The Department of History’s doctoral program endows future historians with the research, analytical, interpretative, and communication skills they need to become teachers, scholars, public historians, consultants, and leaders in many other fields.

By giving to the Pre-Dissertation Research Award Fund, you’re helping current doctoral students prepare for successful careers. Meeting our goal means we can award a summer research assistantship with a travel stipend to a doctoral student in their second year of study. Allowing students to explore relevant archives early in their graduate study will help them hone their proposed dissertation topic and empowers them as research grant writers.

“The ability to do archival research early in my doctoral studies would have let me gather primary sources and participate in conferences. This financial support will provide the foundation for dissertation work. It's not just about easing financial burdens; it's about catalyzing the early research that defines a doctoral student's academic identity.” — Danielle, Ph.D. Candidate

“Being able to do part of this research prior to being ABD would have expanded the time I have for writing my dissertation and aided my initial work in the program. I would have been able to write an archivally-supported article for publication earlier in my Ph.D. career.” — Chelsi, Ph.D. Candidate

“A short, one- or two-week visit to some of the archives would have helped me better understand what they hold and how they work. My primary dissertation research trip was the first time I had been able to extensively research in any archive, and a good chunk of my time was spent learning the ropes.” — Daniel, Ph.D. Candidate

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*Funds raised in excess of this goal will be used to provide additional scholarships and academic support to the department’s talented students.