The Digital Scholarship and Communication (DS&C) Fellowship provides a transformative summer experience for advanced graduate students looking to expand the reach and impact of their doctoral research. "Digital scholarship" is defined as the application of digital tools and methods to the research process, including dissemination. With the help of the DS&C Fellowship Advisory Board, the fellowship matches students interested in developing their digital scholarship and communication skills with expert on-campus mentors to guide them through the process. As a result, Fellows develop a career-boosting skill set that simultaneously allows them to share their work with a broader audience.
Application portal opening soon!
This 10-week summer fellowship is an intensive opportunity for advanced graduate students (ABD status is required) who have made substantial progress on their final piece of research or creative endeavor. Successful Fellows will create a public-facing project that is accessible and relevant to a broad scope of stakeholders.
Common applications of digital scholarship include:
- Website creation
- Podcasting
- Textual analysis
- Data visualization
Mission: Why Apply?
The fellowship is designed to provide participants with:
- Summer Funding: A $8,000 stipend plus $500 in materials support (for advance-purchased materials, not reimbursements)
- Professional Skill Building: Expert guidance on digital scholarship and communication tools to improve transferable skills for the job market
- Strengthened Research Impact: Tailored support to refine research communication skills and expand the project's audience
- Enhanced Project Management: Skills to manage time and resources effectively toward an established goal
Eligibility & Criteria
The fellowship is open to advanced graduate students who meet the following criteria:
- Have achieved ABD status.
- Have made substantial progress on their final research/creative endeavor.
- Intend to build a public-facing project accessible and relevant to a broad scope of stakeholders.
- Can critically examine and explain the benefits of adding a digital component to their work.
- Have no other substantial summer commitments, such as teaching, other fellowships, or a short timeline for dissertation defense. (The funding is designed to allow the fellow to focus on this complex project).
- While technical expertise is not required, applicants should have a balance of experience,
creativity, and dedication.
Ineligible Projects:
- Projects that are already in a primarily digital form
- Projects that do not result in a public-facing product.
Proposal Requirements
Proposals must be submitted via the online form and require the following components:
- Project Proposal/Description (2-page maximum): Must include the benefit of including a digital component to the work, the tools needed, and the completed research relevant to carrying out the project.
- Timeline: A timeline for completing the project within the 10-week fellowship period.
- Faculty Letter of Support: Applicants must name a faculty advisor or committee member who will submit a letter
certifying the student has sufficient research to take on this effort and the student's
ability to carry out the proposal.
Expectations for Fellows
Accepted Fellows will:
- Be assigned a mentor who serves as the primary point of contact.
- Participate in regular check-ins with their mentor and the fellow cohort throughout the summer.
- Publish, in some form, the outcomes of their work.
- Lead a workshop on the tools and methods used.
- Present on their overall research outcomes.
Attend mandatory in-person cohort meetings during the first and final weeks of the fellowship. Remote work is otherwise allowed if feasible with the project.
Learn about previous Fellows.
Questions about this Fellowship? Please contact Dr. Erica Sausner.