The DPDF program is open to doctoral students in social science or humanities disciplines who have completed their major course requirements and are beginning to design research proposals. Students who have completed their comprehensive, general, or qualifying exams are eligible to apply as long as their dissertation proposals will be formally approved by their department after the fall DPDF workshop. Typically such students will be second and third year graduate students, but first and fourth year student may, under exceptional circumstances, be eligible.

Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a Ph.D. program within an accredited university in the United States, unless indicated otherwise for a particular field.