Summer 2010 Predoctoral Fellowship Program

Texas State is a public, student-centered, doctoral granting institution dedicated to excellence in serving the educational needs of the diverse population of Texas and the world beyond. The Texas State Summer Predoctoral Fellowship Program supports the institution’s shared value of “A diversity of people and ideas, a spirit of inclusiveness, a global perspective, and a sense of community as essential conditions for campus life”.

The predoctoral fellowship program brings doctoral candidates from other institutions that have completed their course work and are in the process of writing their dissertations (ABD), to spend June and July on the Texas State campus working with faculty and students in their field. Participants may also be considered as potential candidates for future faculty positions as appropriate.

More specifically, the program goals are as follows:

Create a connection between emerging scholars at other institutions and current research efforts at Texas State
Assist students in graduate education in obtaining a doctoral degree
Achieve the educational benefits of a diverse campus community
Identify potential candidates for future faculty hires

Criteria and Process for Selection

The predoctoral fellowship program is open to doctoral graduate students that are United States citizens or permanent residents. The graduate student must contribute to diversity in our campus community, have completed all of their graduate course work, and be working on writing their dissertation. The graduate student must secure a commitment from a Texas State faculty member to serve as their mentor for the summer program prior to submitting an application. The Graduate College will make the final selection of candidates based on the information provided by the applicant and after consultation with the proposed faculty mentor, department chair and academic dean.

Stipend Detail

The basic support will be an $11,000 stipend for the months of June and July to be paid in two equal installments on the first of July and August. The Fellow is responsible for all travel and living expenses incurred. The Fellow will be eligible for university housing according to availability. Alternatively, many private apartment complexes have availability during the summer. Limited additional support will be available to cover travel expenses for a return trip in the next academic year at the request of the department.

Our Expectations of Predoctoral Fellows

The visiting scholars will spend their time on campus collaborating with Texas State faculty and contributing to a range of academic activities that will support their professional development. Fellows will participate in program activities organized by the Graduate College including attending a welcoming event and a closing luncheon.

Our Expectations of Texas State Faculty & Departments

The faculty mentor is expected to meet regularly with the Predoctoral Fellow during the duration of the program. The mentor and Fellow together will determine the focus of the Fellow’s summer experience. The Fellow’s focus could include conducting collaborative research with the mentor and/or writing the dissertation. The mentor should provide advice and guidance on topics relevant to the Fellow’s stage of dissertation completion. Possible topics may include dissertation organization and writing styles, data collection and analysis, creating academic support networks, and applying for faculty positions.

The host department will provide access to work space, computers/printers, and other supplies and equipment necessary for a successful experience at Texas State. The departmental personnel committee and chair must be supportive of hosting the Fellow. The summer experience should include opportunities for the Fellow to become acquainted with faculty members in the department. Networking opportunities could include departmental socials or individual meetings with faculty.

Application

The deadline to submit an application is March 1, 2010 (postmark).
All materials are to be compiled and submitted as a single complete application packet to:
Dr. Paula S. Williamson, Associate Dean
The Graduate College
601 University Drive
Texas State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, TX, 78666

Required Application Materials:

• Application Form (see below)
• Letter explaining why you would like to be awarded this fellowship, your career aspirations, and how you could contribute to a diverse campus community*
• Curriculum vitae
• Three letters of reference from scholars familiar with your work (of which one must be from your dissertation chair), submitted in the application packet in sealed envelopes
• Official transcripts for all work at 4-year undergraduate and graduate institutions, including the institution where you are currently pursuing a doctoral degree

Additionally, the Texas State faculty member that has agreed to serve as your mentor for the program, should you be selected as a Fellow, must provide a memo of commitment of his/her willingness to participate in the program via email to Dr. Paula Williamson at pw04@txstate.edu.

*In this context we define “diversity” broadly to include such factors as geographical backgrounds, ages, genders, educational backgrounds, employment experiences, language abilities, economic backgrounds, cultures, and special skills and talents. We also believe that race and ethnicity are socially significant characteristics and that there will be occasions when a person’s experiences will be affected by his or her race or ethnicity. The terms “race” and “ethnicity” are not limited and include persons from all races and ethnic backgrounds. We will consider race or ethnicity as merely one factor in our overall efforts to diversify our campus community, to be applied in limited circumstances only when the experiences of race or ethnicity contribute significantly to a diversity of ideas.

Dr. Williamson may be contacted at pw04@txstate.edu or 512-245-2581 for additional information.

Click here for the Texas State 2010 Summer Predoctoral Fellowship Application