Deadlines for applications, January 31, 2023

Qualifications / Application

Complete applications, including unofficial transcripts of applicant’s graduate and undergraduate studies, a dissertation abstract, a CV, and two letters of recommendation must be received by the fellowship committee IN ONE PACKAGE postmarked no later than midnight, January 31, 2023.   Only applications from final year PhD students enrolled at one of the following universities will be accepted.  Late applications will not be considered.

California Institute of Technology              
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, San Diego
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California. Santa Cruz
University of Southern California
Stanford University

Announcement of 2023-2024 award recipients will be made approximately April 15, 2023.

Approximately six (6) dissertation fellowships, in the amount of $25,000 each, will be awarded for the regular academic year (fall and spring semesters or the equivalent where the quarterly system prevails), paid through the fellowship office of the university in which the recipient is enrolled for study in the United States.  Study must be carried out only in the United States and all funds must be expended only within this country. 

The fellowship is for one academic year and may not be renewed or postponed.

DeKarman fellowships are open to PhD students in any discipline, including international students, who are currently enrolled in one of the California universities listed above.  Only PhD candidates who will defend their dissertation in or about June 2024 are eligible for consideration for a 2023-2024 fellowship.  Undergraduate students, master’s degree students, and postdoctoral scholars are not eligible for consideration.  Special consideration will be given to applicants in the Humanities.

Potential applicants should note that the competition for DeKarman fellowships is extreme.  For the 2022-2023 cycle, the committee reviewed approximately 110 applications and awarded six (6) fellowships.  To be competitive, applicants should have outstanding letters of recommendation, significant early scholarly contributions, and have completed a significant portion of the dissertation at the time of application. 

Additional Information of Importance to Applicants:

1. PhD students who are not citizens of the United States may apply for a Josephine de Karman Fellowship if they are already enrolled in one of the California universities listed above.

2.     The fellowships will be paid directly through the fellowship office of the university in which the successful candidate is enrolled for study in the United States.  One half will be paid in September and one half the following February.  NO UNIVERSITY OVERHEAD MAY BE APPLIED TO THE FELLOWSHIP AWARD.  UNIVERSITY FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS VIEWED AS SEPARATE FROM DE KARMAN FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT.  THE DE KARMAN FELLOWSHIP IS FOR MERIT, BASED ON A NATIONAL COMPETITION.  THEREFORE, IT IS HOPED THAT ONGOING UNIVERSITY SUPPORT COMMITMENTS ARE MAINTAINED WHILE A DE KARMAN FELLOWSHIP IS HELD.  

• The names, universities, and departments (and dissertation titles) of Josephine de Karman Fellowship awardees may be published on the Dekarman.org website.

• By the end of December following completion of their fellowship year, awardees ARE REQUIRED to submit an abstract of their dissertation and a one or two-page report on their achievements as a result of having held a Josephine de Karman Fellowship. 
• The report should include a brief breakdown of how funds were utilized.  This should be in the form of a letter to the Josephine de Karman Fellowship Committee, P.O. Box 3389, San Dimas, CA  91773.

Contact Information:
Judy McClain, Fellowship Secretary
Josephine de Karman Fellowship Trust
P.O. Box 3389
San Dimas, CA 91773
909-592-0607
Website: www.dekarman.org; Email: info@dekarman.org

Guidelines 2023-2024 Download

APPLICATION 2023-2024 Download

Source / More information: Official Website HERE.