Summer 2026 Fellowships

This year, The Graduate School has provided GSF with the ability to fund six summer (June-August 2026) fellowships.

Each summer fellowship carries:
  1. A three-month, approximately $10,625.01 stipend 
  2. Tuition and fees coverage by The Graduate School
  3. Health insurance coverage. Please note that beginning in year seven, graduate students are responsible for providing their own health insurance.

The intent of these awards is to “buy time” for a doctoral candidate who is past course work and engaged in the early stages of dissertation research. As the fellowships are in Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies, it is expected that fellowship recipients will devote the year to deepening their knowledge of feminist theory and methods, and exploring interdisciplinary angles on the topics being researched. Graduate students enrolled in the Certificate Program in Feminist Studies will have priority for these awards, but non-certificate students are welcome to apply.

Deadline

November 15, 2025 (late applications will not be considered)

Eligibility Criteria

  • Must be enrolled as a full-time Ph.D. student at Duke University
  • The fellowship is for June-August 2026 only and is non-renewable and non-deferrable
  • The stipend amount and fees payments are set by the Graduate School
  • Recipients must be in residence in Durham, NC during the summer of 2026
  • Recipients must have taken and passed preliminary exams by the end of the semester prior to the beginning of the Fellowship.
  • No other award may be held concurrently with this fellowship without permission from the Dean of the Graduate School, including teaching commitment(s).

Selection Criteria

  • Substantial prior scholarly investment in the field of gender, sexuality and/or Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies, and
  • Interest in prioritizing faculty positions in Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies as a potential career trajectory.

The Graduate School prefers that priority be given to candidates at earlier stages of their research, particularly candidates entering their 4th or 5th year of study in the academic year of the fellowship.

Applicants will be notified of decisions by the end of December 2025.

Application Process

To apply, please click on this link: Summer Fellowship Application. The following is a summary of the information required to apply for a GSF Summer 2026 Fellowship:

Application Materials:
  1. A one-page cover letter
  2. An Overview of Dissertation Abstract
  3. A brief description of Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies courses taken, including faculty and institution
  4. A summary of previous funding and possible funding sources for the next year
  5. Curriculum vitae
  6. Transcript

For questions, please contact Kayla McManus-Viana at kmm246@duke.edu.