Penn Global Dissertation Grants

Eligibility and Application Requirements

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, and must be enrolled as full-time Ph.D. students at the University of Pennsylvania throughout their planned international research as well as post-award commitment period.

Required Application Materials

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.

Letters of Support

All applicants are required to provide:

• Letter of Support (see below) from their faculty advisor who pledges to mentor the applicant in integrating their research
• Letter of Support from a Business Administrator who pledges to manage the applicant’s award finances, fulfilling the applicant’s purchasing needs, account reconciliation/reporting, and account set-up needs. 

Requirement for Applicants from the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM): 

Applicants affiliated with PSOM additionally require a Letter of Support (LOS) from the Center of Global Health (CGH). The LOS should be requested at least two weeks in advance of your planned application submission. Kindly contact Megan Doherty, CGH Director of Operations and Programming, to initiate this process: megand@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

If Selected for Funding

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

Risk Assessment

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

Types of Support, Term & Budget

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.

We do not reimburse for research activities already completed/related expenses already incurred prior to the start of a Penn Global Dissertation Grant award’s official period of performance. We also cannot consider previously-incurred project expenses towards matching funds: matching funds must be contributed concurrently along the Penn Global-supported dissertation research period of performance.

Post-Award Commitment

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.