Application Instructions & Information

GUIDELINES FOR DISSERTATION YEAR AWARDS

Dissertation Year awards are intended to provide support to graduate students who are nearing completion of their dissertation research and expect to complete their dissertation within the academic year in which the award is granted. 

For all Dissertation Fellowships, the dissertation advisor and the Graduate Advisor will be required to acknowledge the student's thesis timeline and the plan to graduate within the period of award.

Dissertation Year Fellowship Awards (DYFAs)
DYFAs provide a year of funding (3 quarters) to PhD students who expect to complete their degree program in the upcoming academic year. Thus, a DYFA awarded in Winter 2024 can be used starting Sumer/Fall 2024.

Three students will be awarded DYFAs covering 3 quarters of stipend for each student ($12,000/quarter) and paid tuition. Students are required to attend an award ceremony at UCOP in the Fall with travel costs provided by the Graduate Division.
 

Eligibility Criteria

1. Must be a Ph.D. student who has advanced to candidacy by January 16, 2024. 
2. Must have a GPA > 3.5
3. Must not have more than 7 units of incomplete grades.
4. Must be making acceptable progress toward the degree. (For these purposes, acceptable progress for a Ph.D. student means advanced to candidacy within 15 quarters after entry and must complete the degree by the normative time to degree for the particular program plus 1 year at time of degree.)
5. Can be on leave to apply but must be enrolled as a full-time student (12 units) during tenure of fellowship. 
6. International and domestic students are eligible to apply.

Application Procedure

The applicant must follow the graduate program’s instructions for deadlines to complete the application form. Two letters of recommendation from faculty are required for each nominated application; one letter must be from the dissertation adviser. Programs will submit one final application from their chosen DYP nominee no later than January 16, 2024.

Support Summary

Employment supplementation is not allowable during the quarters of the award.

Some awards are funded through UCOP monies available only to domestic students who meet diversity criteria. All students need to complete the diversity form so Graduate Division can determine an appropriate funding source for each awardee. A diversity statement is required to be considered for all awards.

Link to website for frequently asked questions on HSI and DYFA/DCFA awards:
Frequently Asked Questions