships and Scholarships
Your first stop should be the Awards Office in your own university. Every school has
funding opportunities (and deadlines) unique to its students. Every year many
bursaries and scholarships go unclaimed due to a lack of applicants. Beyond this,
research the following opportunities:
AAR International Dissertation Research Grants - These
annual grants, designed to support AAR student members whose dissertation
research requires them to travel outside of the country in which their school
or university is located, are intended to help candidates complete their
doctoral degrees by offsetting costs of travel, lodging, and other dissertation
research-related expenses.
American Council of Learned Societies - The
American Council of Learned Societies, of which the AAR is a member, is one of
the leading institutions supporting scholars in the humanities and related
social sciences with grants and fellowship at the doctoral and postdoctoral
levels. Students may be particularly interested in the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships.
Social Science Research Council - SSRC
fellowships and grant programs mainly target young researchers and junior
scholars in the social sciences, yet many of their programs are also open to
those in the humanities, natural sciences, relevant professional and
practitioner communities.
SSRC offers the Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship (DPDF),
Pre-dissertation Training Fellowships, and Dissertation Write-Up Fellowships
(click on Current Funding Opportunities).
The
International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF) program supports
distinguished graduate students in the humanities and social sciences
conducting dissertation research outside the United States.
American Association of University Women - Dissertation
Fellowships are available to women who will complete their dissertation writing
between the yearly guidelines set by the association. To qualify, applicants
must have completed all course work, passed all required preliminary
examinations, and received approval for their research proposal or plan by
deadline. Students holding any fellowship for writing a dissertation in the
year prior to the AAUW Educational Foundation fellowship year are not eligible.
Scholars engaged in researching gender issues are encouraged to apply.
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship
Foundation
The Woodrow Wilson Doctoral Fellowship in Women’s Studies encourages original
and significant research about women that crosses disciplinary, regional, or
cultural boundaries.
The Charlotte W. Newcombe Dissertation Fellowship are designed to encourage original and significant study of ethical or religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences, and particularly to help Ph.D. candidates in these fields complete their dissertation work in a timely manner. The Newcombe Fellowships are provided to Ph.D. candidates at institutions in the United States who will complete their dissertations during the fellowship year.
The National Academies Fellowships
- Administers
various fellowships in policy and global affairs, science, engineering,
technology, medicine and the humanities
- Administers
the Ford Fellowship Programs include Pre-Doctoral, Post-Doctoral, and Dissertation
Fellowships
The Louisville Institute Dissertation Fellowship Program is designed to support
the final year of writing on promising Ph.D. and Th.D. dissertation projects
dealing with aspects of American religious life that are related to the
concerns of the Louisville Institute.
The Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship Program seeks to encourage a new generation of scholars
from a wide range of disciplines and professional fields to undertake research
relevant to the improvement of education. These $25,000 fellowships support
individuals whose dissertations show potential for bringing fresh and
constructive perspectives to the history, theory, or practice of formal or
informal education anywhere in the world.
Although
the dissertation topic must concern education, graduate study may be in any
academic discipline or professional field. In the past, fellowships have been
awarded to candidates in anthropology, architecture, art history, economics,
education, history, linguistics, literature, philosophy, political science,
psychology, public health, religion, and sociology, but eligibility is
not restricted to these academic areas. Candidates should be interested in
pursuing further research in education once the doctorate is attained.
American Philosophical Society: John Hope Franklin Dissertation Fellowship - This fellowship is designed to support an outstanding doctoral student at an
American university who is conducting dissertation research. There are two
special features to this fellowship.
First, the
objective of the John Hope Franklin Dissertation Fellowship is to help remedy
the serious shortage of faculty of color in core fields in the arts and
sciences, by supporting the Ph.D. projects of minority students of great
promise (particularly African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Native
Americans) as well as other talented students who have a demonstrated
commitment to eradicating racial disparities and enlarging minority
representation in academia.
Second,
the John Hope Franklin Fellow is expected to spend a significant amount of time
in residence at the APS Library and therefore all applicants should be pursuing
dissertation topics in which the holdings of the Library are especially strong,
such as quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, computer development, the history
of genetics and eugenics, the history of medicine, Early American political and
cultural history, natural history in the 18th and 19th centuries, the
development of cultural anthropology, or American Indian linguistics and
culture. The APS Library's extensive collections in these and many other fields
are fully described on their website.
Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR Awards and Fellowships): Mellon Fellowships for Dissertation Research in Original Resources
To be eligible, an applicant will:
- be
enrolled in a doctoral program in a graduate school in the United States
(master's thesis research is not eligible)
- complete
all doctoral requirements except the dissertation and be ready to start
research for it as early as June 1 and no later than September 1,
with approval of the dissertation proposal no later than April 1
- plan to
do dissertation research primarily in original source material in the
holdings of archives, libraries, historical societies, museums, related
repositories, or a combination
- write
the dissertation and receive the Ph.D. degree in a field of the humanities
or in a related element of the social sciences (candidates for the Ed.D,
J.D., or D.D. degrees are not eligible)
United States Institute For Peace - The
Jennings Randolph program awards Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellowships to
students at U.S. universities researching and writing doctoral dissertations on
international conflict and peace.
The Forum for Theological Education - FTE supports outstanding African-American students pursuing graduate degrees in
religion and theology. This work is designed to address the significant
shortage of African-American scholars in faculty teaching and research
positions. Diversity is crucial to the vitality of the academy and the
Christian church.
The McNeil Center for Early American Studies - Doctoral
candidates from any PhD-granting institution who are in the research or writing
stage of the dissertation are eligible to compete for these fellowships. Any
project dealing with the histories and cultures of North America in the
Atlantic world before 1850 will be considered. Proposals dependent on the use
of Philadelphia-area archives and libraries are particularly welcome.
Applications are encouraged from students of all relevant disciplines,
including African American Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Economics,
Folklore, Gender Studies, History, Law, Literature, Music, Political Science,
Religion, Urban Studies, and Women’s Studies.
Resources for the Future: Joseph L. Fisher Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships - Fellowships
are offered in support of doctoral dissertation research on issues related to
the environment, natural resources, or energy. RFF's primary research
disciplines are economics and other social sciences.
The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Dissertation Fellowships - The Harry
Frank Guggenheim Foundation (HFG) welcomes proposals from any of the natural
and social sciences and the humanities that promise to increase understanding
of the causes, manifestations, and control of violence, aggression, and
dominance. Highest priority is given to research that can increase
understanding and amelioration of urgent problems of violence, aggression, and
dominance in the modern world.
Dartmouth College:
Chavez/Eastman/Marshall Dissertation Fellowships - Dartmouth
College invites applications for the Cesar Chavez / Charles A. Eastman / Thurgood
Marshall Dissertation Fellowships from US citizens who plan careers in college
or university teaching. The goal of the Chavez / Eastman / Marshall fellowship
program is to promote student and faculty diversity at Dartmouth, and
throughout higher education, by supporting completion of the doctorate by
underrepresented minority scholars (including African-American, Latina/o, and
Native American scholars) and other graduate scholars with a demonstrated
commitment to advance educational diversity.
Kenyon College: Marilyn Yarbrough Dissertation/Teaching Fellowship - A diverse
faculty benefits students, faculty, and administrators alike by enriching the
nature of the education experience for all. We recognize, though, that young
scholars who are members of underrepresented groups frequently choose to pursue
their careers as teachers and scholars at research universities rather than at
small liberal arts colleges. In order to encourage such scholars to consider
college rather than university teaching, Kenyon College offers the Marilyn
Yarbrough Dissertation/Teaching Fellowship. The program is for scholars in the
final stages of their doctoral work who need only to finish the dissertation to
complete requirements for the Ph.D. We hope the experience of living and
working for a year at Kenyon will encourage these Fellows to consider a liberal
arts college as a place to begin their careers as teachers and scholars. In the
past, fellowships have been awarded in: African and African American Studies,
American Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Biology, English, History, Math,
Modern Languages and Literatures (Spanish), Music, Religious Studies and
Sociology.
Five Colleges, Incorporated—Amherst/Hampshire/Mount Holyoke/Smith/University of Massachusetts, Amherst - The Five
College Fellowship Program provides year-long residencies at one of the member
campuses for doctoral students completing dissertations. The chief goal of the
program is to promote diversity in the Academy while familiarizing Fellows with
the five institutions. The program's intention is to support scholars from
under-represented groups, and/or scholars with unique interests and histories,
whose engagement in the Academy will enrich scholarship and teaching.
