The Center for Life Beyond Reed

Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowships

Apply through Independent Application Process

Internal Deadline: Check website for annual deadlines - typically November

» Scholarship's official website

Description

The Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. The fellowships provide up to three years of support for individuals engaged in graduate study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Science degree. The fellowship includes an annual stipend of up to $24,000 and all expenses paid to attend at least one Conference of Ford Fellows.

Eligibility

Eligibility to apply for a predoctoral fellowship is limited to:
  • All citizens, nationals, and permanent residents (holders of a Permanent Resident Card) of the United States, regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation,
  • Individuals with evidence of superior academic achievement,
  • Individuals committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level,
  • Individuals enrolled in or planning to enroll in an eligible research-based (dissertation-required), program leading to a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree at a non-proprietary U.S. educational institution,
  • Individuals who as of the 2018 fall semester require a minimum of three years of study to complete their Ph.D./Sc.D. degree, and
  • Individuals who have not earned a doctoral degree at any time, in any field
Awards will be made for study in research-based Ph.D. or Sc.D. programs that include the following major disciplines and related interdisciplinary fields: American studies, anthropology, archaeology, art and theater history, astronomy, chemistry, communications, computer science, cultural studies, earth sciences, economics, engineering, ethnic studies, ethnomusicology, geography, history, international relations, language, life sciences, linguistics, literature, mathematics, performance study, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religious studies, sociology, urban planning, and women’s studies. Also eligible are interdisciplinary ethnic studies programs, such as African American studies and Native American studies, and other interdisciplinary programs, such as area studies, peace studies, and social justice. Research-based fields of education are eligible if the major field of study is listed above and is used to describe the Ph.D. or Sc.D. program of the applicant (e.g., sociology of education, anthropology and education)

Selection Criteria

The following will be considered as positive factors in choosing successful candidates:
  • Evidence of superior academic achievement
  • Degree of promise of continuing achievement as scholars and teachers
  • Capacity to respond in pedagogically productive ways to the learning needs of students from diverse backgrounds
  • Sustained personal engagement with communities that are underrepresented in the academy and an ability to bring this asset to learning, teaching, and scholarship at the college and university level
  • Likelihood of using the diversity of human experience as an educational resource in teaching and scholarship
  • Membership in one or more of the following groups whose underrepresentation in the American professoriate has been severe and longstanding:
    • Alaska Natives (Aleut, Eskimo or other Indigenous People of Alaska)
    • Black/African Americans
    • Mexican Americans/Chicanas/Chicanos
    • Native American Indians
    • Native Pacific Islanders (Hawaiian/Polynesian/Micronesian)
    • Puerto Ricans

Application Procedure

Visit the website for application information.