AAG Dissertation Research Grants
* AAG member for at least one year at the time you submit your application,
* you do not have a doctorate at the time of the award,
* and you will have completed all Ph.D. requirements except the dissertation by the end of the semester or term following approval of your award. Your dissertation supervisor must certify your eligibility.
The AAG provides support for doctoral dissertation research in the form of small grants of approximately $500 to PhD candidates of any geographic specialty. AAG Dissertation Research Grants are supported by the AAG and also in part with the following funds: The Robert D. Hodgson Memorial Ph.D. Dissertation Fund, which honors an accomplished geographer who capped his long career with ten years of distinguished service as the geographer in the U.S. Department of State. As an internationally recognized expert on geographic aspects of the law of the sea and maritime boundaries, Dr. Hodgson believed that broader understanding of geographic principles would reduce international conflicts. ; the Paul Vouras Fund, established by a generous gift from Dr. Vouras, who taught at William Paterson College in Wayne, New Jersey, until 1990. The fund supports doctoral dissertation research in geography with preference to minority student applications; and the Otis Paul Starkey Fund, honoring an officer of the American Society of Professional Geographers who also taught at the University of Indiana at Bloomington for years, established to support research devoted to regional study or significant problem areas in the United States or its possessions. Applicants do not need to indicate which of these funds are most relevant to their proposed dissertation, nor must their research conform to only these subject areas.
Your dissertation supervisor must certify your eligibility by sending an email to grantsawards@aag.org prior to December 31 with “AAG Dissertation Grant – Eligibility Verification for NAME OF APPLICANT†in the subject of the email. In the message body, your dissertation supervisor must print the following information with the appropriate text inserted where indicated in [CAPITAL LETTERS INSIDE BRACKETS] below:
This message verifies that [NAME OF APPLICANT] Will the applicant have both 1) completed all the requirements for the PhD except for the dissertation by the end of the term/semester following this deadline and 2) is expected to have completed a PhD degree by the spring or summer semester of the next calendar year (the year immediately following this deadline). Anticipated date of completion is [DATE].â€Â
I certify that I am the dissertation supervisor of [NAME OF APPLICANT].
Advisor’s Name, Position/Title
Department
University
Phone Number and Email
Criteria: Proposals should demonstrate high standards of scholarship. The selection committee will observe the purposes and preferences noted above when evaluating proposals. The committee represents a broad spectrum of geographical specialties, and cannot be expected to be familiar with the jargon of all geographical topics. Awards rarely exceed $500. Awards may not be made in years when funds are insufficient or proposals are not suitable.
Applications: Digital submissions are required. All information must be entered in the fillable pdf application form. When complete, choose to “save as†a new file with your last name in front of the filename, such as “LASTNAME_AAG_Dissertation_Form.pdfâ€Â. Then send the file as an email attachment to grantsawards@aag.org with “AAG Dissertation Grants†as the subject line.
Applicant must have been a member of AAG for one year prior to application deadline.
By accepting an AAG Dissertation Grant you agree to submit to the AAG Executive Director a copy of your dissertation abstract and a report that documents expenses charged to the grant. Please acknowledge AAG support in presentations and publications.