Grants from the Doctoral Students Council for student-organized programs

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

The Foundation Center

Financial Awards Available through the Theatre Program / Graduate Center

 

I. Doctoral Students Research Grant Competition

Available to students in 2nd-6th year of doctoral study, who did not receive an award in the preceding year. Competitive. Deadlines January each year.

The mission of the Doctoral Student Research Grant Program is to foster a research-oriented academic culture among Ph.D. students by: (a) providing incentives for students to model and meet, early in their careers, the requirements for succeeding in the competition for funds by clearly defining a problem, a project, and a realistic budget; (b) providing an occasion for faculty-student mentoring relationships that are oriented around the concrete problems of proposing, planning for, and executing research; and (c) furthering student professional progress by providing funds for pre-doctoral research publications, presentations, and professional networking. For the most recent round (Round 13), applicants were able to submit a budget between $250 and $1,500. However, keep in mind that you won’t necessarily get as much as you request.

Proposals will be judged by faculty members in the applicant’s doctoral program as determined by the Executive Officer.

Updated information is generally distributed in the fall semester through the department listserv. The most recent guidelines (for applications due in January 2018) are available here. Contact the DSRG administrator with any questions at dsrg@gc.cuny.edu.

II. Cohn-Lortel International Theatre-Going Award

Available to all students, one per year, may only be given to any student once. Deadline: December 1.

In 1990 the holders of the Sidney E. Cohn and Lucille Lortel Chairs established an award of up to $1000 from each chair to allow two students to attend theatre in some international theatre center for a week or so. The aim of this award is to support theatre-going, not traditional archival research. To apply, a student should submit to Marvin Carlson and Jean Graham-Jones a statement outlining what city and why they would like to visit the theatre there (only non-English speaking countries are eligible). Preference will be given to students who have had less opportunity for international travel, who have studied or are studying the language of their proposed destination, and who some familiarity in their application with the specific theatrical fare available in their proposed destination.

Although one student will receive a Lortel award and one a Cohn award, the awards are equal and all applicants will be considered for both.

Please Note: This award will only be given once to any particular student since it is the intent that it will give that student (ideally their first) exposure to another performance tradition.

 

III. American Theatre Research Fund

Available to Level III students with approved dissertation prospectus conducting research into American Theatre. Deadline November 15.

In Fall 2006, Dr. Martin S. Tackel, an alumnus of the Program, established a fund of $5000 to support dissertation research in American theatre history and/or criticism. Eligibility is limited to doctoral candidates in the Theatre Program who have advanced to candidacy, whose dissertation prospectus has been approved, and whose research is underway at the time of application.

Applicants will submit copies of their dissertation prospectus, a statement describing their travel plans, an explanation of the relevance of that travel for their research, a detailed budget, and a letter of support from their dissertation director or another member of their committee to the Executive Officer. Eligible expenses include travel and accommodation costs, along with other costs of data collection (e.g., photocopies or microfilms). Students who receive travel awards are responsible for submitting to the Executive Officer a full report on their use of the award (including appropriate receipts) after the research has been completed and no later than the end of the semester in which their funded research took place.

 

IV. June Bennett Larsen Fellowship for Dissertation Research

Available to Level III students with approved dissertation prospectus. Deadline December 1.

In Spring 2008, the estate of Dr. June Bennett Larsen, an alumna of the Theatre Program, established a fund of up to $2,000 annually to support outstanding dissertation students. Eligibility is limited to doctoral candidates in the Theatre Program who have advanced to candidacy, whose dissertation prospectus has been approved, and whose research is underway at the time of application.

Applicants will submit a one-page summary of their dissertation prospectus, a statement describing their research plan and its relevance to their dissertation, a detailed budget, and a letter of support from their dissertation director or another member of their committee to the Executive Officer. Eligible expenses include travel and accommodation costs, along with other costs of data collection (e.g., photocopies or microfilms). Students who receive travel awards are responsible for submitting to the Executive Officer a full report on their use of the award (including appropriate receipts) no later than the end of the semester in which their funded research took place.

Please Note: This award is not to be used to support attendance at conferences at which the research is presented. It will be given only once to any particular student.

 

V. CUNY Graduate Center Dissertation Fellowships and Awards

Available to Level III students preparing to finish their dissertations. Deadline early February.

Students must be registered or on an approved leave of absence during the  academic year to be eligible to apply.   For a student’s application to be considered, the studentmust also be officially advanced to candidacy (level III) with a completed “Advancement to Candidacy for the Doctoral Degree” form on file in the Registrar’s Office before the deadline.  Students who have received a dissertation fellowship award of $10,000 or more from the Graduate Center previously are not eligible.

