Competitive Opportunities
Awards offered through the College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Division: http://www.indiana.edu/~college/graduate/office/awards.shtmlThe Grad Grants Office: http://www.graduate.indiana.edu/gradGrants.php
Awards offered through the University Graduate School http://www.indiana.edu/~grdschl/internalfunding.php
Lindesmith-Mullins Fellowship
Background: This award has been endowed by several donors in honor of Alfred Lindesmith (longtime faculty member at IU) and Elizabeth Ione Mullins (who received her PhD from our Department in 1975). The Lindesmith-Mullins Fellowship is the most prestigious Departmental prize that recognizes excellence in research.
Eligibility: Only students who will be working on their dissertations during the Fellowship year are eligible to apply. This Fellowship does not cover tuition fees, so students who apply should be G901-eligible.
Award: The Fellowship provides support for two semesters, and there may be multiple recipients in any year. The amount of the stipend varies from year to year, and it will be equivalent to the amount given by the College’s Dissertation Year Fellowship. The Fellowship covers fees associated with enrollment in the mandatory health insurance plan. The stipend is adjusted downward to compensate for concurrent sources of fellowship or scholarship funding, but in all cases recipients may retain the Lindesmith-Mullins as an honorific award and they will receive total funding no less than the Lindesmith-Mullins stipend.
Materials to submit: (1) curriculum vitae; (2) copies of research publications; (3) copies of unpublished scholarship (papers under review or being readied for submission, presentations at professional meetings); (4) research statement (no longer than four pages) that describes the applicant’s research trajectory, focusing on past accomplishments and on specific plans for work to be conducted during the Fellowship year.
Criteria for selection (listed in order of descending importance): (1) quality of research accomplishments to date; (2) quality of the proposed program of future research; (3) potential for a successful research career in sociology.
Application deadline: March 2. Materials should be submitted to the graduate secretary. The recipient(s) will be selected by the Graduate Evaluation Committee.
Glen D. and Dorothy E. Stewart Family Scholarship
Background: This scholarship was endowed by Cynthia Stewart Simon and William E.
Simon, Jr., in honor of Cynthia Simon’s parents and family. Cindy Simon earned
her B.A. in Sociology from Indiana University, Bloomington, in 1977. The
scholarship is awarded to a graduate student whose career objective is to remain
in the field of sociology as a teacher in a college or university. The Stewart
Family Scholarship is the most prestigious Departmental prize that recognizes
excellence in both teaching and research.
Eligibility: Only students who will be working on their dissertation during the
year of the Scholarship are eligible. This Scholarship does not cover tuition
fees, so students who apply should be G901-eligible. Applicants must have
already taught for the Department as an Associate Instructor.
Award: The recipient(s) will receive support for two semesters, and there may be
multiple recipients in any year. The amount of the stipend varies from year to
year, and it will be equivalent to the amount given by the College’s
Dissertation Year Fellowship. If the recipient(s) choose to enroll in the
voluntary health insurance plan, the Department will cover those fees as part of
the scholarship award. The stipend is adjusted downward to compensate for
concurrent sources of fellowship or scholarship funding, but in all cases
recipients may retain the Stewart Family Scholarship as an honorific award and
they will receive total funding no less than the Stewart Family Scholarship
stipend.
Materials to submit: (1) curriculum vitae; (2) teaching dossier, including list
of courses taught (showing number of students enrolled), syllabi and other
handouts, course evaluations, evidence of pedagogical activities outside the
classroom, and a one-page statement of your teaching goals and philosophy
(including a self-evaluation of your teaching effectiveness); (3) evidence of
research accomplishments, including a one-page abstract of the dissertation
proposal, published papers, manuscripts submitted for publication, papers read
at professional meetings)
Criteria for selection: Excellence in teaching and research
accomplishments/potential. These factors are given equal weight.
Application deadline: March 2. Materials should be submitted to the graduate
secretary. The recipient(s) will be selected by the Graduate Evaluation
Committee.
