Rackham Graduate School

Nominations are now being accepted for advanced graduate students for the 2012 Rackham/Sweetland Dissertation Writing Institute. During the spring term, Institute fellows participate in an eight-week intensive program focused on writing their dissertations. This program is designed to help graduate students who are slowed in the process and can articulate how the Institute will help facilitate the writing of their dissertation. Participants are required to attend the Sweetland Center for Writing for at least six hours each day during the eight weeks of spring term. They are provided a work space where they can leave books and other scholarly materials, and a computer, if needed.  Fellows are expected to participate in the group discussions, where they share their writing and receive feedback.  In addition, a Sweetland faculty member is available for writing consultation. Rackham and Sweetland support each graduate student selected with a stipend of $3,000 for the spring term.

This Writing Institute is for graduate students:

1. whose research is complete or nearly complete
2. who have conceptualized the principal elements of the dissertation; and
3. who have already begun to write the dissertation.


4. Nominees must have had at least one accepted chapter.

Nominees should be considered by their advisors and departments to be high achieving students who would most benefit from additional assistance in writing and a structured work environment to help finish their dissertations. 

Chairs and directors may nominate up to four advanced graduate students who would benefit by participating in this program. This is a competitive fellowship intended for promising students slowed at the dissertation stage. I will contact the nominated students and ask them to apply. They will be asked to write a letter describing their dissertation, its current state, and why and how they would benefit from the Writing Institute. We will also ask for a recommendation from the dissertation advisor and your nomination should include that person’s name. Fellows may not hold another position during the eight-week period of the fellowship. They must work fulltime on their dissertations during this time. 

Nominations can be e-mailed to Laura Schuyler (schuyler@umich.edu) with the student name(s), the student’s dissertation chair, and e-mail addresses by Friday, February 24, 2012. 

Published in: Professional Development

Keywords: phd funding academics