For Graduate Students

The UCLA College of Letters & Science has an exchange agreement with the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, Italy, whereby one UCLA faculty member or graduate student is invited to participate in a research exchange with the Scuola Normale Superiore each academic year in order to encourage professional development in the areas of the Humanities, Social Sciences and Physical Sciences. This exchange allows for one visiting scholar to visit the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa for one to three months.

The next exchange is planned for spring/summer 2026, with exact dates to be set by the faculty or graduate student recipient in coordination with the Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS). The home institution provides roundtrip airfare and $2,000 per month for living expenses for up to three months.

Previous recipients of this exchange award proposed research at SNS on a wide range of topics, including the study of long-distance trade in the Mediterranean World, coding within the field of cosmology, and archival work on the first printed gazettes in the early Italian novella. In the case of faculty members, a full sabbatical must be taken if selected for this exchange, unless the visit to Pisa takes place during the summer months.

Application instructions

Applications should be submitted directly to Aaron Hodgdon at ahodgdon@college.ucla.edu and should include:

1. CV
2. Two-page (maximum) description of the proposed research that will be conducted during exchange.
3. Brief endorsement by the department chair in the case of faculty applications and by the dissertation director or other suitable faculty mentor in the case of graduate students.

Deadline

December 1, 2025

These fellowships are intended to support graduate students from across the humanities to advance their research during one quarter of their pre-dissertation year. To clarify, this is the year prior to their Dissertation Year Award. These funds may be used for stipend support for one academic quarter and/or may provide support for legitimate research and travel expenses.

Fellowships will be for up to $10,000. In normal circumstances, the quarter in question will fall during the regular academic year, since the intent of this program is to free students from the demands of working as a TA during a portion of the academic year preceding their dissertation year.

Please note that the Division will allow recipients of the award to work up to 25% the quarter they are on this fellowship. Nevertheless, applications for summer support will be considered, though such applications should also include a note from the student’s advisor or department chair, explaining (a) why support for a summer fellowship is preferable, and (b) what the student’s support package will involve (TA-ship, RA-ship, fellowship, etc.) during AY 26-2y.  Please note, the department will be responsible for the quarterly fees if the applicant is selected for the fellowship.

Eligibility

• Enrolled graduate student in the Division of Humanities.
• Each department may nominate one student only
• Minimum 3.0 GPA

Applications Materials to be submitted in one PDF document

1. CV;
2. Two-page (maximum) description of the student’s proposed use of funding, including a budget. Budget items may include any legitimate research expense, including (but not limited to) travel. Stipend support for up to one academic quarter is also allowable;
3. Letter of recommendation from the student’s dissertation director or other suitable faculty member.

Please consult with your individual department student affairs officer on the process for being nominated for this fellowship.

The application deadline for students to submit their materials to their department for AY 26-27 will be set by their department. Please contact your department Student Affairs Advisor to learn more. The Department deadline for submission to the dean’s office is March 6, 2026.

These fellowships provide funds for travel and living expenses for UCLA graduate students in the Humanities to conduct research in foreign countries. Awards typically range from $2,000 to $6,000 each, depending on the extent of the research proposed. Awards can cover a period ranging from three months to one year.

These fellowships are meant for research only and are not to be used for activities such as enrolling in foreign institutions or paying tuition at UCLA. Projects should be new proposals that have not been previously funded through a Division of Humanities travel award.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be graduate students in the Division of Humanities.
• Each department may nominate one student.
• Applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Applications materials to be submitted in one PDF document

1. CV;
2. Two-page (maximum) description of the student’s proposed project including the following details: a budget breakdown that specifies the length of time to be spent abroad, explanation of the need to travel abroad, information about the archival holdings and locations the student needs to visit, and evidence substantiating that the project can be carried out, such as supporting letters from archives abroad;
3. Letter of recommendation from the student’s dissertation director or other suitable faculty member.

Please consult with your individual department’s student affairs officer on the process for being nominated for this fellowship.

The application deadline for students to submit their materials to their department for AY 26-27 will be set by their department. Please contact your department’s student affairs advisor to learn more.

Departments must submit nominations to the dean’s office by March 6, 2026.

This fellowship supports a humanities graduate student research that utilizes digital tools with a preference for interdisciplinary research in the Digital Humanities. This fellowship provides $6,000 for a student to conduct research during summer 2025. Research may or may not be related to a student’s dissertation. Award period covers three months, July – September.

Eligibility

• Enrolled graduate student in the Division of Humanities
• Minimum 3.0 GPA

Applications Materials

Please submit the following three items in a single PDF document:

1. Research proposal no longer than four pages, double spaced, 12 pt. type, 1-inch margins. Please include short abstract of this proposal no longer than 250 words
2. CV
3. Budget, including (but not limited to) travel and living expenses

In a separate document, each applicant should email a letter of recommendation from a faculty mentor supporting the research project.

All application materials should be sent directly to Barbara Van Nostrand, bvannost@humnet.ucla.edu.

Deadline

Deadline for nominations is March 6, 2026. Please submit your self-nomination to Barbara Van Nostrand at bvannost@humnet.ucla.edu.

These fellowships provide funds for travel and living expenses for UCLA graduate students in the Humanities to conduct research in foreign countries. Awards typically range from $2,000 to $8,000 each, depending on the extent of the research proposed.