Advanced Departmental Fellowships (ADF)
Background: ADFs are administered by the Department, and funds are provided by
the College of Arts and Sciences. The number of ADFs will vary depending upon
the amount of funding provided by the College in a given year.
Eligibility: These fellowships are typically given to students entering their
fourth through sixth year in the program. Only students who have completed the
M.A. by the start of the fellowship year will be considered. This fellowship
does not include a tuition waiver, so fellows must be eligible for G901.
Students may not receive full-year ADFs in two consecutive academic years,
although previous winners are allowed to apply again after the hiatus. There is
no limit on the total number of semesters that a student might be supported
through an ADF. Fellows are not allowed to hold other remunerative fellowships
or scholarships concurrently with the ADF. Fellows are expected to be on the
Bloomington campus during the period of fellowship support, unless the research
project requires relocation elsewhere (e.g., fieldwork, archival data
collection, etc.), and they are not allowed to take on other employment during
the fellowship period; these restrictions may be waived in special circumstances
by the Director of Graduate Studies and the fellow’s advisor. Near the end of
the period of fellowship support, fellows must provide the Director of Graduate
with a one-page summary of their research progress and accomplishments (in order
to be eligible for future Departmental support), and fellows are encouraged to
present their research at one of the Department’s workshops during the period of
support.
Award: Fellows will receive support for either one or two semesters. The amount
of the stipend varies from year to year, depending upon the amount of funding
provided by the College and the number of recipients chosen. In 2005-06, the
stipend was $6500/semester. The ADF covers costs of mandatory health insurance.
Materials to submit: Four copies of the following documents: (1) Curriculum
vitae; (2) Evidence of research productivity (copies of publications,
presentations at professional meetings, submissions, including those focused on
pedagogy); (3) A research statement (no more than four pages in length) that
describes research activities to date and outlines a research plan proposed for
the fellowship year (the proposed project may or may not be related to the
fellow’s dissertation)
Criteria for selection (listed in descending importance): (1) Demonstrated
history of research productivity (e.g. presentations, submissions,
publications); (2) Quality of the research statement (especially, the
feasibility and potential significance of the proposed research, and how the
fellowship would contribute to the applicant’s professional progress); (3)
Timely progress toward the PhD (successful applicants will have typically
finished all course work, or nearly so).
Application deadline: February 1. Materials should be delivered to the graduate
secretary. Fellowship recipients are selected by the Graduate Evaluation
Committee.
Schuessler Award for Graduate Research
Background: This award honors the name of distinguished sociologist Karl F.
Schuessler, whose long-time involvement with this Department as student,
professor, mentor, director of the Institute that now bears his name, and chair
did much to establish our reputation as a community of productive and
consequential researchers. The prize is designed to sustain this emphasis on
research among current graduate students by celebrating excellence in a piece of
written work. If you have questions, please contact the chair of the selection
committee or the Director of Graduate Studies.
Eligibility: This competition is open to any student enrolled in the graduate
program in Sociology at Indiana University. Submissions are not limited to any
particular substantive topic, methodology or theoretical orientation. Schuessler
Award recipients are expected to give an oral presentation of their
prize-winning research at an appropriate workshop or other Departmental forum.
Papers that do not win the Award on their first try may be resubmitted (with or
without revision) in following years.
Award: Recipients will receive a cash award (the amount will vary). If two
recipients are chosen, both will receive the full monetary amount available. The
Schuessler Award may not be given in every academic year.
Materials to be submitted: Students should submit a published paper or
unpublished manuscript that conforms to the following conditions: (1) the work
must be of sufficient scope and length to allow the committee to assess its
contribution to sociological knowledge (journal-article length); (2) submissions
may be published papers, manuscripts under review or being readied for
submission, talks delivered at Department workshops or professional meetings, or
papers prepared for a course; (3) full-length and unrevised Masters theses and
dissertations are not eligible, but papers based on research conducted for a
thesis or dissertation may be submitted; (4) papers co-authored with faculty
members (at IU or elsewhere) are not eligible; (5) papers with solo authorship
and those co-authored with other graduate students are eligible, but if the
collaborator is at another university, the first author must be enrolled at
Indiana University.
