President’s Dissertation Year Fellowship
Fellowship details
The President’s Dissertation Year (PDY) Fellowship is intended for students in their final year of graduate study, who are planning to pursue teaching and research appointments soon after their dissertation fellowship year. This award assists graduate students with the completion of their dissertation and enhances their qualifications as candidates for university faculty teaching and research appointments by providing professional opportunities needed to successfully obtain a faculty appointment.
The funding package includes the following for the 2025-26 Academic Year:
- Fellows receive one year of fellowship support paid directly by the Graduate Division, including a yearly stipend of $35,000 (paid over a nine-month period, October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2026) and full resident tuition fees.
- Graduate programs also provide fellows a supplement to the fellowship (minimum: $7,000)
- Although it is not advised to seek employment during the fellowship period, it is permitted. If you opt to work during any quarter of your fellowship and your employment package includes remission benefits, these benefits will apply to your tuition and fees. However, you are not eligible to receive a fee fellowship in addition to employment remission as part of this fellowship from the Graduate Division.
- $500 academic travel stipend.
- Please note, Non-resident tuition is NOT covered by this fellowship award.
Schools are asked to internally select up to two applications and submit these to the Graduate Division.
Application Open: March 3, 2025
School Submission Deadline: April 18, 2025
Please note that Schools and Departments typically have earlier internal deadlines for fellowship submissions. Please contact your School or Department for details.
- Nominees must be current UCI Ph.D. students who are in their last year of graduate study and who have advanced to candidacy by Fall 2025.
- Nominees must be U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents or AB540 status (international students are not eligible for this fellowship).
- Nominees must be able to file their dissertation by the summer dissertation filing deadline at the end of the award year (Summer 2026). Financial penalties will be imposed on the program/school if fellows do not file their dissertation by the summer filing deadline at the end of the award year.
- Nominees may not be past their academic program’s maximum time-to-degree at the time of nomination or during the award tenure.
- Nominees must not have previously received dissertation funding from any source in support of a final dissertation year. If awarded this fellowship fellows are no longer eligible for additional funding from Graduate Division.
- Fellows are required to participate in the President’s Dissertation Year Conference hosted by University of California’s Office of the President. Traditionally, the conference is held in Northern California during the fall of the award year; however, the time of year and location are subject to change. Faculty mentors are strongly encouraged to attend.
- Fellows are required to present a seminar on their dissertation research twice during the award period.
- Nominees must qualify as a diversity student as defined by the University of California and demonstrate experience of situations or conditions which were an impediment to advancing to graduate study, such as socioeconomic or educational limitations, the absence of a family member who attended college, matriculation in a school with poor financial or curricular support, having a physical or learning disability or working long hours while attending school.
Eligible students are to complete the student application form, compile the materials listed below and provide this to their department. Schools are asked to internally select up to two applications and submit these to the Graduate Division.
Students must submit the PDY Student Application Form electronically to their department, along with the following in a single PDF:
- Completed PDY Student Application Form
- Personal Statement
- Please include a brief statement of intent from the student regarding career objectives
- Dissertation Prospectus (max 4 pages, double spaced), which is a timeline for the completion of your dissertation
- Provide a brief introduction of your dissertation project
- Provide a summary for each of your dissertation chapters. Include dates of completion and/or prospective completion dates and plans for completing unfinished chapters
- Include a plan for completing the writing and submitting of your dissertation to your committee for review and when you plan to defend
- Seminars
- A list of proposed seminars (minimum of two) in which the student will present their research during the dissertation year
- Funding
- A detailed list of all funding/support received by the student
- Mentoring plan
- Includes a timeline of expected progress for completion of the dissertation
- This should be co-written by student and advisor
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Unofficial transcripts
- Note: Grades for Winter will be reviewed to verify the student still meets the necessary academic requirements
Departments must complete the PDY Department Nomination Form and include it with the following materials in a single PDF:
- Completed PDY Student Application Form & Student Application Materials (items 1 – 8 above)
- Completed PDY Department Nomination Form
- Dissertation advisor letter of recommendation
Schools must submit the completed documentation for their top two school nominees using the School Submission Link. This should be submitted by (or on behalf of) the School Associate Dean.
- Note: All materials should be combined into one PDF prior to submission
- Students should review the Terms and Conditions to ensure that they are eligible to receive fellowship or scholarship funding before applying.
- For students already receiving financial aid, acceptance of additional funding may affect their overall financial need-based support package. In such cases, students are strongly encouraged to consult with the UCI Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.