Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship
Offered by Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation
About This Scholarship
The Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship is the nation's largest and best-known award for PhD candidates writing dissertations on questions of religion, ethics, morals, or values. The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation awards 20 fellowships annually, each providing a $33,500 stipend to support a final year of full-time dissertation writing.
The program spans the humanities and social sciences and welcomes a wide range of methodologies — normative argument, historical analysis, ethnographic research, and interpretive inquiry all qualify — as long as ethical or religious questions are among the central organizing concerns of the project. Past fellows have gone on to prominent careers across academia, and the fellowship has supported more than 1,300 scholars since 1981.
Applicants must be enrolled in a PhD or ThD program at a U.S. institution, have reached ABD status with an approved dissertation proposal by the November deadline, and expect to complete the dissertation during the award year. International students enrolled at U.S. universities are eligible, and candidates apply directly through the foundation's online portal.
Eligibility
- Enrolled in a PhD or ThD program at an accredited U.S. institution (international students at U.S. schools eligible)
- All coursework complete, exams passed, and dissertation proposal approved (ABD) by the application deadline
- Dissertation centrally engages questions of religion, ethics, morals, or values
- Expecting to finish the dissertation between April 1 and August 31 of the award year; no prior final-year dissertation fellowship of similar type
How To Apply
- Apply through the foundation's online portal (hosted by International Scholarship and Tuition Services) between August 1 and the November 1 deadline
- Submit the dissertation abstract, a personal statement, graduate transcript, and letters of recommendation; winners are announced in April
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my dissertation have to be about religion?
Not necessarily religion specifically — but questions of religion, ethics, morals, or values must be among the central organizing concerns of the project, whether approached through history, ethnography, philosophy, or other methods.