Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowship

Each fall, we welcome applications for the Graduate School’s Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowship, which includes a $25,000 stipend, tuition, and health insurance. The IDF is awarded to outstanding PhD students who would benefit from interaction with faculty mentors at one of the University's interdisciplinary research centers or institutes—including the Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy. 

IDF applicants must include a letter of support from the sponsoring center or institute’s director in their application to the Graduate School. We will provide a letter of support from Center Director Christina Ewig to successful applicants prior to the Graduate School’s deadline. 

To learn more about the fellowship, visit the Graduate School's IDF website or watch a recording of a 2019 IDF information session held by the Institute for Advanced Study. (Please note that application due dates change annually.)

Who Should Apply

We encourage PhD students who are pursuing research into how public policy matters for gender equality across a range of issues to apply for the IDF through the Center, particularly when this research uses an intersectional lens. Our core and affiliated faculty are strong on the issues of social policy, feminist organizations and social movements, feminist economics, population policy, human rights, planning, international development, and electoral politics.

Steps to Apply

All ll letters of support and application materials are due to the Center by October 24th at 12pm CST. 

  1. Before beginning the application process, review the Graduate School’s requirements to ensure you meet eligibility criteria.
  2. Identify and contact a faculty mentor from among our core and affiliated faculty who will work closely with you during the fellowship year. 
  3. Request that your advisor and faculty mentor send their letters of support directly to [email protected].
  4. Email all completed application materials as a single PDF attachment to [email protected]. Please see the Graduate School’s instructions for these materials and link to the application form. Required materials include:
    • Application form
    • CV
    • Research project proposal 
    • Unofficial transcript 
    • Proof of IRB approval, if applicable

Deadlines and Notification Process

All letters of support and application materials are due to the Center by October 24th, 2023.

Each applicant's advisor and faculty mentor should send their letters of support directly to [email protected] by October 24, 2023.

We will review and notify applicants of decisions by Friday, November 3, 2023. Prior to November 10th, 2023 successful applicants will receive a PDF copy of a letter of support from Center Director Christina Ewig to be included with their applications to the Graduate School.

The Graduate School's deadline is noon on Friday, November 10th, 2023

Please email any IDF questions for the Center to [email protected].

Please email any IDF questions for the Graduate School to [email protected].