Dissertation Fellowships

• The Dissertation Fellowship award period is from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027. The fellowship provides a $2,000 monthly stipend for up to 12 months or until graduation, whichever occurs first, for eligible doctoral students. Disbursement dates are determined by Scholarships and Financial Aid, with the first stipend payment set to disburse in January 2027.
• The fellowship also includes payment for tuition and required university and college fees for 1 credit hour per semester or the minimum number of required credit hours for the fellowship recipient. The minimum required hours may vary based on immigration status or federal loan deferral requirements.
• Fellows who must register for more than 1 credit hour to meet immigration or federal student loan deferment requirements must submit a request to the Grad School for approval before registering for additional hours. Fellows who register for more than the minimum number of credits without approval will be responsible for any tuition and required university fees associated with the excess registered credit(s).
• Federal Student Loan Considerations: Federal student loans generally require at least half-time enrollment to extend a grace period or defer student loan repayment. Although the university may consider 1 credit hour to meet certain enrollment requirements, a loan holder may not consider 1 credit hour to be half-time enrollment. As a result, a fellow’s grace period may end or loan repayment could begin earlier than anticipated.
• In Absentia Registration: Fellows may not be registered In Absentia for spring 2027, summer 2027, and fall 2027 semesters. Per the Graduate Catalog, “a student holding a fellowship or assistantship may not register In Absentia.”
• During the 12-month fellowship period, Dissertation Fellows are eligible to participate in Texas A&M University System insurance programs. The Grad School will reimburse awardees participating in a Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) insurance program for medical insurance at an amount equivalent to the cost of the employer contribution for the same premium category on the A&M Grad Plan. Fellows participating in a non-TAMUS insurance program may request reimbursement for their portion of premium costs from the Grad School. The reimbursement amount will match the employer's contribution for the corresponding coverage category under the A&M Grad Plan and will not exceed that amount. Note: Dental and vision premiums are not reimbursable.
• To ensure a smooth transition to the fellowship and prevent any disruptions to departmental access and benefits, students awarded and accepting the fellowship are responsible for initiating conversations and following up with their respective departments and benefits office. When a student transitions from a graduate assistantship to a dissertation fellowship, they are no longer considered university employees and will lose access to employee systems such as Workday. It is the fellow’s responsibility to proactively communicate with their department or employer to ensure their employment status is updated and any necessary actions (such as removal from payroll or system access) are completed prior to the start of the fellowship. 
• Fellowship funding will not cover tuition, required fees, or other registration costs incurred after the fellowship period ends.

Additional Funding

• Dissertation Fellows may not accept or receive additional funding or employment during the fellowship tenure of January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027. This includes, but is not limited to, assistantships, fellowships, internships, Curricular Practical Training (CPT), Optional Practical Training (OPT), and other forms of employment.
• Fellows who are currently employed may continue to work until December 31, 2026.
• As an exception to the additional funding restriction above, departments may supplement the Dissertation Fellowship stipend to align with the stipend rate received by other graduate students in the department. For example, if the departmental graduate assistantship is $2,250 per month, the department may provide an additional $250 per month to supplement the $2,000 monthly fellowship stipend.
• The Dissertation Fellowship cannot be deferred. Students who are unable to accept the award may, if eligible, reapply in the next competition cycle. Previous recipients who have received funding from this fellowship are

Students in doctoral programs requiring a full-time professional internship

• The Graduate and Professional School recognizes that some doctoral programs require a full-time professional or clinical internship as a condition of degree completion. Students in these programs are encouraged to apply for the Dissertation Fellowship during an eligible period before beginning or after completing the required internship.
• Students may not receive Dissertation Fellowship support concurrently with employment or a paid internship. However, participation in a required professional or clinical internship does not, by itself, preclude a student from consideration during a separate period in which the student otherwise satisfies all fellowship eligibility criteria.

Dissertation Fellowship recipients are required to attend a Dissertation/Thesis Writing Retreat in early-January 2027 (dates TBD). This intensive writing workshop, led by the University Writing Center, will support you in navigating the challenging stages of dissertation writing and advancing towards its completion. If you previously attended the Dissertation/Thesis Writing Retreat (January 2026-present), you may be excused from this requirement. Additionally, Dissertation Fellows must submit a report at the end of each semester (spring 2027, summer 2027, and fall 2027) detailing their progress and successful completion of the outlined milestones.

In addition, faculty advisors of Dissertation Fellowship recipients will be required to participate in the review of Dissertation Fellowship applications in future competition cycles. The Grad School will contact reviewers following each application deadline with details and guidance for completing the review process.

• Information entered directly into the InfoReady application:
  • Number of scholarly works produced while a doctoral student at Texas A&M, including published articles or reviews, book chapters, conference papers, and conference poster or oral presentations. Scholarly works produced during previous degrees will not be considered.
  • Sources of financial support during the past two years and the current semester.
• Documents required in the Upload section in InfoReady:
  • Abstract: A complete, succinct summary of the research, addressing purpose, method, results, and conclusions within a maximum of 350 words. Abstracts that exceed two pages or include keywords, subheadings, or citations will not be accepted.
  • Research Impact Statement (1 page): Describes the impact of the applicant’s scholarly work on discipline and/or on the community, state, nation or global society. This should be written in clear, non-technical language. Any citations must be included within the one-page limit.
  • Work Plan (1 page): A detailed and realistic plan for completing all remaining dissertation requirements within the fellowship period, including, as applicable, remaining analysis and writing, the defense, final revisions, and committee and Grad School approval. Applicants should also include their anticipated graduation timeline and identify any additional degree requirements that may affect that timeline.
  • Curriculum Vitae (up to 5 pages): Must include full citations for all publications, conference papers and conference presentations.
  • Degree Evaluation: A copy of degree evaluation confirming doctoral candidacy. This document must be submitted in the format generated by clicking the print icon in Howdy. No other format will be accepted. For instructions on how to generate your Degree Evaluation, review the Degree Evaluation tutorial. For reference, review the Degree Evaluation example, which shows how the first few pages should appear.
  • Faculty Advisor Response Form: A completed and signed faculty advisor response form from the student’s committee chair must be uploaded as part of the student’s application.

Applications that fail to adhere to all components of the application procedures (e.g., page limits, signatures, etc.) will not be considered. All uploaded documents must be in .pdf format.

Reviewers will consider the following six categories:

• Quality and content of the abstract.
• Clarity and feasibility of the work plan for completing remaining dissertation requirements within the fellowship period.
• Academic performance at Texas A&M University.
• Scholarly productivity at Texas A&M University.
• Potential impact of student’s research and scholarly work within the discipline and/or society.
• Financial need, particularly for students whose primary support is not related to their dissertation research.

• October 1, 2026: The application link will be available on the Dissertation Fellowship website.
• October 29, 2026, 5pm CDT: Submission deadline for the Dissertation Fellowship.
  • All application materials must be submitted online through the InfoReady submission portal. There will be NO exceptions to this date or time.
• Early December 2026: Award notifications will be communicated via e-mail to both selected and non-selected students.

Questions about this fellowship should be directed to: grad-award-admin@tamu.edu