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Faculty Senate Dissertation-Year Fellowships 2005-2006

Most dissertation-year fellowships at Research I universities, including our own, reward excellence in research alone. In this, the third offering of the Dissertation-Year Fellowship program described below, the University of Virginia Faculty Senate includes not only excellence in scholarly achievement as a criterion, but also outstanding performance in teaching. With a long tradition of excellence in teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate level, the University is committed to the idea that the best researchers can be, and often are, also the best teachers. Ideally, the two activities go hand in hand. It is in this spirit that the Faculty Senate invites applications for the 2005-2006 fellowships. Five fellowships will be awarded to graduate students from across the University. These fellowships will reward graduate students who have taught extraordinarily well at U.va. while also maintaining a record of research excellence in their discipline. Applicants must be deemed by their departments to be doing important research pointing toward a productive scholarly career. They must also have established a strong record in the classroom, indicating their high promise as teachers.

Each Faculty Senate Dissertation-Year Fellowship of approximately $20,000 will provide funding for the final year of doctoral work, to include costs for tuition, fees, health insurance, and stipend. These fellowships for 2005-2006 are funded by the Provost's Office, the Curry School of Education, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Athletics Department.

Selection criteria

Applicants should be scholars who have demonstrated excellence in both teaching and research.

The selection committee will carefully consider the following qualifications related to teaching within each applicant's dossier:

  1. overall effectiveness as an instructor in lectures, discussions, studios, problem-solving sessions, laboratories, and/or mentoring
  2. command of the subject area
  3. skills in organizing, developing and presenting material in class or in other pedagogical venues
  4. capacity to motivate and inspire students

The selection committee will carefully consider the following characteristics related to research within each applicant's dossier:

  1. intellectual rigor of dissertation project
  2. importance of dissertation work to the academic discipline
  3. clarity of purpose as demonstrated in the abstract

Eligibility

Applicants must have completed all course requirements and entered candidacy for the doctorate at the time of application..

Recipients are expected to complete their thesis dissertation within the year of following receipt of this fellowship (September 1, 2005 to August 31, 2006). Furthermore, it is expected that recipients would hold no other paid position during the tenure of the fellowship.

To be considered, applicants should submit the following materials (using 12 point font and adhering to stated page guidelines an correct number of copies):

  • A curriculum vitae (limited to two pages)
  • A draft of the dissertation abstract (limited to two pages)
  • A one page proposed schedule by which the dissertation is to be completed in 2005-2006.
  • A reflective statement on teaching (limited to two pages) a short detail on the context of the teaching (for example: discussion or lab sections for a larger lecture; independent section of a multi-section course; independently taught course)
  • A summary of student course evaluations: if no courses evaluation information is available, please explain the situation for the committee (limited to two pages)

No more than three letters of recommendation from faculty members:

  1. a letter from the Departmental Chair or Director of Graduate Studies certifying the student's status
  2. a letter from a faculty member familiar with the applicant's teaching
  3. a letter from the applicant's dissertation director

Each letter should be submitted as an original with four copies in a sealed envelope with the faculty member's signature across the seal.

Deadline for receipt of fellowship applications for 2005-2006: Friday, February 25, 2005

  • Send five (5) copies collated of the application, including letters of recommendation, in paper format to Frances Peyton, Secretary, Faculty Senate, Garrett Hall BO34, PO Box 400221, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904.
  • Questions about the application process should be directed to Stephen Macko, Department of Environmental Sciences, sam8f@virginia.edu
  • Decisions will be made by April 1, 2005.