A student holding a five-year fellowship from the Graduate Center (e.g., Enhanced Chancellor’s Fellowship, MAGNET Fellowship, Gilleece Fellowship, or CUNY Science Scholarship) may not hold a dissertation fellowship concurrently with the five-year award.  A student with a five-year award may apply, but if selected for a dissertation fellowship he/she will have to choose between the five-year fellowship funding and the dissertation fellowship funding. (The tuition component of the five-year award will remain intact.)

A student holding a Graduate Center fellowship that is not part of a five-year award (a freestanding Graduate Assistantship A, B, or C) may apply for the dissertation fellowships but, if offered an award, the total funding (Graduate Assistant salary plus Dissertation Fellowship stipend) may not exceed $30,000 (subject to approval).  If the combined amount exceeds $30,000 the student will have to choose between the dissertation fellowship and the graduate assistantship.

Please note: GC Dissertation Fellowships require no service and are paid through Financial Aid stipends.  The dissertation fellowships do not carry eligibility for the NYSHIP health insurance or CUNY tuition remission. Some fellowships provide in-state tuition. (See the award descriptions for details.)

There are various different types of awards, and all applicants will automatically be considered for all relevant dissertation awards, with the exception of those listed on the checklist of special focus awards.  Students wishing to apply for those special focus awards that are reviewed by particular Centers and Institutes should check off the awards for which they are eligible on the application form (available through Office of Research and Sponsored Programs).

Dissertation Fellowships are intended for students who expect to complete the dissertation during the award year; the applicant’s likelihood of completing the dissertation during this period may be taken into consideration in the selection process.  Fellowship recipients are required to be registered during the award year.  Students who qualify for the Ph.D. in time for their degree by the application date are not eligible to receive the fellowship.  Students who complete the dissertation, oral defense, and revisions during the Fall semester are eligible for one-half of the award.

 

VI. The Daniel Gerould Conference Travel Fund for Graduate Student Research Presentations on Theatres in the United States

Available to all students. Deadline November 15.

This fund aims to support graduate student research on US theatre history, criticism and/or scholarly studies of dramatic literature. The fund will support costs associated with travel, accommodation and registration for graduate students to present their research papers on aspects of theatre in the United States.

The fund is named in honor of Daniel Gerould (1928-2012) and is made available through the generosity of Martin S. Tackel (theatre PhD Alumnus, 1982) and Abbe Raven and the Tackel Raven Foundation.

Daniel Gerould was the Lucille Lortel Distinguished Professor of Theatre and Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center, CUNY and Directory of Publications of the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center.

An initial contribution of $5000 will be given to the fund and replenished when needed.

Individual awards of up to US $1500 will be available per application and the fund will be available for students one time during their candidature.

In order to be eligible, students will need to propose a topic and submit an abstract on a topic relating to theatres in the United States and receive an invitation to present their research paper from and academic conference, symposium or research meeting either in the US or internationally. Recipients of the fund are required to submit a report after presenting their paper commenting on their experience and how the award helped them with their studies and research.

 

VII. Rosette C. Lamont Fellowship

Available to Level II and Level III students. Deadline December 1.

In fall 2012, the estate of Dr. Rosette C. Lamont, an alumna of the City University of New York and renowned theatre critic, author, and professor, established a $15,000 fund to support students in the Ph.D. Program in Theatre at the Graduate Center.

Eligibility is limited to:
• level two students for international travel related to research leading to preparing their dissertation proposal;
• level-three students for international travel related to research leading to the dissertation.
An award of up to $2,000 will be given only once to any individual student. Up to three awards may be made annually.

Applicants will submit a two-page proposal describing their research plan and its relevance to their dissertation proposal/dissertation project and a detailed budget. Eligible expenses include travel and accommodation costs, theatre tickets, and costs of data collection (e.g., photocopies or microfilms).

The application should be sent as a PDF file to the Executive Officer by the due date. Applicants should also request a letter of support from their level two mentor or dissertation director or other member of their committee. The letter should be sent directly to the EO by the due date.

Students who receive the fellowship are responsible for submitting to the Executive Officer a full report on their use of the award (including appropriate receipts) no later than the end of the semester in which their funded research took place.

Please note: This award is not to be used to support attendance at conferences at which the research is presented.

Graduate Center Fellowships and Awards

GC Digital Initiatives

Dissertation Fellowships @ GC

Outside Fellowships and Awards