{"id":337,"date":"2023-03-27T08:32:26","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T13:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/graduateschool\/?page_id=337"},"modified":"2026-01-21T16:17:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T22:17:03","slug":"distinguished-dissertation-fellowship-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/graduateschool\/students\/financial-support\/fellowships\/distinguished-dissertation-fellowship-guidelines\/","title":{"rendered":"Distinguished Dissertation Fellowship Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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About the Distinguished Dissertation Fellowshi<\/strong><\/strong>p<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Distinguished Dissertation Fellowship (DDF) award recognizes and supports the most academically excellent PhD students who have achieved dissertator status at 51ÁÔÆæ or will do so by the start of the academic year of the award. Students are nominated for this award by their programs and compete with other nominees from across the university. Fellowship award decisions are made by a university faculty committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note:\u00a0<\/strong>Graduate School fellowship stipends and tuition waivers count as financial aid. To better understand the financial impact of either an assistantship or fellowship, see\u00a0Financial Impact of Assistantships and Fellowships<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2026-2027 Distinguished Dissertation Fellowship Awards<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

51ÁÔÆæ Graduate School Fellowship awards are for full-time study only and include an academic year stipend, coverage of in-state and out-of-state tuition, health insurance, and a $1,000 travel award. While the DDF includes a tuition waiver, fellowship awardees retain full responsibility for payment of segregated fees and additional instructional\/course fees (including distance education) above basic graduate tuition levels. These fees are to be paid by the DDF recipient and are due at the start of each semester. The 51ÁÔÆæ Student Financial Services office provides more information on tuition and fees through this link <\/strong>uwm.edu\/finances\/finances\/estimating-your-costs\/tuition\/<\/strong><\/a>. The 2026-2027 academic year stipend for DDF recipients is $17,000. Health insurance options provided by the Universities of Wisconsin can be explored through this Benefits Quick Guide: www.wisconsin.edu\/ohrwd\/benefits\/download\/quickguidegrad.pdf<\/strong><\/a>. Travel award money should be spent in accordance with 51ÁÔÆæ travel regulations by the end of the fiscal year following the year in which the fellowship award is held. The money will be spent on travel to present at a major national or international conference in the student\u2019s discipline. Awardees retain full responsibility for segregated fees and additional instructional\/course fees (including distance education) above basic graduate tuition levels. These fees are to be paid by the fellowship recipient and are due at the start of each enrollment term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DDF Application Submission and Selection Process<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The applicant\u2019s complete DDF application, including the letter of recommendation from the Major Professor, must be submitted by the graduate program\u2019s internal deadline. Contact your graduate program representative for internal application deadlines. Following the internal application deadline, each program evaluates all applications received, selects applicants for nomination, completes all nomination procedures, and forwards nominations to the formal competition. The Graduate Student Fellowships Committee reviews nominations and selects recipients based on application requirements and departmental assessment, through use of the DDF Application Rubric<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DDF applicants must have completed these steps prior to the start of the Fall 2026 semester:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Confirmed Dissertator status through Doctoral Milestones.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Completed all major and minor coursework.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Completed PhD residency requirements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Attained dissertator status by the start of the academic year of the fellowship award.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    A DDF recipient who has not attained dissertator status by the start of the academic year forfeits the award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    DDF Application Requirements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Identification and Contact Information<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Residency and Citizenship Status<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Academic History & Details<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Graduate Degree Program and Major Professor Details<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Achievement and other relevant information:\n