Traditional Dissertation Award Competition

Eligibility | Selection Process | Award and Conditions | Deadlines

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Bureau of Educational Research Endowment
Dissertation Award Competition
College of Education
2007-2008

Each year, the Bureau of Educational Research in the College of Education grants several dissertation awards on a competitive basis to graduate students to support the completion of their doctoral dissertations. These awards are funded through the generosity of the alumni and friends of the College. This information will help you to determine if you are eligible and how to apply.

We strongly encourage applicants to review examples of previously funded applications, which are available from the Bureau. We also advise applicants to have their faculty advisors carefully review the application before submitting it.

Eligibility
Applicants must be candidates for the doctoral degree in the College of Education. They must also be full-time in a graduate program. Applicants must document that they will have completed all pre-dissertation requirements (Early Research, Research Specialization, and Qualifying Exams) by the time of the submission, and must provide a clear and specific plan for completing the dissertation within a two-year time frame. Preference will be given to students who have passed their Preliminary Oral Exam. If students have not passed their preliminary oral exam, their advisor must address their progress in the accompanying letter of recommendation. Funds will not be released until the preliminary exam is completed.

Selection Process
Recipients of the dissertation awards are selected by the College of Education Research Committee based upon submission of the following:

Letter of recommendation. The letter of recommendation should be from someone who is knowledgeable about the student’s research interests, such as the student’s advisor or dissertation director, and should specifically address the importance of the proposed study and the student’s capacity to carry it out. If the student has not passed the preliminary exam, the advisor should assess progress toward that goal.

Curriculum Vitae. A curriculum vitae must be submitted from the applicant, which includes publications, presentations and awards.

Abstract. An abstract of 150 words or less must be submitted from the applicant.

Research Prospectus. A short research prospectus which describes the study needs to be included. Please keep in mind that some reviewers may not have expertise in your particular research area, so this section should be written for a general audience. The prospectus should include the following components: Research Problem, Significance of the Problem; Research Questions or Hypotheses, and Methods including population and sample, instrumentation, data collection and analysis, and procedures; and Justification for Methods. The research prospectus should be no more than 1500 words (about 8 double-spaced pages) in length. Emphasis should be placed on clearly describing the research methods that will be used. It is important that the reviewers understand how the research questions are explicitly linked to and supported by the chosen research method(s). Include a list of references to support the research prospectus (not included in the 1500-word limit). Copies of relevant instruments or protocols can be appended (not included in the word limit).

Work Plan. The work plan should specify what dissertation work will be accomplished during the award period. It should include realistic dates by which each stage will be completed. If the study is in progress, the proposal should clearly describe methods as implemented rather than methods planned, for example, actual samples obtained rather than samples planned.

Budget and Justification. The award is intended to finance only budget items associated with the completion of the dissertation. The budget should include a rationale for how all items are related to the completion of the project. Funding can cover such expenses as, for example, data gathering equipment, analytical software and training, primary source materials, travel and accommodations for fieldwork, duplicating, postage, modest stipends for subjects, and hourly pay to hire assistants for such tasks as transcription, translation, collecting or coding data, rating, and similar work. Funding cannot cover such expenses as computers, the applicants personal salary, conference travel, and housing or living expenses. Funding can cover already-expended costs from the current fiscal year, or future expenses.

Criteria. Student applications will be judged in terms of the following evaluation criteria: importance to the field, methodological soundness, students capacity to carry out the project, appropriateness of budget, and feasibility of work plan. Successful proposals will clearly state the significance of the research for the field of education, broadly defined, and will clearly describe the study’s methodology and implementation.

Award and Conditions
Dissertation awards will be granted two times per academic year. Recipients of the awards can receive a maximum of $1,500 to support completion of their dissertation. The amount must be expended within a time limit of two years or graduation and in accordance with the work plan provided by the candidate.

A special award called the Rosenshine Award will also be given, with an identical October 15 deadline. Established in May 1998, with an initial personal gift from Professor Emeritus Barak Rosenshine, the Rosenshine Award Fund was created to benefit University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign graduate students in the College of Education. The award will be used to provide support for outstanding graduate students working on individual research projects.

Managed by the University of Illinois Foundation (UIF), the estimated annual amount available for a student award is $500. The purpose of the fund is to sponsor an annual stipend for a student pursing an advanced degree in the College, with preference given to those with financial challenges.  The award can be used to cover the expenses for attending a professional conference; supporting the technology needs or other direct costs of the research project; editing, developing or depositing the thesis; assisting with day care costs to aid the student in completing his/her research; or helping to purchase books and journals, with the ultimate goal of completing their research on a timely basis.

Applications will be distributed and promoted by the Bureau of Educational Research.  The review committee will take into consideration an applicant’s academic accomplishments and potential for future contributions to the field of education.

 
Deadlines
Deadlines for applications are: October 15, 2007 and March 4, 2008. It is the student applicant’s responsibility to see that all materials are received by the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Twelve collated copies and a CD-ROM of all materials should be submitted to the Bureau of Educational Research, c/o Paige Spangler, 38 Education Building, MC-708.