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.

"Conducting fieldwork on an early dissertation research award would have helped me refine my research direction sooner, as well as better define a more accurate timeline for long-term dissertation research." – Emily, Ph.D. Candidate

“Receiving an early travel award would have provided me with the opportunity to access archival materials for my dissertation earlier in my graduate studies. This would have allowed me to present my research at conferences sooner and refine my research questions earlier in the dissertation process.” – Brian, Ph.D. Candidate

“An early dissertation award would have helped me better prepare for the prospectus defense by both identifying and organizing important sources for my dissertation.” – Madeleine, Ph.D. Candidate

Join us and give now!

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