Criteria for selection: Excellence of the research manuscript in terms of its
contribution to sociological knowledge.
Application deadline: April 1. Materials should be submitted to the graduate
secretary. Selection of the recipient (s) will be made by the Schuessler Award
Committee. All decisions of the committee are final. Recipients will be
announced at the spring awards ceremony in April.
Sutherland Teaching Award
Background: This award honors the eminent criminologist and long-time member of
this Department Edwin H. Sutherland. From time to time, a separate Sutherland
Teaching Award is given to a faculty member in Sociology. Both prizes
acknowledge the importance of teaching and other pedagogical activities in the
Department, and rewards excellence and commitment in these endeavors.
Eligibility: Only students in the graduate program of the Department of
Sociology at Indiana University may apply. Applicants must have served as an
Associate Instructor for the Department, or been significantly involved in other
teaching-related activities (such as writing papers or participating in
workshops/conferences with a focus on college pedagogy). Anybody is welcome to
nominate an eligible graduate student for the Sutherland Teaching Award by
submitting their name to the chair of the selection committee; nominees will be
contacted by the selection committee, and encouraged to apply.
Award: Recipients will receive a cash award (the amount will vary). If two or
more recipients are chosen, each will receive the full monetary amount
available. The Sutherland Award need not be given in every academic year.
Materials to be submitted: Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae and a
teaching dossier with the following materials: (1) a teaching statement no more
than four pages in length, summarizing the applicant’s goals and philosophy of
teaching; (2) list of courses taught, by semester, along with number of students
enrolled; (3) syllabi and other course handouts; (4) course evaluations, both
qualitative and quantitative; (5) unsolicited letters from students (solicited
recommendation letters will not be considered); (6) any evidence of pedagogical
activities outside the classroom (such as participation at teaching-related
conferences or workshops, participation in the PFF program, teaching-related
publications (including presentations and submissions), and mentoring/tutoring.
Criteria for Selection: Excellence in teaching activities, both inside and
outside the classroom.
Application deadline: March 1. Materials should be submitted to the graduate
secretary. The recipient(s) will be chosen by the Teaching Award/Evaluation
Committee. The recipient(s) will be announced at the Department’s annual awards
ceremony in April.
Social Action Award
Background: The Social Action Award was created to recognize students whose
service, teaching and research have brought about constructive change in the
community or society-at-large.
Eligibility: Any student enrolled in the graduate program of the Department of
Sociology at Indiana University may apply. Anybody is welcome to nominate an
eligible graduate student for the Social Action Award by submitting their name
to the chair of the selection committee; nominees will be contacted by the
selection committee, and encouraged to apply.
Award: Recipients will receive a cash award (the amount will vary). If two or
more recipients are chosen, each will receive the full monetary amount
available. The Social Action Award need not be given in every academic year.
Materials to submit: (1) a current curriculum vitae that emphasizes social
action activities (something you might provide to a prospective employer who was
interested not only in your expertise as researcher and teacher, but as someone
committed to improving the world); (2) description of your social action
activities and their impact on the community (no more than four pages, single
spaced), answering questions such as: why is social action important to you? why
do you do it? what have you done, and what effect have these activities had on
the community? (3) other supporting materials that document your social action
activities, such as flyers for an activity that you arranged or a report for
some community agency; (4) two letters of recommendation emphasizing social
action activities, which must be sent directly from the referee to the chair of
the Social Action Award committee before the application deadline.
Criteria for selection: Successful applicants will display the following three
qualities (which are given equal weight): (1) exceptional service to the
community in the pursuit of progressive social change; (2) teaching that
successfully increases students’ awareness and understanding of social issues
and injustice; (3) research that actively engages social problems and policies
that create solutions.
Application deadline: April 1. Materials should be submitted to the graduate
secretary. The recipient(s) will be selected by the Social Action Award
Committee. The recipient(s) will be announced at the annual Departmental award
ceremony in April.
