IRRPP Dissertation Research Grant & Fellowship

The IRRPP Dissertation Research Grant and Dissertation Fellowship are two funding programs offered by IRRPP for UIC doctoral students who are ABD and conducting their dissertation research centered on race and/or ethnicity and policy.

IRRPP Dissertation Research Grant
Applicants can apply for up to $2,000 to complete their doctoral research.
This award is not disbursed in a lump sum. The funds are reimbursements from your department, meaning awardees must keep and submit receipts to the department business manager. Please get in touch with your advisor and the department business manager before applying for this award.

The Dissertation Research Grant application consists of the following:
• the application form below.
• an up to 2-page, single-spaced research project description.
• an itemized budget with a short budget narrative.
• a brief letter of support from your advisor emailed to irrpp@uic.edu. Please ask your advisor to submit the letter with the subject line: Your last name, DRG Letter of Recommendation.

IRRPP Dissertation Fellowship
In 2024, IRRPP is piloting a new program to support UIC doctoral students who are ABD to finish their dissertations by providing a semester-long (Spring 2025).

The fellowship is a 50% research assistantship appointment to support UIC doctoral students who are ABD and finishing their dissertations. Applicant’s research must be centered on race and/or ethnicity and broadly-defined policy.

The Dissertation Fellowship application consists of the following:
• the application form below.
• an up to 2-page, single-spaced research project description.
• an itemized budget with a short budget narrative.
• 1 brief letter of support from your advisor and 1 brief letter of support from one of your committee members emailed to irrpp@uic.edu. Please ask your recommenders to submit the letters of recommendation with the subject line: Your last name, DRG Letter of Recommendation.
• 1-page, single-spaced personal statement including your career goals.

This award is separate from the Dissertation Research Grant, although applicants can apply for one or both awards using the same application below.

About the Research Project Description
The research project description should include:
• the research question/s need to include the importance, relevance, and centrality of race/ethnicity for the research project.
• the methodology.
• the relevance of the research project to IRRPP’s mission to promote engaged research on racial and ethnic justice, including increasing society’s understanding of the causes of racial and ethnic inequality and providing the public, organizers, practitioners, and policymakers with research-based policy solutions. IRRPP broadly defines policy-relevant projects as those that can inform and influence the various stages of the policy process, including public debates on policy issues, policy-related political mobilizations, policy formation and implementation processes, and policy evaluations.
• a project timeline with at least the month and year for each step.

Deadline: November 1st

Students can apply for the Dissertation Research Grant and Dissertation Fellowship in one application.
If you have questions, please reach out to irrpp@uic.edu.

Please note: Once you click submit, you should receive an emailed copy of your application within 5-10 minutes. If you don't receive the email within 5-10 minutes, the application did not go through, and you will need to resubmit it.