I am writing to invite your nominations of advanced graduate students for the 2016 Rackham/Sweetland Dissertation Writing Institute. During the spring term, Institute fellows participate in an intensive program focused on writing their dissertations. This is a competitive fellowship intended for promising students who would benefit from help with their writing at the dissertation stage. Participants are required to attend the Dissertation Writing Institute from 9:00 am–3:00 pm weekdays during the spring term. If students have conferences or other out-of-town responsibilities between May 3–June 24, 2016, they should not be nominated. All DWI participants are provided a work space where they can store books and other scholarly materials, and a computer, if needed. Fellows are expected to participate in 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. Nominees must have at least one chapter completed and approved. Nominees should be considered by their advisors and departments to be high-achieving students who would benefit from additional assistance in writing and a structured work environment to help finish their dissertations.
Please nominate up to four advanced graduate students you believe would benefit by participating in this program. We will contact the students you nominate 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 cannot hold another position during the period of the fellowship and, upon acceptance, must commit to using the office space provided to work full-time on their dissertation.
Please email my assistant, Laura Schuyler (schuyler@umich.edu):
· Student's name(s) and email address
· Dissertation Chair's name(s) and email address
Nominations must be received by Friday, January 29, 2016.
