Institute for Religion, Culture and Public Life

Opportunities

Dissertation Fellowships

APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED FOR THIS CYCLE.

Deadline for Applications: Monday, April 1, 2024 by 11:59PM

IRCPL Dissertation Fellowships provide students with $5,000 towards the completion of their dissertation over the course of an academic semester (typically the fall semester). Fellowship recipients must be registered full-time at Columbia University for the duration of the award period and are expected to contribute to the intellectual life of the Institute.

IRCPL Dissertation Fellows are expected to attend a seminar/roundtable series with the Director of IRCPL. Each fellow will have the opportunity to present a chapter on which they are working and receive feedback.

Fellows must confirm that they are in residence during the fall semester of 2024

See current Fellows here.

Eligibility

IRCPL Dissertation Fellowships are available to Columbia University students enrolled in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) who will have completed the 5th year of the PhD program by the beginning of the Fall 2024 semester. The dissertation must focus in a significant way on the study of religion, secularism, or closely related topics.

Application Requirements

Proposals must be submitted through the online application form.

Please upload your application as one PDF file. It should include the following documents, in order:

  1. Curriculum vitae (two pages maximum).

  2. Proposal (five pages maximum, double-spaced).

  3. Personal statement (maximum 500 words): Please tell us about yourself.

  4. Timeline for the expected completion of dissertation writing and defense/filing (one page maximum, double-spaced).

  5. Bibliography (two pages maximum).

  6. Statement from the applicant’s department (preferably from the applicant’s department chair, director of graduate studies, or director of administration and finance) indicating the faculty on the dissertation committee, expected submission date, and other sources of funding for the upcoming academic year.

  7. One completed chapter of the dissertation.

  8. Transcript: Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.

  9. Letter of reference from your dissertation advisor, including a section which attests to the viability of the proposed timeline for completion. Letters should be emailed to ircpl@columbia.edu. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the faculty member sends a letter of reference.


deadline

Applications are due on Monday, April 1, 2024.

Application form

Email letters of recommendation to ircpl@columbia.edu.

Questions may be directed to ircpl@columbia.edu.