Dissertation Completion Fellowships

Last Updated

June 27, 2024

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This section provides information about the requirements and policies associated with financial support. Financial support is the shared responsibility of Harvard Griffin GSAS, the academic program, and the student. Your financial aid officer can help you navigate the many options available.
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For questions concerning the DCF, please email gsasacademicprograms@fas.harvard.edu.

The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS) provides a dissertation completion fellowship (DCF) for one academic year to eligible PhD students in the humanities and social sciences who anticipate completing their dissertations within the year. Eligibility for the DCF extends to students in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences humanities and social sciences programs and most humanities and social science programs in partnership with other Harvard Schools. The DCF represents the final year of eligibility for Harvard Griffin GSAS tuition grants and fellowships.

Students in business administration, business economics, and organizational behavior typically complete their programs using guaranteed funding that excludes the DCF. Prior to applying, they must consult with their program’s director of graduate studies to determine if the DCF is appropriate for their individual circumstances.

Eligibility

Dissertation completion fellowships are available to students who have:

completed all departmental requirements
completed an approved dissertation prospectus
completed two draft dissertation chapters (or one draft article for students in fields where the dissertation consists of three articles) confirmed by two faculty advisors, one of whom is the principal dissertation advisor.

To receive a DCF, students must review the Dissertation Completion Fellowship and Instructions for Dissertation Completion Fellowships sections of the Harvard Griffin GSAS website and apply for all internal and external completion fellowships for which they are eligible, either from a Harvard source, such as a research center or department, or from an external funding source.

Students who receive funding from a source external to Harvard Griffin GSAS must accept that award in lieu of DCF funding. In the event that the amount of the alternate award is less than that provided by the DCF, Harvard Griffin GSAS will provide a supplement to make up the difference. In some cases, an external award bonus may be offered.

Conditions

Students should plan to utilize their DCF funding during their G5 or G6 year and no later than their G7 year. While DCF requests from students beyond the G7 year will be considered on a case-by-case basis with the recommendation of a faculty advisor, awards are not guaranteed. Students beyond the G7 year should contact Academic Programs to determine eligibility.
While students ordinarily take the DCF over one academic year, Harvard Griffin GSAS will consider requests to take a DCF split between the spring term of one academic year and the fall term of the subsequent academic year; students interested in this possibility should contact the Academic Programs for guidance.
While on a DCF, students may not hold a teaching appointment or other form of employment.
Students ordinarily may not take classes while on a DCF.
Students who secure external completion fellowship funding should contact their financial aid officer to discuss the coordination of their external award and the Harvard Griffin GSAS DCF. Students who secure external awards may be eligible for an external award bonus.
Students may not hold research fellowships and DCFs concurrently. Research fellowships awarded to DCF recipients will be considered alternate completion funding, triggering a reduction to the DCF award and rendering the student ineligible for DCF funding in future years. Students interested in pursuing research fellowships are advised to withdraw their DCF applications.
Students are expected to complete their dissertations during the completion year.
Students who do not complete their dissertations during the DCF year may register for no more than one additional academic year of post-DCF study. During this time they are ineligible for Harvard Griffin GSAS tuition and fellowship support. They may, however, hold teaching and research appointments, apply for Emergency Funding and Parental Accommodation and Funding Support, or apply for educational loans.

Tuition and Fees

Students awarded a DCF receive grant support to cover the Harvard Griffin GSAS tuition and Harvard University Student Health Program fees.

Stipend

Stipend amounts vary and are noted in the Notice of Financial Support. Once a student has been awarded a DCF, the stipend amount can be viewed in the Student Aid Portal. Stipends are disbursed on or around the first day of the month, August through May.