Program Description
The Wilkes Dissertation Fellowship supports the dissertation writing phase for Ph.D. candidates whose dissertation projects focus around the broad themes of climate science and climate policy.
Applicants can apply for 1 or 2 semesters of support to complete a research-based dissertation-required Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. Funds are intended to support the final semesters of writing and defense of the dissertation. This award is non-renewable.
Wilkes Dissertation Fellowships are open to applicants from any Ph.D. program as long as the focus of the dissertation project is in the area of climate science or climate policy.
A limited number of dissertation fellowships will be awarded for the 2025-2026 academic year and will include these benefits:
- a $15,000 stipend for each regular academic semester in which they are awarded the fellowship (maximum of $30,000)
- Wilkes fellows are eligible to participate in the Graduate Student Subsidized Health Insurance Program,
- and have tuition paid through the Graduate Tuition Benefit Program (TBP).
- The opportunity to present a research poster and participate in the Wilkes Summit, May 2026 (required)
- The opportunity to attend at least 1 Wilkes speaker series event in each semester they receive fellowship funding (required)
Eligibility
To receive the fellowship, applicants must:
- Be enrolled in a doctoral degree program at the University of Utah with a research project in the broad areas of climate science and/or climate policy.
- Complete all candidacy requirements (including proposal defense of the dissertation) by the first day of classes in the semester they receive the fellowship funds. Students who do not complete their candidacy requirements in time will forfeit their fellowship.
- Provide a clear and specific plan for completing the dissertation.
- Demonstrate an intent to pursue a career in the broad field of climate science and/or climate policy;
- Both domestic and international graduate students are eligible to apply.
Key Dates
- Application deadline for Fall 2025: February 7, 2025 at 5:00 PM Mountain Standard Time (MST)
- Reference Letter deadline: February 21, 2025 at 5:00 PM MST
Applications will not be accepted after the deadlines stated above. Out of fairness to all applicants, we regret that we cannot consider requests for extensions for any applicants or letter writers who are unable to successfully submit their materials by the stated deadlines.
- Notification of 2025 awards: March 30, 2025
Application Materials
Applicants must fill out the application form via the link below. After submitting the form, students should email all other required materials in PDF format via email to WilkesCenter@utah.edu in order to be considered for the fellowship. Applicants are required to use their University email account. All communication from the Wilkes Center to the applicant will be through the student’s official email.
The application should be submitted as a single PDF document and attached to the email. Please do not send a link to download your documentation. Please label each PDF with your last name and a description of the document (e.g., Garcia_Application_Packet)
Application Process
Requirements
Application Packet
(to be emailed to wilkescenter@utah.edu)
- Personal statement - Maximum 1,000 words (approximately two pages, 12-point font, double spaced)
- Describe your background and experience in higher education and research.
- Cover your preparation (education, skills, experiences) to successfully complete the dissertation
- Explain how your research supports the goals of the Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy.
- Tell us about your career goals for after completing the dissertation, including any plans to remain focused on climate research in the future.
- CV
- CV should be up to date and include current GPA and expected graduation date
- Be sure your CV highlights evidence of your research productivity
- Abstract
- Applicants should include a 250 word abstract of their doctoral dissertation. This should summarize the substantive focus and research design of the dissertation and its contribution to climate science and/or policy. Include the purpose, methods, and scope of the dissertation.
- Dissertation Plan: Maximum 1,500 words (approximately 3 pages total, 12-point font, double-spaced)
- Applicants should describe the work they expect to undertake if awarded a fellowship:
- Description of the overall framework of the dissertation including its contribution to the field and climate science/policy
- Description of research design and methods
- If applicable, summarize any research remaining to be completed for the dissertation. There is no requirement that you have research left to conduct for this fellowship.
- A timeline for writing the dissertation including a discussion of possible barriers to completing writing during the period of the fellowship.
- Expected timing of proposal defense of the dissertation (i.e., specific date of proposal defense, which may or may not have already occurred at time of application) as well as of your dissertation defense and graduation. NOTE: Your dissertation proposal must be defended successfully before the first day of your fellowship semester in order to receive the fellowship.
Letters of Recommendation
We require two letters of recommendation: one from the applicant’s dissertation director/chair and one from another faculty member. We will not share the letters of recommendation with you. We will contact the letter writers for their letters directly based on the contact information you provide us.
Once the applicant's due date has passed, we will email your references requesting their letters of recommendation. You will submit their names and email addresses via the application form. As a precaution, we recommend applicants notify reviewers that the email is forthcoming and to check their spam folder if they do not see the invitation in their inbox. Recommenders must submit their letters to wilkescenter@utah.edu from their university email address by the deadline stated above. We will only accept two letters per applicant.
Each recommender will address the following:
- Your relationship to the student;
- Your evaluation of the student relative to other students you have worked with;
- The strength of the proposed dissertation research and its relevance to climate science and/or climate policy;
- The project’s connection to existing research on the topic, and the potential contribution of that dissertation to that literature;
- The student’s future potential as a scholar and likelihood that their research will continue to address these topics;
- The student’s apparent long-term contributions to research in climate science and/or climate policy.
- The student’s dissertation defense (advance to candidacy) in terms of when it happened or will happen.
Evaluation Criteria
- Fit with Wilkes Center mission/goals (relevance/impact of the proposed research question to the field of climate science and/or climate policy)
- Merits of the Research (quality of the research design, contribution to science)
- Strength of the Applicant (academic performance, productivity, career goals)
- Feasibility (appropriateness of timeline for finishing dissertation on their schedule)
We're Here to Help
Please reach out with any questions to Kyla Welch, at Kyla.Welch@utah.edu.
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