The University of Iowa Graduate College: Ballard and Seashore Dissertation Year Fellowships
Williams College: Gaius Charles
Bolin Dissertation Fellowships - Fellowships
to promote diversity on college faculties by encouraging able minority students
to complete the doctoral degree and to pursue careers in college teaching. The
Bolin Fellowships are one-year residencies at Williams. At least two graduate
students from underrepresented groups are appointed each year. Fellows devote
the bulk of their residency to the completion of dissertation work and teach
one course as a faculty member in one of the College's academic departments or
programs.
Collegium: Fellowships and Grants - A list of fellowship and grant opportunities in religion and intellectual life for
advanced graduate students, junior and senior faculty, and independent
scholars.
Religious Research Association: The
Intersection of Research and Application
Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad - This
program provides grants to colleges and universities to fund individual
doctoral students who conduct research in other countries, in modern foreign
languages and area studies for periods of six to 12 months.
University of Pennsylvania African Studies Center: Funding Opportunities in African Studies
McGill University (Canada) Internal
Dissertation Fellowships - Dissertation
Fellowships provide support for students who are entering the final year of
completion of their PhD dissertation, and for whom other competitive
fellowships are no longer available.
Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) - SSHRC
offers a range of graduate and postgraduate fellowships to citizens and
permanent residents of Canada. Canadian students should also investigate
scholarships offered by their provincial governments.
Renate Voris Foundation Dissertation Fellowship - This
fellowship is awarded annually to a graduate student in German or Jewish
Studies or related fields in the Arts and Humanities. Students from all
universities may apply. Its purpose is to provide financial support to a
doctoral candidate during the first or second year of her or his dissertation
work. The research must include the intellectual and artistic products of
women thinkers, writers, and artists—in philosophy, including Jewish Studies,
literature, including the dramatic arts, cinema, art, architecture, or music.
Eligible candidates may be of any gender, pursuing a Ph.D. in all
disciplines within the Arts and Humanities. The amount of the award is
between $10,000 and $15,000 and may be used for any purpose.
Getting Published: Journals That Accept Student Submissions
Many
journals are interested in receiving submissions of scholarly work from late
stage graduate students. Book reviews are another excellent way for graduate
students to begin accumulating a list of publications. The following are just
some of the journals that we consider "student friendly."
Please bear in mind that there are hundreds of journals, and you should search
within your area of specialization for more options.
Journal of the American Academy of Religion
The Journal
of the American Academy of Religion is generally considered to be the top
academic journal in the field of religious studies. Our international quarterly
journal publishes scholarly articles that cover the full range of world
religious traditions together with provocative studies of the methodologies by
which these traditions are explored.
Axis Mundi
Axis Mundi is an online journal edited and
maintained by Religious Studies students at the University of Alberta. Axis
Mundi accepts contributions from students in any year of studies —
undergraduate and graduate — in Universities and Colleges across Canada. Submissions
pertaining to any aspect of the academic study of religion are encouraged.
Epoche: The University of California Journal for the Study of Religion
Epoche is a peer-reviewed, semi-annual
journal published by the department of religious studies at the University of
California, Santa Barbara. Epoche is dedicated to promoting
cross-cultural and interdisciplinary work in religious studies. To this end, Epoche
seeks to publish work from scholars working within a variety of religious
traditions as well as to develop a conceptual and theoretical language that can
bring together different fields of inquiry within the study of religion.
Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies
The Intermountain
West Journal of Religious Studies is designed to promote the academic study
of religion at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The journal is affiliated
with the Religious Studies Program at Utah State University. Our academic
review committee includes professionals from universities throughout the
Intermountain West specializing in the religions of Buddhism, Christianity,
Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Mormonism, as well as specialists in the fields
of Psychology, Anthropology, and Sociology of Religion.
JAGNES: Journal of Associated Graduates in Near Eastern Studies
The Journal
of Associated Graduates in Near Eastern Studies (JAGNES) is located
in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of California,
Berkeley. Contributors and editors of JAGNES are dedicated to the goal
of increased interaction and cooperation among Near Eastern scholars by
presenting cutting-edge research from graduate students across the country.
