International Division Pre-Dissertation Scholarship

The International Division is pleased to offer International Division Pre-Dissertation Travel Scholarships to support overseas travel to potential field research sites for doctoral students.

Eligibility:

International Division Pre-Dissertation Travel Scholarships are available to students of any nationality who are enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and are planning to conduct preliminary dissertation field research abroad. Those enrolled in terminal master’s degree programs are not eligible for this award.

Award Details:

These are one-time awards of $5,000. Awardees are encouraged to spend approximately 10 weeks in the field (outside the United States) but are required to spend a minimum of 8 weeks in the field. Time abroad outside the summer months will be considered, though applicants should address these circumstances in their statement and should have their advisor address this topic in their letter of recommendation as well. Projects should include a social justice component.

Notes on awarding:

• Awards are considered taxable income.
• Awardees who have non-resident alien status will have taxes deducted from their award prior to payout.
• All other recipients will receive their awards through the Bursar’s scholarship system: if you have an outstanding balance on your student account all or part of your award may be used to pay that balance before being disbursed to you.
• Changing your proposed travel dates after receiving an offer is allowable. If, however, changing those travel dates reduces your time abroad, the award amount will be reduced proportionally; any change that results in less than 8 weeks abroad will result in forfeiture of the award.

Additional Criteria

We especially encourage applications from students whose research addresses challenges faced by disadvantaged persons and communities outside the United States and illustrates efforts to address these challenges and move toward social justice. The project can employ methods of inquiry from any discipline.

Application Deadline:

Applications are due by 11:59 pm on February 14, 2025.

Students should seek input from their advisors prior to submission. The advisor must submit an approval form before the deadline.

Application Procedure:

Complete the online application form and upload an application packet as a single pdf. Your application packet should include the following:

1. a project statement (1,000-word maximum): statements should clearly address the specific work applicants intend to undertake during their time abroad as well as how the proposed fieldwork fits an applicant’s overall research plan and prior experience in the country/region, itinerary (as appropriate), and address the award’s social justice component;
2. brief curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum)
3. a copy of your UW-Madison student record/transcript and, if appropriate, graduate transcript/s for courses taken at other institutions. Unofficial transcripts are fine.
4. proposed budget: please format the budget like the example below. If total costs exceed $3,000, please describe other funding or your plan to secure funding. Students with existing funding are eligible to apply and will be given full consideration. Briefly explain why additional funding is needed.

Students should seek input from their advisors prior to submission. The advisor must submit an approval form* before the deadline.

*About the Advisor Approval Form
This form replaces the need for a formal letter of recommendation and is designed to:

1. Encourage students to discuss their proposals with their advisors prior to submission;
2. Ensure that student proposals are evaluated on their merit instead of on the merits of the accompanying recommendation letters; and
3. Reduce administrative burdens

Important travel guidance: