Overview:
The fellowship’s objective is to support the research and writing of policy-relevant dissertations through funding of fieldwork, archival research, and language training. In evaluating applications, the Foundation will accord preference to those projects that could directly inform U.S. policy debates and thinking, rather than dissertations that are principally focused on abstract theory or debates within a scholarly discipline.
The Foundation will award up to twenty grants of $7,500 each.
Application Procedures and Requirements:
All proposals submitted to the Foundation should include the following five components. Only applications that conform to the parameters specified below will be considered.
1. A letter from an appropriate departmental representative certifying that (a) the applicant is enrolled full-time in a Ph.D. program, (b) the applicant has completed his or her coursework and the comprehensive examination requirements of the Ph.D. program, and (c) the academic institution will administer the funds and will not charge overhead expenses.
2. The proposal itself should be no more than three single-spaced pages in length, using a regular 12-point font, with one-inch margins, and follow the template on the Foundation’s website. Applicants will be expected to describe their dissertation, its potential contribution to U.S. policy making and debates, and how the fellowship will be used to advance their dissertation.
3. A single-page budget should be included as an appendix to the proposal. The budget should explain the following: transportation (including foreign and domestic travel for research, as appropriate); food and lodging; research costs; and other miscellaneous costs. No funds may be applied to institutional overhead.
4. The applicant’s complete curriculum vitae should be attached.
5. One letter of recommendation from a faculty member familiar with the applicant’s research is required and must be included in the application.
Obligations to the Foundation:
The Foundation will expect a narrative report upon completion of budgeted activities. The purpose of the narrative report is to explain how the fellowship advanced the dissertation. It should not be viewed as exclusively descriptive of the fellowship-supported activities; rather, the Foundation welcomes and encourages fellows to elaborate on any insights, revisions or confirmation of hypotheses, or tentative conclusions that resulted from activities supported by the fellowship, as well as any published work produced by the fellowship-supported research activities. (This report will be taken into consideration in the event the fellowship recipient applies for the fellowship in subsequent years.)
Deadline and Grant Administration:
The application, and all supporting materials (including the recommendation letter), must be postmarked by October 31, 2008. Applicants will be notified of the Foundation’s decision by January 30, 2009. The grant funds must be used during the 2009 calendar year and may not be deferred. Each grant will be paid directly to, and will be administered by, the academic institution at which the candidate is enrolled.
Please mail your proposal to:
World Politics and Statecraft Fellowship Program
Smith Richardson Foundation
60 Jesup Road
Westport, CT 06880
If you have any further questions, please consult the list of frequently asked questions on our website. No electronic submission or phone inquiries please.