Dean’s Dissertation Completion Fellowship

The Graduate College Dean's Fellowship typically awards five fellowships annually to doctoral students in the final year of degree work to support superior scholarship that enhances the reputation of their program, college, and the University of Cincinnati.

The recipients of this award are recommended by a faculty committee and sanctioned by the dean of the Graduate College. The awards are presented spring semester, and each award includes a $20,000 fellowship and a full one-year tuition scholarship.

Please read the dissertation completion fellowship program description (PDF) for more information about selection criteria, award process and structure, and fellowship responsibilities. (To view this document, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free download.)

Eligible students are those with dissertation committees established, who will have all coursework completed by the beginning of the fall 2025 semester, and who are sufficiently advanced in their dissertation research and writing to be able to commit credibly to graduating by the end of the fellowship year. The competition is for funding during academic year 2025–26.

The purpose of this award is to support students in their final year of study. Therefore, awardees, their mentors, and their graduate program directors must sign an acknowledgement that (1) affirms their shared commitment to graduate by the conclusion of the fellowship year, and (2) signals that their acceptance of this award precludes the student from receiving any further university (UGA or Graduate Scholarship) funding for this degree program in the future, in the event that the student does not graduate during the academic year.

Nominations should not include those who are ineligible for funding in fall 2025 or spring 2026 due to the 174 graduate credit rule. Nominations are limited to one from each doctoral program and are made by the graduate program director in consultation with program faculty. 

The expectation is that recipients will produce superior scholarship that enhances the reputations of their programs, academic units, and the University of Cincinnati, and that enables them to finish all graduation requirements and receive their degrees by the end of the award term.

The application cycle will open in October, with applications due mid-December. 

Announcement of awardees will be made by early February, 2025. Please direct questions to megan.tischner@uc.edu.

• Register full-time (12 credits or more) for fall 2024 and (if being funded during the term) spring 2025.
  
• No teaching or research employment at UC or elsewhere.
• Fellows must engage in approved monthly professional development activities (a minimum of 4 per semester). The following activities may be used to fulfill this requirement: 
  • Support Graduate College programming as a panelist or speaker 
    
  • Participate in Preparing Future Faculty events 
    
  • Create a professional development workshop in collaboration with Graduate College staff
    
  • Participation in the annual UC Graduate College Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition as a competitor, preliminary round judge, or trainer/coach for students
    
  • Serve on a Graduate College committee  
    
  • Other professional development activity, as approved by the Graduate College program director
    
• Acknowledgement of the Graduate College Dean's Completion Fellowship in publications resulting from work done during the fellowship year.