Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships

Through its program of Diversity Fellowships, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. This year the program will award approximately 60 predoctoral fellowships.

The predoctoral fellowships provide three years of support for individuals engaged in graduate study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree. Dissertation and postdoctoral fellowships are also available.

Predoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The awards will be made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.

ELIGIBILITY

All citizens or nationals of the United States regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation (must have become a U.S. citizen by November 17, 2004),
Individuals with evidence of superior academic achievement (such as grade point average, class rank, honors or other designations),
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 program leading to a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree at a U.S. educational institution, and
Individuals who have not earned a doctoral degree at any time, in any field. (For postdoctoral fellowship: Individuals awarded a PhD or ScD degree no earlier than january 1998 and no later than January 2005, in an eligible research-based field from a U.S. educational institution.

(The term “national of the United States” designates a citizen of the United States or a native resident of a possession of the United States. It does not refer to a U.S. permanent resident who is a citizen of another country.)

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
Membership in one or more of the following groups whose underrepresentation in the American professoriate has been severe and longstanding
- Alaska Natives (Eskimo or Aleut)
- Black/African Americans
- Mexican Americans/Chicanas/Chicanos
- Native American Indians
- Native Pacific Islanders (Polynesian/Micronesian)
- Puerto Rican

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.

Review panels may also look at additional factors such as the suitability of the proposed institution for the applicant's plan of graduate study and the likelihood that the applicant will fully utilize three years of support including a year of course work.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The on-line fellowship application will become available in September at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/fellowships/fordpredoc.html.

Applicants must register and establish a personal user ID and password. All application materials become the property of the NRC and are not returned to applicants. Please note that all application materials must be written in English.

OVERVIEW

ELIGIBILITY

APPLICATION PROCESS

The on-line fellowship application will become available in September at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/fellowships/fordpredoc.html.

AWARD VALUE AND CONDITIONS