Ballard and Seashore Dissertation Year Fellowships
Ballard and Seashore Fellowships are intended to help students in the social sciences and humanities complete their dissertations.
Students must be nominated by their departments or programs.
Nomination Process
Because this is a final year fellowship, a student may be nominated only once. Priority will be given to nominations where it is clear that the dissertation will be completed within the fellowship period.
- Successful dissertation completion by a department's previous Ballard Seashore fellowship recipients will be considered in award decisions.
Nominations will be accepted starting January 20, 2009. Deadline for nominations is Monday, February 23.
- Departments may nominate one student for every eight doctoral students admitted to candidacy (or major fraction thereof), up to a maximum of five students
- Recipients of the Presidential Graduate Fellowship or the Dean's Graduate Fellowship are not eligible for this award.
To be eligible, students must have successfully completed the comprehensive examination by the nomination deadline. Recipients may not hold other teaching or research appointments, except in unique situations that contribute substantially to the student's academic development — such appointments must be approved by the Graduate College.
About the Award
Funds for three Ada Louisa Ballard Fellowships were initially bequeathed by the late Professor Clarence E. Cousins to honor his mother. Professor Cousins was a member of the Department of French and Italian for many years. The Graduate College awards these fellowships, along with twenty-seven Seashore Fellowships.
The fellowship provides $18,000 for the academic year, plus a summer stipend of $4,000. The fellowship also provides two credit hours of tuition per semester, mandatory student fees, and a health/dental insurance allowance. Fellowship recipients may elect to receive their summer stipend either before or after the fellowship year, but must be registered as a graduate student to receive the summer stipend.
Nomination Requirements
A complete nomination must include:
Cover letter:
- Nomination Cover Sheet (pdf).
Student materials:
- A two-page, single-spaced abstract (12 pt type, 1" margins) written to be understood by people in other fields of study. The abstract should address the purpose of the research, how the research will be carried out, and the value of the research to the student's field (do not include references).
- A two-page document containing a descriptive list of chapters and a timetable for completion of the dissertation.
- A one-page C.V. of the nominee's educational and professional experience, honors and awards, and publications.
Two letters of support:
- One letter from the nominee's dissertation director that includes:
- How long the student has been working on the Ph.D.
- Confirmation the student will have successfully completed the comprehensive examination by the nomination deadline (February 23, 2009).
- The student's qualifications for carrying out this research.
- How much work has already been accomplished on the dissertation.
- The value of the research topic to the specific field.
- The likelihood that the degree will be completed by the end of the 2010 summer session at the latest.
- One letter from a committee member or other faculty member familiar with the student's work.
Director of Graduate Studies letter:
- A brief endorsement that assesses the student's academic progress, research potential and likelihood of completion during the fellowship year.
- In the case of multiple nominations from a department, the DGS letter must rank the nominees.
Nomination materials should be submitted by email (to kathy-klein@uiowa.edu) in either Word or PDF form by February 23, 2009. Questions concerning the Ballard Seashore Fellowship should be addressed to Associate Dean Dan Berkowitz (335-2136, dan-berkowitz@uiowa.edu ) or Kathy Klein (kathy-klein@uiowa.edu , 335-3492)