Awards can cover a period ranging from three months to one year. These fellowships are meant for research only and are not to be used for activities such as enrolling in foreign institutions. Projects should be new proposals that have not been previously funded through a Division of Humanities travel award.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be graduate students in the Division of Humanities.
• Each department may nominate one student.
• Nominees must have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Application materials to be submitted in one PDF document

1. CV;
2. Two-page (maximum) description of the student’s proposed project including the following details: a budget breakdown that specifies the length of time to be spent abroad, explanation of the need to travel abroad, information about the archival holdings and locations the student needs to visit, and evidence substantiating that the project can be carried out, such as supporting letters from archives abroad;
3. Letter of recommendation from the student’s dissertation director or other suitable faculty member.

Please consult with your individual department’s student affairs officer on the process for being nominated for this fellowship.

The application deadline for students to submit their materials to their department for AY 26-27 will be set by individual departments. Please contact your department’s student affairs advisor to learn more.

Departments must submit nominations to the dean’s office by March 6, 2026.

Please note the following information is from the 2024-25 grant cycle. Please watch for updated information and new deadlines for 2026-27.

This fellowship is intended to support one graduate student each year from across the humanities or social sciences who has an approved dissertation topic focusing on Persian/Iranian studies. The fellowship provides $30,000 in direct support and may not be used to cover fees or tuition. The fellowship recipient will be permitted to apply for a second year of support, but the second year is not guaranteed. The recipient will be required to provide a letter outlining progress during the fellowship year and any notable accomplishments produced as a result of the fellowship.

Eligibility

• Enrolled at UCLA full-time and having completed the course work for a Ph.D. program within the Divisions of Humanities or Social Sciences
• An approved dissertation topic focusing on Persian/Iranian studies
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 throughout Ph.D. studies
• Demonstrated strong interest and excellence in Persian/Iranian studies

Application Materials to be submitted in one PDF document

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Two-page (maximum) description of the student’s dissertation work that also outlines how the fellowship year will support progress toward the Ph.D.
3. Letter of recommendation from the student’s dissertation director or other suitable faculty member.
4. Letter or email from your department student affairs officer/admin confirming support of fees for the AY 25-26.

The call for nominations each academic year is sent through the department Student Affairs Officers. A committee comprised of faculty representatives from humanities and social sciences will review and rank applicants and award notifications will be sent to departments.

The deadline to submit nominations is March 3, 2025. Please submit your self nomination to Barbara Van Nostrand at bvannost@humnet.ucla.edu. A committee comprised of faculty representatives from humanities and social sciences will review and rank applicants and award notifications will be sent to departments and candidates no later than May 2025.

Please note the following information is from the 2024-25 grant cycle. Please watch for updated information and new deadlines for 2025-26.

The Division of Humanities is offering two dissertation writing fellowships for the summer of 2025 in the amount of $8,000 each on the theme of “Entanglement.” This fellowship is supported by an MRPI grant from UCOP that sponsors the activities of the UC Humanities Consortium. “Entanglement” is this year’s UC-wide theme.

Eligibility

Applications are open to graduate students in the Division of Humanities only. Please note that only graduate students enrolled in a graduate program in the Division of Humanities who have taken their qualifying exams and have been advanced to doctoral candidacy may apply. Awardees must not hold another major graduate award in summer 2025 (for example: DYA) or be employed as an ASE/GSR over 25%.

Fellowship Requirements

• Presentation of a research paper at a UCLA conference or on another UC campus based on your dissertation topic in Fall 2025, Winter 2026 or Spring 2026. If presenting at UCLA campus, the presentation may be a hybrid presentation (virtual and in-person simultaneously) to include other UC campuses in the audience.
• Participation in UC-wide virtual activities with other UC dissertation fellows working on the theme of “Entanglement” (this will likely include 1-3 meetings, sessions or check-ins).
• A 1-page report on dissertation writing progress made over Summer 2025, with the reports due by November 1, 2025.

Applications materials to be submitted in one PDF document

1. Cover letter including name, department, email, advisor name, dissertation title and dissertation abstract.
2. Dissertation status and timeline: Please explain the current status of your dissertation writing: how much is complete and how much remains to be completed. Please also indicate your writing goals and timeline for summer 2025.
3. Dissertation’s connection to the Entanglement theme (250 words max)

In addition, please request a letter of support from your advisor, to be sent separately to bvannost@humnet.ucla.edu by the March 31 application deadline.

Deadline

March 31, 2025

Awardees will be announced in mid-May 2025.

Please note the following information is from the 2024-25 grant cycle. Please watch for updated information and new deadlines for 2025-26.

This award was created to address unforeseen hardships and financial constraints related to the completion of the doctoral degree. An award of up to $5,000 will be given annually to one recipient as stipend support in the final year of the student’s dissertation writing.

A submitted UCLA Dissertation Year Fellowship is required for this application. The award is open to applicants in all departments in the Division of Humanities, with preference given to students enrolled in the Departments of English, European Languages and Transcultural Studies, and Comparative Literature whose dissertation topic includes the study of Italy.

The application should include:

1. UCLA Dissertation Year Award (DYA) Application for AY 25-26;
2. Statement addressing demonstrated financial need along with report of any additional funding the applicant anticipates receiving for the AY 25-26 (no longer than 500 words);

The deadline for students to submit application materials to their departments will be set by their individual departments. Please contact your department’s student affairs advisor to learn more. The deadline for departments to submit applications to the dean’s office is April 4, 2025.

Applications will be reviewed after UCLA’s Dissertation Year Awardees for 25-26 have been announced, at the end of May 2025; the awardee will receive funds during winter quarter of 2026.