The Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) and Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) offers a program that awards dissertation fellowships for work in all aspects of natural and human-made hazards, risk, and disasters in all disciplines.
The award is open to individuals in any discipline, including the natural and physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, specialties in engineering, or interdisciplinary programs such as environmental studies, who are conducting research in hazards, risk, or disasters. Fellowship candidates must be ABD (all but dissertation) at a U.S. institution by the application deadline with an approved dissertation proposal. Non-U.S. citizens may apply as long as the doctorate degree will be granted by a U.S. institution.
Fellowship Description:
Up to 6 grants each up to $10,000 each will be awarded in 2012 to doctoral students to support their dissertation work on natural and human-made hazards, risk, and disasters in any relevant field of the natural and physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, specialties in engineering, or interdisciplinary programs such as environmental studies. The grants are flexible and can be used for data collection, travel for field work, or for presentation of findings at meetings, purchase of software, data entry assistance, statistical analysis services, or a combination of these or other similar purposes (but, NOT for stipends or tuition).
Application Materials:
Graduate students interested in applying should submit the following:
- A curriculum vitae including current contact information, primary disciplinary of dissertation work, educational background, professional experience, publications (completed and in progress), and honors and awards received. You must also indicate whether you are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, or an international student with only a student visa.
- Dissertation Summary. A 3-page summary (limit: 3 pages, single-spaced, 1-inch margins, including graphics, but not including references) of the dissertation research covering: 1) the problem and purpose; 2) the theoretical significance and hypotheses; 3) the methods, including research design and data collection plan; 4) data analysis plan; and 5) anticipated findings, including theoretical and applied significance. This will be read by people in multiple disciplines, so discipline-specific jargon should be minimized.
- A narrative proposal for the fellowship award, including use to which funds will be put, relevance to the dissertation research (especially linking to hazards research), and importance of the work (limit: 3 pages, single-spaced, 1-inch margins, including graphics, but not including references).
- Budget for expenditure of funds requested (not to exceed $10,000), including a summary page and a budget justification for the following categories: equipment, travel, participant support (for qualitative research), and materials and supplies.
- Schedule for conduct and completion of work.
- Agreement of dissertation advisor. The letter should affirm the advisor's commitment to oversee the student and his or her completion of the proposed dissertation research, and testify that the student is prepared, according to the requirements of that particular academic department, to conduct the dissertation research. This should be submitted with the entire packet, not separately.
- Advisor's brief curriculum vitae (limited to 2-pages), including current contact information.
- Dissertation prospectus approval form signed by the entire committee. The entire prospectus should not be submitted, simply the approval form.
- Names and e-mail address of two potential referees. These should be people who are leaders in your field. In addition, they should meet the following criteria: a) you do not have a personal connection, b) you have not published or obtained funding with them, and c) they are not a primary advisor or mentor.
Application Deadline:
Application materials for the 2012 fellowships must be received in digital form (in Adobe Acrobat .pdf only, as a single file) by 5:00pm EST on February 1, 2012, to periship@riskinstitute.org. Hardcopy applications will not be accepted. Awards will be announced in late-May or early-June, 2012.