Preparing Future Faculty Fellowship (PFF)
Background: The PFF Fellowship is a great opportunity for graduate students
interested college pedagogy and other issues in higher education. The Fellow
will work closely with PFF co-directors on S506 (The Teaching of Undergraduate
Sociology) and on other teaching-related tasks. Moreover, the PFF Fellow will
serve as the liaison between Associate Instructors and the
Department/University, organize and co-coordinate the annual Indiana University
PFF conference, and participate in regional/national conferences on higher
education. Fellows may be expected to average about 20 hours of work per week on
PFF-related activities. Further information is available from the PFF
co-directors and from recent PFF Fellows.
Eligibility: Only students who have taught as an Associate Instructor in the
Department of Sociology are eligible to apply. Students who have won a
fellowship or scholarship in the immediately preceding year are eligible to
apply for a PFF, and PFF Fellows are eligible for other Department fellowships
and scholarships in the year immediately following.
Award: The PFF Fellow will receive a stipend equivalent to the AI stipend. Fees
associated with the mandatory health care plan are covered by this fellowship.
Materials to be submitted: (1) Curriculum vitae; (2) Documentation of teaching
effectiveness, including: list of courses taught [with enrollments], teaching
evaluations, course syllabi/handouts and a teaching statement describing the
applicant’s pedagogical goals and philosophy (no more than four pages); (3)
Documentation of other pedagogical activities such as: participation at
teaching-related conferences or workshops, prior participation in the PFF
program, teaching-related publications (including presentations and
submissions), and mentoring/tutoring.
Criteria for selection (weighted equally): (1) quality of classroom teaching;
(2) extent of teaching-related activities outside the classroom.
Application deadline: February 1. Materials should be submitted to the Graduate
Secretary. Selections will be made by the PFF co-directors.
Public Sociology Fellowship
Background: The Public Sociology Fellow assembles resources and facilitates
collaborative activities for graduate students and faculty interested in public
sociology. The PS Fellow sustains links between the Department and the
community, and develops a research project that contributes simultaneously to
the public consumption of sociological knowledge and to the Fellow’s developing
research agenda. The Fellow will work with a faculty mentor/supervisor who helps
to plan PS events and offers guidance on the Fellow’s research project. The PS
Fellow organizes the annual Public Sociology Colloquium and serves as moderator
of the Public Sociology Forum (by scheduling regular meetings open to all grad
students and obtaining their input about future PS initiatives). The Fellow
regularly attends GSA meetings to keep students informed of PS affairs, and
collaborates with the GSA President to maintain the PS website. The Fellow is
also required to present preliminary findings from the PS research project, at
the PS Colloquium or another PS workshop. The Fellow will collaborate with the
PFF Fellow on one PFF/PS brownbag focused on public sociology and teaching.
Finally, the PS Fellow is encouraged (pending GSA and Departmental support) to
develop new activities and events which may further public sociology for faculty
and graduate students in the Department.
Eligibility: Fellowships are typically given to students in their fourth through
sixth years in the program. The fellowship does not include a tuition waiver so
the fellow must be eligible for G901 during the fellowship year (i.e. coursework
must be completed before the fellowship year). Students who have won fellowships
in the previous year are eligible, and PS Fellows may apply for different
fellowships for the year following their appointment as the PS Fellow. PS
Fellows are eligible for only one year of support.
Award: The appointment is for one academic year, and
entails a stipend equivalent to that of an Associate Instructor.
Materials to Submit: (1) Curriculum vitae; (2) A
letter of interest (no more than 1,500 words) that describes the applicant’s
interest and capabilities in public sociology, and outlines a research project
that: (a) engages a social problem; (b) furthers the Fellow’s research agenda,
training, and career as a sociologist; (c) identifies a faculty member who is
willing to serve as the applicant’s mentor/supervisor. The letter of interest
should also describe how the research will be made accessible to a wider public
audience or provide a concrete service to a specified organization or community
group.
Criteria for Selection: The quality of the proposed
research project based on (listed in descending order of importance): (1) its
potential to further the Fellow’s research agenda and training; (2) its
potential to benefit the department, local organizations, or community groups.