In line
with this goal, the journal includes research in all of the related Near
Eastern disciplines, which include but are not limited to: Arabic, Islamic
Studies, Cuneiform (Assyriology and Sumerology), Hebrew, Biblical and Judaic
Studies, Egyptology, Egyptian Art and Archaeology, Persian, Iranian Studies,
Turkish, Hittitology, Comparative Semitics, Syro-Palestinian Art and
Archaeology, and Mesopotamian Art and Archaeology. JAGNES also seeks to
initiate an interdisciplinary dialog with graduate colleagues in related fields
such as Art History, Anthropology, History, Classics, Linguistics, and
Political Science. The journal's promotion of graduate work, interdisciplinary
approaches, and emphasis on cultural discourse mark its unique contribution to
the field of Near Eastern Studies.
Journal of Interreligious Studies
The Journal of Interreligious Studies is a forum for academic, social, and timely
issues affecting religious communities around the world. It is designed to
increase the quality and frequency of interchanges between religious groups and
their leaders. The Journal seeks to build an interreligious community of
scholars, in which people of different traditions learn from one another and
work together for the common good.
Journal of Religion and Popular Culture
The
Journal of Religion and Popular Culture is a web-based, peer-reviewed
journal committed to the academic exploration, analysis and interpretation,
from a range of disciplinary perspectives, of the interrelations and
interactions between religion and religious expression and popular culture,
broadly defined as the products of contemporary mass culture. The journal is
based in Canada, but international in scope, and open to explorations of
religion and popular culture in a variety of nationalities and cultures.
Method and Theory in the Study of Religion
Published
by Brill, MTSR solicits articles, notes, book reviews and letters which
explicitly address the problems of methodology and theory in the academic study
of religion. This includes such traditional points of departure as history,
philosophy, anthropology and sociology, but also the natural sciences, and such
newer disciplinary approaches as feminist theory and studies. Method &
Theory in the Study of Religion also concentrates on the critical analysis
of theoretical problems prominent in the study of religion.
NEXT
NEXT is a peer reviewed, academic
journal edited, managed and organized by graduate students for graduate
students. Its main focus is the academic study of religion, and as such we
chiefly consider papers from within our field. It does, however, recognize the importance
of research from all relevant fields in the Humanities, including Sociology,
Anthropology, History, Philology, and the like. Indeed, the journal's guiding
philosophy is centered on the importance of mutually beneficial relationships. NEXT
understands the importance of sharing both experience and understanding amongst
the diverse members of the broader field of Humanities, as well as fostering
relationships and dialogue amongst graduate students therein, as we constitute
the NEXT generation of academic scholars. With this view in mind, this journal
is dedicated to providing a space for the voice of the Humanities graduate
student in the greater academic conversation.
Religion Compass
Unique in
both range and approach, Religion Compass publishes peer-reviewed
surveys of the most important research and current thinking from across the
entire discipline. Religion Compass guides students, researchers and
non-specialist scholars through the accumulating body of literature, and
navigates the field by laying out the territory, describing divisions and
subdivisions of Religious Studies and identifying the major issues within those
sections.
The Student Journal of Canadian Jewish Studies
The
Student Journal of Canadian Jewish Studies is an exciting new initiative in
the field of Canadian Jewish Studies. This student web-based journal, supported
by the Institute for Canadian Jewish Studies at Concordia University, provides
an excellent opportunity for students to publish work in an academic context.
Vanderbilt Historical Review
The
primary author(s) must be an undergraduate, or must have graduated within the
past six months. The Vanderbilt Historical Review (VHR), created
in the fall of 2015 by a group of undergraduate students, seeks to show the
importance of studying the past through its semiannual publication. Topics may
cover a wide range of disciplines, including religious, economic, political,
social, or cultural history. The editorial board leads a blind review process
in which historically accurate, interesting, and creative articles are
critiqued. In doing so, the journal provides a forum of academic debate on relevant
historical questions.
Getting
Hired: Links to Help You in Your Search
Again,
check within your own school for departmental and broader institutional
resources that may be helpful. Many universities offer a range of professional
development and career services, including CV workshops.
Employment Listings is
the most comprehensive public record of job listings for credentialed scholars
in religion.
The Chronicle of Higher Education is published every weekday and is
widely considered the top destination for news, advice, and jobs for people in
academe.