PIIRS provides dissertation completion fellowships for advanced graduate students whose dissertations are framed in terms of international or regional studies (broadly defined). Students who receive fellowships participate in a community of dissertation writers that is centered on a weekly interdisciplinary seminar.

PIIRS awards up to 20 dissertation writing grants annually for either a semester or the full academic year to students who have reached Dissertation Completion Enrollment (DCE) status. Priority will be afforded to students who have engaged in extended field research overseas. Seventh-year students are generally not eligible (exceptional cases with cause might be considered).

Three options are available:

• Full-year grant with a stipend plus full DCE costs;
• Half-year grant with a stipend plus full DCE costs;
• Half-year grant with a stipend plus one-half DCE costs. 

Full-year grants are awarded for the academic year (August to May), and the stipend rate is equal to 10 months of the University Fellowship. Half-year grants are awarded for 5 months, and the stipend rate is equal to 5 months of the University Fellowship.

Graduate students who receive dissertation writing grants will be appointed as PIIRS Graduate Fellows. Space permitting, those with year-long support will be provided with shared office space in the PIIRS suite in the Louis A. Simpson International Building. All fellows are expected to work on completing their dissertations in residence at PIIRS during the academic year. Fellowship recipients are required to participate in the weekly PIIRS Graduate Fellows Seminar in which they present a portion of their dissertation and engage in substantive interdisciplinary discussion and critique.

Eligibility: Advanced graduate students whose dissertations are framed in terms of international or regional studies (broadly defined). 

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