2008 - Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Program in the Humanities & Social Sciences

Program Purpose

The Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Program is designed to provide financial support for doctoral students in the humanities, social sciences and other disciplines where students have little opportunity for academic apprentice appointments or other university funding relevant to their graduate training during the summer months. A specific objective of the program is to promote opportunities for students to work closely with a faculty mentor in developing a paper for presentation at an academic conference and/or for publication. General goals are to facilitate close working relationships between faculty and students during the early stages of graduate education, to promote timely degree progress, and to encourage a level of creative scholarship and research productivity that helps prepare students for successful academic careers.

Program Expectations

Participants are expected to complete a draft of a paper (either single-authored by the student or co-authored with the faculty mentor) by the end of the summer. This paper should be submitted for presentation at a professional conference and/or for publication sometime during the following academic year. It is expected that the faculty mentor will be in residence during the summer and committed to working closely with the student. The entire group of student participants and their mentors will be asked to attend occasional meetings to discuss their specific goals and progress and to provide general feedback on the program. The Graduate Division will offer selected programmatic activities (e.g., workshops on such topics as writing for publication, human subjects protection, grantsmanship, career opportunities, presentations, etc.), and student participants are expected to make every effort to participate in these activities.

Eligibility

The program is open to doctoral students in the disciplines indicated above who - by the program's start - will have completed at least one year but not more than four years of doctoral study. Students who have advanced to candidacy are not eligible. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Individuals who have not previously received a Graduate Summer Research Mentorship fellowship will be given priority.

Program Dates

The program begins June 16, 2008 and ends August 22, 2008.

Award

Program participants will receive a maximum $4,700 stipend. Travel funds (up to $500) will be available on a reimbursement basis to support travel to one conference for each participant whose paper is accepted for presentation during the next academic year (i.e., Fall 2008 through Spring 2009). All participants must submit to the Graduate Division a certificate of completion for the online Human Subjects Protection Course to qualify for the travel allowance.

Graduate Research Mentorship Recipient - Conference Travel Form (iPDF-96KB)

Deadline

The deadline for receipt of all application materials and supporting documents is February 15, 2008. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

How To Apply

A complete application must include the following:

1. A completed Online Application Form.
    
2. The Graduate Fellowships Letter of Recommendation Cover Form (iPDF-190KB)
   plus a letter on departmental letterhead from the faculty member who will serve as the mentor describing the mentor relationship and the paper that the student will complete during the summer. If a mentoring relationship has already been established between applicant and faculty member, describe additional mentoring activities that would occur during this period. The recommendation must include the Cover Form.
    
3. An Overview of Research Paper (iPDF-144KB)
   For presentation at a regional or national conference and, potentially, for publication.
    
4. An unofficial copy of your Graduate Transcript (with Fall 2007 grades posted). An URSA report or a Degree Progress Report is not acceptable.
    
5. A copy of your Resume or Curriculum Vitae.

Originals and two copies (3 sets) of documents 3 through 5 must be submitted, along with the letter of recommendation and its cover form in a sealed envelope, to:

UCLA Graduate Division
ATTN: Liz Taylor, Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Program
1252 Murphy Hall, Box 951419
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1419

For Further Information Contact

Liz Taylor, Program Coordinator, at ltaylor@gdnet.ucla.edu or (310) 825-3623.

Application Status

Check the status of your application after you complete the online form.