We offer dissertation travel grants, conference travel grants and fellowships to our graduate students.

Dissertation Travel Grants

Doctoral students may apply for these grants to subsidize travel and other costs associated with dissertation research, whether for exploring a potential dissertation topic, conducting dissertation research, or making a return trip to gather additional data. Competitions are held during the fall and spring semesters. Further information is available in the Graduate Studies Office.

Conference Travel

Through a combination of Graduate College and departmental support, partial reimbursement for expenses connected with travel to conferences to present papers is available. Competitions are held during the fall and spring semester. Stipends are dependent upon the student’s expenses and the availability of funds. Further information and applications for conference travel reimbursement are available in the Graduate Studies Office.

Fellowships

PhD candidates are eligible to apply for University and Departmental fellowships and Release Time fellowships. The competition is held in the spring for the coming academic year, and winners are usually announced in late March or April. More information on how to apply for such internal fellowships is available in the Graduate Studies Office.

• Departmental Fellowships:
  • Several small fellowships worth $1,000 to $6,000, offered in addition to teaching assistantship for first-year or continuing students;
  • Enhancement fellowships worth $4,000 to $12,500 per year, usually offered to first-year students.
• Graduate College Fellowships:
  • Graduate College fellowships for under-represented groups given primarily to students who are U.S. citizens of African-American, Mexican-American, Puerto Rican and Native American descent. These are one to three year fellowships worth $15,000 per year.
  • Illinois Distinguished three-year fellowships worth $17,000 per year.
• Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Study:
  • Nationally competitive Mellon Fellowships, awarded by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, provide a first-year stipend of $17,500 and tuition www.woodrow.org/.
• Dissertation Fellowships:
  • Students in good standing and making good progress toward their degree ordinarily receive at least two courses released from teaching to work on their dissertation. Some receive a year or more of fellowship support. This stipend is usually equivalent to that of teaching assistants, but an occasional student may compete with graduate students across campus for a Graduate College Dissertation Completion Fellowship which carrying a $17,000 per-year stipend.
  • Several summer fellowships with a stipend of $2,000 are available