Informational Webinar An informational webinar occurred on Thursday, September 20, 2018 discussing the Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Research program’s goals, the application process, and details about the competition. Applicants are encouraged to watch the informational webinar to learn more about the AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Research.
The application deadline for the 2019-2020 competition was Thursday, November 1, 2018.
Learn more about the 2018-2019 AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship and Travel Award Recipients!
About the AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Research
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is pleased to announce the AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Research. The Council of the AERA established the fellowship program to provide support for doctoral dissertation research, to advance education research by outstanding minority graduate students, and to improve the quality and diversity of university faculties. This fellowship is targeted for members of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in higher education (e.g., African Americans, Alaskan Natives, American Indians, Asian Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders). This program offers doctoral fellowships to enhance the competitiveness of outstanding minority scholars for academic appointments at major research universities. It supports fellows conducting education research and provides mentoring and guidance toward the completion of their doctoral studies.
Call for Proposals
Award Period Each fellowship award is for 1 year, beginning July 1, 2019 or later, and is nonrenewable. This fellowship program is intended as a write-up fellowship. Fellowships are awarded for doctoral dissertation research conducted under faculty sponsorship in any accredited university in the United States.
Eligibility Eligible graduate students for the AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Research will be at the writing stage of their dissertation by the beginning of the fellowship. The dissertation study should focus on an education research topic such as high stakes testing; ethnic studies/curriculum; tracking; STEM development; measurement of achievement and opportunity gaps; English language learners; or bullying and restorative justice. Applicants can come from graduate programs and departments in education research, the humanities, or social or behavioral science disciplinary or interdisciplinary fields, such as economics, political science, psychology, or sociology. Fellows are required to provide proof of advancement to candidacy at the beginning of the award period. Applicants must work full-time on their dissertations and course requirements and should be in the writing stage of their dissertation. This program is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are members of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in higher education (e.g., African Americans, Alaskan Natives, American Indians, Asian Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders).
AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Research Award
Award Component 1, $19,000 Stipend. AERA awards each Fellow up to a $19,000 stipend to study education, teaching, learning, or other education research topic. The fellowship funds can be used for tuition and/or institution fees, books, living expenses, equipment, travel, supplies, software, and other expenses that are directly related to conducting this research. AERA encourages cost sharing from universities in the form of tuition assistance, office space, university fees, and other expenses. Institutions cannot charge overhead or indirect costs to administer the fellowship funds.
Award Component 2, $1,000 in Travel Support to Attend the AERA Annual Meeting. Each spring AERA holds its’ Annual Meeting which brings together over 15,000 researchers, scholars, and policy makers to present their research, share knowledge, and build research capacity through over 2,000 substantive sessions. Fellows participate in professional development and training activities during the 2020 AERA Annual Meeting (San Francisco, CA). The Fellowship provides up to $1,000 (reimbursable) for travel and lodging expenses to participate in the meeting.
Award Component 3, Present Research at Invited AERA Poster Session. Fellows present their research in an invited poster session during the 2020 AERA Annual Meeting (San Francisco, CA). This poster session is a hallmark of the AERA professional development program and features promising research from graduate students who are supported by AERA funded programs. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the developing research from the next generation of scholars and for the Fellows to receive feedback from senior scholars, education school deans, foundation officers, and others across the education research community.
Award Component 4, AERA Minority Fellows Mentoring and Career Development Workshop. During the 2020 AERA Annual Meeting, Fellows participate in a mentoring and career development workshop with current and former members of the AERA Minority Selection Committee and other senior scholars. The workshop focuses on topics such as making the transition from graduate school to a postdoctoral program, faculty position, or a career in applied research.
Application Requirements and Procedures
All applications for the AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Research must be completed using the AERA online application portal by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday, November 1, 2018. Late applications and supporting materials will not be accepted.
Each application must include:
Contact information. Each applicant must enter their name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and information about their doctoral institution into the online application form.
Curriculum vitae. Upload your current curriculum vita in PDF. Applicant's curriculum vitae, no longer than two (2) pages, to include the following:
Dissertation research prospectus. Provide a general overview of your dissertation research with the following information:
The dissertation research prospectus text is limited to eight (8) single-spaced pages and the curriculum vitae should be no longer than two (2) pages. The order of the documents should be the dissertation research prospectus text first and then the curriculum vitae. Applicants are highly encouraged to include references and appendices (i.e. charts, tables, research protocol, survey instruments, etc.). References and appendices do not count toward eight (8) page limit. You will need to upload this document in PDF.
Combine your dissertation research prospectus and curriculum vitae into one PDF document (include your full name and institution in the header) and upload the PDF to the online application portal. The order of the documents should be the dissertation research prospectus text first and then the curriculum vitae.
Transcripts. Official or unofficial graduate school transcripts must be received in hard copy by Thursday, November 1, 2018. No exceptions.
Letter of recommendation. Two (2) letters of recommendation are required. Letters should come from your dissertation advisor and/or other major professors who are familiar with your work. In the letter of recommendation from your advisor, the dissertation advisor will attest to your proposal constituting research for the doctoral degree. AERA will only accept two letters of recommendation. Letters may be sent electronically (fellowships@aera.net) or in hard copy to AERA, but must be received by Thursday, November 1, 2018. No exceptions.
Hardcopies of transcripts and letters of recommendation may be sent by U.S. mail to:
AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship Program in Education Research AERA 1430 K Street NW, Suite 1200 Washington, DC 20005
All application materials and supporting documents must be received by Thursday, November 1, 2018. Remember to combine your dissertation research prospectus and curriculum vitae into one PDF document. The order of the documents should be the dissertation research prospectus text first and then the curriculum vitae.
Resources and Questions
AERA encourages potential applicants to consult ‘Answers to Frequently Asked Questions’ (PDF) for further details about the fellowship and application requirements.
Direct any questions about the fellowship program, eligibility requirements, or submission process to fellowships@aera.net or 202-238-3200.