Department of Economics, University of Michigan

Fellowships

GRADER POSITION

Any graduate student who is not restricted from working by a fellowship or visa parameters is eligible to work as a grader. Faculty typically advertise grader positions via email. Once you have been selected, you must fill out the paperwork to be hired (see Louise Reed in Room 238). You are paid a set fee per hour and turn in your hours every other week. Graders are not eligible for health insurance or a partial or full tuition waiver.
Deadline: variable, hired by faculty

GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP

GSRAs are hired on an ad-hoc basis by individual faculty members using whatever criteria they feel are appropriate. Jobs may be posted any place within the department as well as on e-mail. In most cases, positions are filled by students who have been studying in a particular field with the faculty who has grant money to fund a position. Because the faculty member's grant is charged for tuition, the likelihood of being eligible for a GSRA position prior to achieving candidacy is extremely unlikely. The GSRA works at least .25 appointment (10-12 hours weekly), has a tuition waiver and GradCare health insurance.
Deadline: variable, hired by faculty

GRADUATE STUDENT INSTRUCTOR POSITION

GSIs are hired by the Department of Economics using a set of rules outlined in the "Department Regulations Affecting the Ph.D. Program" that is distributed to first-year students and available in Room 250 Lorch. The most common GSI position is a .50 appointment (16.5 to 20 hours weekly) that includes a tuition waiver, health insurance, and a stipend of $7,378 per term (2006-07 rate).
Deadline for Fall term:    April 15
Deadline for Winter term:   October 29
Deadline for Spring/Summer term:  February 1

BARBOUR FELLOWSHIP

The department nominates one woman candidate for the Barbour scholarship and Rackham makes the awarding decision. By terms of the bequest of Levi L. Barbour these scholarships were established for women of the highest academic and professional caliber who are citizen of countries in the area once called the "Orient". This area is now defined as Eastern countries in the region extending from Turkey on the west to Japan and the Philippines on the east. Details about additional criteria for this award are on the Rackham Fellowship web page. The award nominee can be in her second, third, or fourth year of doctoral study. The award includes tuition, GradCare health insurance, and a stipend of $12,000.
Deadline: Variable

FOREIGN LANGUAGE AREA STUDIES FELLOWSHIP

If you have an interest in any of the Area Studies Centers affiliated with the International Institute, you should review their web site for information about the FLAS fellowship program. The competition for these awards is conducted through each Area Studies Center. The web site to review is http://www.umich.edu/inet/iisite/pdf/FLASapp05.pdf.
Deadline: February 1

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FELLOWSHIPS

The International Institute has multiple funding opportunities for students in targeted areas. You should review their web site at http://www.umich.edu/inet/iisite/fundops.htlml for information on the specific fellowship programs that they offer.
Deadline: variable

MARY MALCOMSON RAPHAEL FELLOWSHIP

The Department nominates one woman for this award on the basis of academic merit within the program that meets the criteria. The nominated candidate is typically in the third or fourth year of study. A committee from the Center for the Education of Women makes the final decision on an applicant award.
Deadline: January 15

MOORE DISSERTATION RESEARCH PRIZE

The Moore Dissertation Prize is a $1,000 award presented annually to support the research phase of the dissertation process. To be eligible, the student must be a candidate and have a written dissertation plan approved by at least two members of his/her committee. The student's topic must belong to the general area of Applied Microeconomics and must involve both empirical analysis and issues of public policy as an essential part of the research agenda.
If no paper reaches this threshold of excellence, no award is given.
Deadline: April 15

PARKER MEMORIAL PRIZE

An annual competition for the John Elliot Parker Memorial Prize in Labor Economics and Human Resources with an award of $500. The prize is given for an outstanding written contribution in the area of labor economics or human resources. If no paper reaches this threshold of excellence, no award is given.
Deadline: April 15