Application Deadline: February 16. Submit all
materials to the graduate secretary. Fellows will be selected by the Graduate
Evaluation Committee, and will be announced at the Departmental awards ceremony
in April.
Mannheim Summer Exchange Program
Background: The University of Mannheim in Germany regularly offers the
opportunity for two graduate students in Sociology at Indiana University to
teach one graduate-level class each at Mannheim during the early summer months.
The specific courses to be taught are negotiated each year in discussions
between Mannheim and our Director of Graduate Studies. In the past, IU students
have taught statistics, qualitative methods and a variety of substantive
courses. Students interested in the Mannheim Exchange Program are strongly
encouraged to meet with the DGS well before the application deadline, to discuss
the fit between the courses they are capable of teaching and Mannheim’s course
needs. The Mannheim Center also offers a rich research environment, and this
opportunity will be especially attractive to students who want to develop
scholarly ties with European sociologists or who have embarked on comparative
research involving European data.
Eligibility: Only students who have completed three years in the graduate
program in Sociology at Indiana University are eligible to apply. The classes
are taught in English.
Award: The University of Mannheim pays 4000 Euros, and the IU Department of
Sociology adds $1000 to help defray costs of travel. In addition, Mannheim will
cover costs of German language training during the students’ stay in Germany.
Materials to submit: (1) curriculum vitae; (2) a one-page statement about what
you hope to gain from this experience that would advance your professional
career (teaching and research); (3) a one-page description of the course (or
courses) you would be prepared to teach in Mannheim; (4) a teaching dossier
consisting of a list of courses taught (with enrollments), syllabi and handouts,
and course evaluations.
Criteria for selection: The DGS will consult with the Graduate Evaluation
Committee and rank-order applicants in terms of: (1) quality of the course
proposal; (2) quality of teaching performance as an AI; (3) research benefits to
the applicant from the exchange program. These criteria are listed in descending
order of importance.
Application deadline: September 1. Materials should be delivered to the graduate
secretary. Successful applicants will be informed of their selection by the end
of the fall semester prior to the summer in Mannheim.
Schuessler Scholarship for Study at ICPSR
Background: This scholarship honors the memory and
generosity of Karl F. Schuessler, long-time faculty member in the Department and
eminent quantitative social scientist. The Schuessler Scholarship provides
support for graduate students who would benefit from taking courses in
quantitative methods and statistics through the Summer Program at the University
of Michigan’s Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
(ICPSR).
Eligibility: Students in their first through third
year of graduate study in the Department of Sociology at Indiana University will
be given priority for this scholarship. At IU, Scholarship recipients must
register for S864 to receive course credits for ICPSR summer courses, and they
must enroll for six credit hours at IU during the summer. At ICPSR, students
must enroll for two “four-week courses” offered in the same session. These
courses must be listed as “workshops” rather than “lectures” (as per ICPSR
regulations, credit can only be awarded for four-week workshops). The
Scholarship does not cover enrollement in “three-to-five day workshops.”
Award: The ICPSR has not yet announced their fee
structure for classes offered during summer 2008. The Scholarship will cover the
full cost of those fees, and also provide a modest stipend to assist with travel
to Ann Arbor and living expenses. Multiple scholarships may be awarded.
Materials to submit: (1) Curriculum vitae; (2)
Unofficial IU Transcript; (3) Two-page statement describing how participation in
ICPSR’s Summer Program would contribute to the applicant’s research trajectory,
focusing on the specific four-week workshops to be taken and plans for future
research projects; (4) One paper submitted for a graduate course or the
applicant’s MA paper or one manuscript submitted to a journal for publication or
one research publication.
Criteria for selection: (1) Performance in graduate
classes, especially those in statistics and research methods; (2) Quality of
writing sample; (3) Promise suggested by research statement.
Application Deadline: March 1. Materials should be
submitted to the graduate secretary. The recipient(s) will be selected by the
Graduate Evaluation Committee.
