The newly established CAS Society of Fellows Dissertation Completion Fellowship program invites promising current GRS PhD students to join a vibrant community committed to innovative research and cross-disciplinary scholarship. This Fellowship is open to all fields represented in GRS programs. We are especially interested in outstanding scholars who are enthusiastic about intellectual inquiry across traditional disciplinary divisions. Fellows will participate in our weekly colloquium during which members share works-in-progress and learn from each other through sustained and substantive interaction across different modes of scholarship.
Application
Applications and supporting letters must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on Monday, February 2, 2026. To apply please visit our InfoReady Portal linked below. Please read the eligibility requirements and application requirements below and review the FAQs below before beginning your application. All questions should be directed to SoFCAS@bu.edu.
Fellowship Terms
Term Length
PhD Dissertation Completion Fellows are appointed for a term of one academic year starting September 2026. These are non-service fellowships; no teaching is required during the fellowship year.
Stipend
PhD Fellows for the 2026-27 academic year receive a stipend of $47,740.50.
Eligibility
This Fellowship is open to all fields represented in CAS (broadly encompassing the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematical & computational sciences). Applicants must have completed their prospectus and be in the final stages of completing their dissertation, with the intent to defend and graduate by the end of the Fellowship period. Fellows must be in residence in Boston during the fellowship year in order to participate in Society of Fellows programming and intellectual life.
Successful applicants will be those who can demonstrate at least these three things:
- Excellence and innovation in their primary field of scholarship
- Significant progress towards their dissertation
- A track record of – and intellectual enthusiasm for – cross-disciplinary engagement.
Application Materials
Submitted by the Applicant
(via InfoReady, formatted in 12 pt font and single-spaced)
- Cover Letter (1 page)
- Applicants should articulate why they are interested in cross-disciplinary engagement and how they envision both contributing to and benefitting from conversations with scholars in different disciplines across the liberal arts and sciences.
- Research Statement (1 page)
- This statement should be pitched to an academic but non-specialist audience
- Dissertation Abstract (2 pages)
- Sample Reading Group or Syllabus Framework (2 pages)
- Design a reading group or syllabus framework on a topic you care about. Make sure to include multiple disciplinary perspectives and/or materials.
- Current CV
- Unofficial transcript
Submitted by Faculty member
(via a link sent from InfoReady)
- Letter of Support from the applicant’s dissertation advisor
- This letter should specify the applicant’s current progress towards completing their dissertation and include a feasible plan for completion by the end of the fellowship period.
- Letter of support from a faculty member outside the applicant’s primary field
Applications and supporting letters must be submitted via InfoReady by 11:59 PM EST on Monday, February 2, 2026. All applicant materials should be formatted in 12 pt font and single-spaced.
Selection Process
A multidisciplinary selection committee comprised of faculty and postdoctoral scholars from a wide range of departments across the College of Arts & Sciences will review applications and evaluate candidates based on the following:
- Research excellence and innovation.
- Potential to make significant scholarly impact through their work.
- Ability to be an engaged participant in cross-disciplinary conversations in Society of Fellows programming.
- Feasibility of dissertation completion by the end of the fellowship term.
- Ability to communicate scholarly work to multiple disciplines and audiences.
The selection process will likely have multiple rounds, with finalists being invited to participate in subsequent application processes, such as interviews and a short talk about your research. We aim to announce final decisions by mid-late March.
Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility
I am not a student in a BU Graduate School of Arts & Sciences PhD program. Can I still apply?
This opportunity is only open to BU GRS PhD students.
Do I need to be in residence in Boston during the fellowship?
Yes, SoF PhD Fellows are expected to reside in the Boston area for the duration of their fellowship. In-person engagement and professional development is crucial to the mission of the Society.
I have another fellowship for part of the 2026-2027 academic year. Can I receive a SoF PhD Fellowship for only one semester or part of the year?
Unfortunately, due to the cohort structure of our program we are unable to offer partial fellowships. Additionally, successful awardees cannot hold another fellowship during their tenure as SoF PhD fellows.
Application
May I revise my application or provide additional/updated materials after I have submitted it?
No. Once an application has been submitted on InfoReady, it cannot be updated. If you need to make an update to any of your materials before the deadline, please contact sofcas@bu.edu
Will I be able to view my letters of support?
In order to maintain confidentiality, letters of support are not shared with applicants. These are submitted via a separate, secure link emailed from InfoReady directly to the letter writer. Applicants will only be able to view if a letter has been submitted, and schedule additional submission reminders to letter writers.
InfoReady is not letting me submit my application, what should I do?
Before contacting us, make sure that you are using Google Chrome and have cleared your cookie cache. If this fails, please email us at sofcas@bu.edu. If you are encountering this issue and it is past the application deadline, unfortunately the InfoReady portal has already closed.
Am I able to submit any other materials?
Due to the nature of our selection process, we can only consider the materials listed in the portal.