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Joint PhD Program Funding

The Joint Program in Social Work and Social Science provides all incoming doctoral students with a multi-year funding package. We combine fellowship awards, graduate student research assistant positions, and graduate student instructorships to offer most students five years of full funding, which includes tuition, stipends, and health care. Students may also apply for other sources of funding from within and outside of the University of Michigan. Students in the program have received very competitive pre-doctoral fellowships from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, Council on Social Work Education, American Association of University Women, National Institute of Mental Health, and Hartford Foundation. Students may also fill out a FAFSA and apply for federal aid through the Office of Financial Aid.

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All admitted students are funded through Doctoral Fellowships, Rackham Merit Fellowships, or Rackham Regents Fellowships. While a student is receiving this funding, he/she will receive tuition, stipend and Gradcare as stated in his/her funding letter or agreement. A student may not work external to his/her Doctoral Fellowship more than 10 hours per week when receiving these fellowships.

Funding Information

Personal Debit Accounts

Each student upon admission receives funds in his/her personal debit account. The funds are to be used for travel and for dissertation and research expenses. Each student may use the money in their "account" during their tenure in the Joint Doctoral Program, as long as he/she is making good progress and is in good standing. No more than $400 per year may be used without special permission from the Director. Once your account balance has been depleted, your account will be considered "closed".

Summer funding is available to students to enable them to carry forward their program of study. These funds are intended to provide supplementary support for living expenses or payment for health care. They are available to students in good standing who are progressing through their program of study in a timely manner. The Doctoral Office will assume that in applying for summer funds, students will have pursued other sources of funding. Funds will not be awarded for tuition payments. Students who have other sources of funding (min: 40% GSRA, 40% GSI, 20 hours of temp. work, grant funds, first-year students with tuition support for spring/summer MSW coursework) for spring and/or summer terms are not eligible. Application procedures for summer funding will be announced in late February or early March of each year.

Social Work Research Partnership

This fund promotes partnership arrangements between students and faculty in the School of Social Work to work on existing research projects or develop and implement new ones. The program funds up to 50% of a half-time research partnership each summer for a maximum of four months. To receive research partnership funds, a student must identify a social work faculty member who can provide matching funds toward the award.

Social Work-Social Science Research Partnership

This fund promotes partnership arrangements between students and faculty in allied social sciences working on existing research projects or developing and implementing new ones. The program funds a limited number of doctoral students with research partnership funds annually for a maximum of one term (4 months). Students can receive these funds during any term, including spring/summer term. To receive research partnership funds, a student must identify a social science faculty member who can provide matching funds toward the award.

Joint PhD Fellowship Opportunities

Eligibility for these awards is based on student's merit and previous award history. Each academic year, funding decisions will first be made with respect to three awards: the Henry J. Meyer Scholarship, the Vivan A. and James L. Curtis Endowed Scholarship, and the W. K. Kellogg Family Endowed Scholarship. Students are now eligible to receive the Meyer award as well as either the Kellogg or the Curtis award during their time in the Joint Doctoral Program.

Subsequently, decisions will be made about the other awards (Veroff/Luke, Yaffe, Longres, Mowbray, Gambrill, Davis, Sarri, Shapiro*, Office of Global Activities and the Joint Doctoral Program Grants). Note: Students will not be eligible for these awards if they received a Meyer, Curtis or Kellogg Scholarship within the same year. In addition, students are not eligible to receive the same award more than once during their time in the Joint Program. Students must be considered in good academic standing to apply for these awards.

* = Alternating years with MSW Program

Rackham Fellowship Opportunities

The Rackham Fellowships Office provides graduate programs and their prospective and current students with information about fellowship opportunities and other available sources of funding. In turn, the Doctoral Office notifies students of upcoming application opportunities. The listing below is provided as an overview of these opportunities. A listing of these fellowships with detailed application procedures, award stipulations and links to online applications can be found at the Rackham website.

Awards and fellowships administered by the Rackham Graduate School follow one of two application processes: Students may apply for an award directly or they may seek nomination from their department. In the latter case, all application materials are submitted to the Program Coordinator in the Doctoral Office, who will complete and submit the application on the student's behalf.

Application tips, general funding information, cost-sharing policies and alternative funding opportunities, can be found at the Rackham website.

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