Continuing Student Fellowships

In addition to the university fellowships, competitive fellowships are available to current students from a number of sources, including the Graduate School Founder’s Dissertation Fellowships.

Founder’s Dissertation Fellowships

The Graduate School Founder’s Dissertation Fellowships contribute to our commitment to advancing Cornell’s founding principle of “… any person … any study.” .

The concept of “… any person” meant that people from all walks of life, all income levels, races, religions and genders could attend Cornell University. Similarly, “… any study” underscored the freedom to pursue academic interests wherever they lead. For more than 150 years, talented scholars representing the full, diverse spectrum of humanity have come to Cornell for a world-class educational experience unlike any other.

The Graduate School Founder’s Dissertation Fellowships are competitive one‐semester (fall or spring) or summer dissertation completion fellowships funded by the Graduate School or SUNY System. They are available on a competitive basis to domestic advanced Ph.D. students who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, Indigenous peoples of Canada eligible to register as domestic students under the Jay Treaty, or students with DACA status. Applicants demonstrate excellence in their academics, leadership, and service, and have made significant contributions to Cornell’s core value to provide a community of belonging where scholars representing different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn, innovate, and work in an environment of respect.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an award, nominees must have received at least one year of support (e.g. teaching assistantship, training grant, etc.) from their graduate field or special committee chair and meet the following conditions:

Enrolled in a Cornell doctoral program for a minimum of three years by the time of nomination;
Will have passed the A exam prior to the award period for the fellowship.

Priority consideration is provided to nominees expected to complete all requirements for the doctorate within three terms (spring, summer, or fall) from the semester of nomination.

Submission Guidelines

A complete nomination consists of three separate Qualtrics survey submissions:

Student Application Form

Includes the submission of a Personal Statement and Dissertation Completion Plan.

Personal Statement (500 words maximum) Cornell University was founded on the principle of being “an institution where any person can find instruction in any study” and remains committed to our core value of providing a community of belonging where scholars representing different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn, innovate, and work in an environment of respect. In your personal statement, please provide insight into how you have contributed to advancing this founding principle and institutional core value. You may draw from your service, leadership, and scholarly activities that address:

- Your ability to engage with and contribute to effective, collaborative teams.
- How you have come to understand and value perspectives different from your own.
- How you have demonstrated persistence in overcoming a setback or challenge.

Your statement should reflect your unique perspective and experiences while illustrating how they have shaped your potential to contribute meaningfully to Cornell’s academic and community life.

Dissertation Completion Plan

- Including a timeline for work to be completed.
- Developed in collaboration with the committee chair.

Committee Chair Nomination Form

Includes confirmation of the committee chair’s approval of the dissertation completion plan submitted by the nominee and the submission of a letter of nomination that includes a mentoring and funding plan detailing how the committee chair will support the nominee through the successful completion of their doctorate and help them access postgraduate opportunities. The letter should also include a funding plan detailing how the nominee has been funded to date and how they will be funded through completion if the fellowship is not awarded. The mentoring plan may be informed by content provided via the FAIM Resource Center.

Director of Graduate Study (DGS) Nomination Form

Includes confirmation of review and approval of the dissertation completion plan submitted by the student nominee and the mentoring and funding plan submitted by the committee chair.

Nomination Deadlines

Fall Application Cycle: The student application and the nomination forms from the committee chair and DGS must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on October 20. (If the application deadline falls on a holiday or weekend, applications will be due the next business day.) Fellowship award decisions will be announced by mid-November.

Spring Application Cycle: The student application and the nomination forms from the committee chair and DGS must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on May 30. (If the application deadline falls on a holiday or weekend, applications will be due the next business day.) Fellowship award decisions will be announced by late June.