Penn Global Dissertation Grants

This program is intended to harness the power of Penn’s graduate student community to enhance the University’s global engagement. It is designed specifically to support two types of PhD student research:

1. Global exploration: these applicants will still be in the development stages of their dissertation and will use this program’s resources to explore and engage global components for their dissertation research.

2. Global enhancement: these applicants already include a core global focus to their dissertation, and will use this program’s resources to broaden and deepen their research, ideally leveraging their dissertation towards future career opportunities in global leadership.

Funded applicants commit to taking part in activities to enhance Penn’s global engagement, which may include participating in conferences or workshops, mentoring undergraduate students, or other activities to be agreed with Penn Global. 

Currently-enrolled Penn Ph.D. students from all Penn Schools and disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields, are welcome to apply.

Applicants must be currently enrolled Ph.D. students at the University of Pennsylvania. Applicants must submit a narrative of their international research plans, including information about nature and mode of research, relevance to focus of doctoral study, ways in which their proposed global experience will be transformative for their PhD research, and how the proposed use of funding will add or enhance a global component to the applicant’s research. Applicants must also submit a budget proposal including line-item expenses such as travel, per diem, fees associated with data collection, etc.; and must secure a Letter of Support from their faculty advisor who pledges to mentor the applicant in integrating their research as well as a Letter of Support from their department business administrator who pledges to manage the applicant’s award finances.

If selected for funding, applicants must secure a Letter of Acknowledgment from their School Dean prior to being awarded funding.

Please note: When necessary, proposals will be evaluated by risk management and grants will be contingent on compliance with risk assessment.

Funded research/travel duration: Minimum 3 weeks; normally summer though exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Maximum Funding Amount: $8,000 per award. Applicants are encouraged to source additional/matching funding from other Penn and/or external funding entities. Funding must be used during the period requested and cannot be carried over or deferred to the next year.

Allowable expenses: Travel, living support, and costs related to global research, such as visa fees, required immunizations, data collection, interviews, field or site visits, scholarly exchange in a lab or clinical setting, archival work and language or other course work particularly for things that are not readily taught at Penn.

Unallowable expenses: Conference participation, dissertation or publication writing, and internship-related expenses (though travel to/from international internships may coincide with program research travel.*)

*For example, if a funded applicant secures a 5-week international summer internship for June through early July, with 3 weeks of dissertation research in the same community/region to follow during the rest of July, this program may support one round-trip airfare towards the full 8-week program.

Funded applicants will, in consultation with Penn Global, identify ways to leverage their work to enhance Penn’s global engagement. This may take the form of participating in conferences or workshops; producing blog posts, podcasts, etc.; mentoring undergraduate students; or other activities. Funded applicants also agree to take part in potential media engagements.