Graduate Student Award Applications

Roger H. Davidson Award

The Roger H. Davidson Award is open to doctoral students in the Department of Government and Politics and was created to honor one of GVPT’s most distinguished former faculty. It is awarded annually by the American politics faculty to the graduate student who writes the best paper in the field. In addition to overall quality, preference is given to papers written in Professor Davidson’s fields of expertise – i.e., first preference for empirical (but not necessarily quantitative) papers on Congress and the Presidency, second preference for empirical papers focusing on American national political institutions in general, and third preference to empirical papers written about American politics generally. Please note that this does not mean that papers on Congress and the Presidency automatically win. We encourage students to submit quality papers on a broad range of subjects within the American politics field. Work co-authored with other current GVPT students is eligible, but any other co-authoring relationships (e.g., with faculty) are not. Nominees must be active GVPT graduate students. Award amount: $750.00.

Application materials:

  1. The paper to be considered (should be typical length for a journal article)
  2. One page cover letter describing the paper (including where it was presented and/or accepted for publication) and its contribution to the literature.
  3. CV
  4. Letter of recommendation from your faculty advisor (instructions for uploading provided in application).

Click here to access the award application in the university's Scholarship Universe portal.

 

Conley H. Dillon Award

The Conley H. Dillon Award is open to graduate students in the Department of Government and Politics who have finished all course requirements, passed their comprehensive examinations, and successfully defended their dissertation prospectus. Special preference will be given to students whose dissertation makes an original contribution to those fields and questions that occupied Professor Dillon throughout his career, in particular, intergovernmental relationships within the United States, American Government, or public policy in the United States. In choosing a Dillon Award winner, the faculty committee will primarily consider the quality of work completed on the dissertation, but will also take into consideration teaching, other scholarship, and public service. Award amount: $2,250.00.

Application materials:

  1. One page cover letter describing your research, progress on your dissertation, and fit with the award.
  2. CV
  3. Letter of recommendation from your faculty advisor (instructions for uploading provided in application).

Click here to access the award application in the university's Scholarship Universe portal.

 

Jean Elizabeth Spencer Award 

The Jean Elizabeth Spencer Award is an endowed, merit-based award will be granted to a graduate student in the Department of Government and Politics with a preference for someone who promotes gender diversity in the social sciences and exhibits the potential to make a contribution to the areas of state and/or local government or American politics. Nominees must be active graduate students (either taking courses or working on their dissertations). Award amount: $6,500.00.

Application materials:

  1. One page cover letter outlining your interests and goals in political science.
  2. CV
  3. Writing Sample
  4. Letter of recommendation from your faculty advisor (instructions for uploading provided in application).

Click here to access the award application in the university's Scholarship Universe portal.

 

GVPT Research Excellence Fellowship

The GVPT Research Excellence Fellowship is intended to support graduate student research. Awards will be granted in amounts up to $2,000. Fellowship funds can be used to support a range of research-related needs including (but not limited to) data collection efforts, purchasing of data, software, hourly research assistance (undergraduate RAs), and other research-related resources. Recipients are required to submit a 1-2 page summary within one year of receiving the grant that details the research progress made as a result of the grant. 

Application materials:

  1. One page description of the research project.
  2. One page description of the proposed use of the funds specifically.
  3. CV
  4. Copy of your unofficial transcript.
  5. Letter of recommendation from your faculty advisor. The letter should address the feasibility of the proposal, student's readiness to carry out the proposed research, and overall quality of the project.

Students click here to access the award application (Qualtrics).