• Must have passed comprehensive examination (in exceptional cases, students may be scheduled to take examination no later than September of the year in which application is submitted). An exception is made for students for whom clinical internships are a requirement of the doctoral program. All coursework, however, must be completed.
• Intent to Propose or Dissertation Proposal must be approved no later than May 31 of the year in which grant is allocated. (If Intent or Proposal has not been completed by the April 8 application deadline, a draft or outline should be attached to the application).

(1) Students may nominate themselves by submitting the following application materials electronically to the Associate Dean of Students (sparks@bc.edu)

• Letter outlining plans for use of the fellowship funds
• 1000-word abstract of their Intent to Propose or Dissertation Proposal
• Copy of Intent to Propose or Dissertation Proposal
• Curriculum vitae

(2) Students should request a Letter of Support from their Dissertation Chair.  The letter should be submitted electronically to the Associate Dean of Students (sparks@bc.edu) and address:

• Applicant's record of academic excellence
• Applicant's readiness to complete dissertation in timely fashion
• Quality of design of study and its appropriateness to the research question
• Quality/excellence of Proposal or Intent

(3) Students should deliver one copy of their official transcript to the Graduate Office on or before April 8^th

Application materials should be submitted on or before April 8 (or the following Monday if this falls on a weekend).

Application materials are reviewed by the Faculty Awards Committee and recipients will be announced by the Graduate Office no later than May 15 (or the following Monday if this falls on a weekend).

Note: Students who are awarded the Summer Dissertation Development Grant are eligible for paid employment during the summer they receive the grant, and are also eligible for graduate assistantships and teaching fellowships in the following academic year.