Value

The financial commitment for Iowa Performance Fellows* entering the DMA program in Fall 2023 or later is as follows:

Year 1

The Graduate College provides a non-service fellowship appointment for $23,306 for the academic year and a summer fellowship for $5,500.

Year 2

The Graduate College provides a non-service fellowship appointment with a stipend equivalent to a 25% graduate assistantship for the academic year and a summer fellowship for $5,500. In addition, the School of Music will provide support at the normal level, generally a 25% teaching or research assistantship for the academic year.

Year 3

The Graduate College provides a non-service fellowship appointment with a stipend equivalent to a 25% graduate assistantship for the academic year only. In addition, the School of Music will provide support at the normal level, generally a 25% teaching or research assistantship for the academic year.

Year 4

The School of Music will provide academic year support at the normal level, generally a 25% teaching or research assistantship. The fourth year of promised funding is new to 2023-2024 fellows. We are not able to guarantee this funding to previous year fellowship cohorts.

The Graduate College pays a tuition scholarship at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences resident rate, plus a scholarship for 50% of the designated mandatory fees as listed in the tuition and mandatory fees table during both the three academic years and two summers of support. The Graduate College will also provide a university contribution to the fellow's health insurance for years 1-3. The School of Music will provide the tuition scholarship and 50% of the designated mandatory fees, as well as a university contribution to health insurance to the fellow in year 4.

* While the University will make every reasonable effort to uphold the terms of this offer letter, please note that an unexpected loss of funding could affect employment as a graduate assistant.

Renewal of the Fellowship and departmental support each year is also contingent upon on maintaining a strong level of performance and making satisfactory progress towards your degree and availability of funding. Fellows will be required to complete a progress report on an annual basis.

Typically, fellowships cannot be used in combination with any other source of support (e.g., fellowship/scholarship, grant, graduate assistantships, or employment outside the University of Iowa) since the fellowships are meant to provide protected time for the student to advance their studies. Failure to report additional employment can be considered in future applications/nominations/continued Graduate College funding for both the student and the department. For more information or to ask for a possible one-time exception, contact the Graduate College.

Minimum Requirements

Requirements for DMA Program

1. Departments must conduct a real-time interview (in-person, Skype, phone) with a prospective fellow before making the fellowship nomination. The nomination letter must provide a brief critique of the interview.
2. A Fellow's  mentor/advisor must be identified to the Graduate College by the end of the second year of study. This is a requirement for the student to receive continuing support.
3. Departments must meet with Fellows at the end of each academic year and submit a brief memo to the Graduate College confirming that a Fellow is making good academic progress. If a Fellow has withdrawn from courses, received an incomplete in a course, received a course grade of B- or lower,  or struggled in required program milestones, the department must address student-centered remedies.
4. DGS must notify the Graduate College (Associate Dean Shelly Campo) in writing immediately of the recruited or enrolled student's intention to replace the original degree objective, addition of another degree, and/or change in program continuation.
5. If a Performance fellow receives an external fellowship or other funding mechanism, the department should notify the Graduate College to ensure that the continuation of the recruitment fellowship is not in conflict with the terms of the external award.

Requirements for Fellows

1. Fellows must complete annual progress reports each spring semester that also addresses their summer research plan of study. As part of the annual review process, students must complete or update an individual development plan with their mentors. This report is required to receive summer support. To receive summer support the student must be registered for at least 1 credit in the summer term.
2. Continued support as a Fellow requires remaining in good academic standing with strong evidence of academic progress (according to the standards outlined in the student's departmental graduate student handbook). successful completion of the comprehensive examination, and submission of all annual progress reports.
3. Fellows must notify the Graduate College (Associate Dean Shelly Campo) in writing immediately of intention to replace the original degree objective, addition of another degree, and/or change in program continuation.
4. The Iowa Performance Fellowship will enable you to focus on completing your academic requirements. During the time you receive funding, you are expected to work on activities related to your degree completion. You will have access to UI systems and will be paid a stipend. As such, the University requires that your academic needs and physical location be reviewed, approved, and registered with relevant UI offices. Not all international destinations will be approved depending on cybersecurity, research security, and U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory risk levels. Please allow at least four weeks for approval considerations to occur. Follow this link for additional information: https://international.uiowa.edu/travel-safety/travel-registration#students.
5. If all of the above requirements are not met, the Graduate College may withhold awarding of funds.

Application

Students must be nominated by their departments or programs.

Online nominations must include the following items as separate PDF files:

Required materials

• Nomination letter from Director of Graduate Studies
• Copy of the student's complete application including all signed letters of reference
• Letters of support from at least two faculty members (at least one from within the program and at least one who is at the associate professor level or higher) agreeing to serve as mentors for the student. Faculty members must have at least one of the following credentials: 1) a record of successfully mentoring doctoral students to completion, 2) successfully completed or committing to completing National Research Mentoring Network training offered at the University of Iowa and elsewhere,  and/or 3) the completion of another type of formal program demonstrating commitment to student success. The letters must address how the mentor addresses this qualification.

Nominations must be submitted online at https://workflow.uiowa.edu/form/iowa-performance by the department or program, with all materials prepared as PDF documents. Applications submitted by the student (and not someone in the department such as the DGS, DEO or grad coordinator) will be voided and not considered.

Deadline

The deadline for submissions for the 2026-2027 academic year is Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 5pm. Submissions will be accepted in Workflow beginning Monday, March 9, 2026. Please note, you will receive a blank page if you click on the Workflow submission link before the form is officially open.

Additional Information

Please direct any questions to Jennifer Crawford (jennifer-crawford@uiowa.edu; 319-335-3493), Corey Rubin (corey-rubin@uiowa.edu; 319-335-0558) or via email to grad-fellowships@uiowa.edu.