RACKHAM INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FELLOWSHIP

Rackham awards a $7,500 stipend to international graduate students in their second or third year who have a strong academic record, are making good progress toward their Ph.D., and demonstrate outstanding academic and professional promise. The department holds an internal competition among qualified candidates in economics and nominates two students for the Rackham review process. To apply, qualified students must submit a one-page statement outlining your research and future goals. Students awarded this fellowship can also be employed as a GSRA or GSI simultaneously. Students may only be awarded this fellowship once during their studies.
Deadline: September 23

RACKHAM ONE-TERM DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIP

We award at least four one-term fellowships yearly. One of the awards has gone to the author of the best third-year paper for the Fall term of their fourth year. Otherwise, the Fellowships Committee has the option of dividing the awards between Fall and Winter terms as they wish. The fellowship consists of a tuition waiver, GradCare health insurance, and a stipend of $6,000. You can only be awarded this fellowship once and you must have a dissertation committee approved by Rackham for the term of the award. You may not be employed during the tenure of this award. Applicants are required to submit a copy of everything they have written relating to their dissertation, an outline of what remains to be written, and two letters of recommendation from faculty working on your dissertation committee. In the past, most of the awards have gone to students who are on the market for the Fall term and those likely to be on the market the following year for the Winter term.
Deadline for the Fall term: June 15
Deadline for the Winter term: October 29

RACKHAM PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP

Doctoral students who expect to complete their degree in the next academic year but have not yet completed their sixth year of the program are eligible to apply for the Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship nomination. We nominate up to five students for this award. These students' applications are then reviewed by a Rackham committee. In the past, we have had one or two students awarded a Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship annually. The fellowship includes three terms of a tuition waiver, GradCare health insurance, and a $21,600 stipend. You may not be employed during the tenure of this award.

In order to determine which five students to nominate, we hold an internal competition. Students must submit all completed work relating to their dissertation, an outline of whatever remains to be completed, and two letters of recommendation. The students are chosen both on the strength of their academic record and their dissertation research. The Rackham Predoctoral Award is intended to finance students during the final year of their Ph.D. work so you must have support from your dissertation committee that you are within a year of completing your dissertation.
Deadline: October 29

ROBERT V. ROOSA DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIP IN MONETARY ECONOMICS NOMINATIONS

Doctoral students who expect to complete their degree in the next academic year but have not yet completed their sixth year of the program are eligible to apply for nomination for the Robert V. Roosa Dissertation Fellowship in Monetary Economics. For the purpose of this award, "Monetary Economics" is to be interpreted broadly to include international finance, money and banking, monetary theory and policy, and the analysis of financial markets. The Robert V. Roosa Dissertation Fellowship in Monetary Economics is a highly competitive award program that covers tuition for three terms, GradCare health insurance, and a stipend of $21,600. There is one recipient of this departmental award every other year.

You must submit any completed material that will form part of your dissertation, an outline of the parts of your thesis yet to be written and three recommendation letters from your thesis committee members.
Deadline: October 29

SUMMER RESEARCH APPRENTICESHIP

Funding varies but typically we have supported 20-25 students as Summer Research Apprentices. Applicants are finishing their first or second year of the program. The intent is to give students first-hand experience in working on a research project under the close supervision of a faculty member in the Department. The stipend has been around $2,500.

To apply, the student finds a faculty member interested in working with them on a mutually agreeable topic. Often faculty have advertised topics where they are looking for assistance but you may also propose a topic to them. Once you and the faculty have agreed on a topic, write and submit a two-page description of the project as the application.

The Fellowship Committee makes the funding decisions based on which projects appear to work best for the student. This decision includes not only the quality of the project but also the role the student will have in it. Students must be in residence in Ann Arbor and committed to working one-on-one with the faculty member on the project. Where there is limited funding, preference will be given those with a higher GPA, those who have not had an SRA previously, and to second-year students who will be ineligible for an award the following summer.
Deadline: February 1

FRED M. TAYLOR FELLOWSHIP IN ECONOMIC THEORY

Doctoral students who expect to complete their degree in the next academic year but have not yet completed their sixth year of the program are eligible to apply for nomination for the Fred M. Taylor Fellowship in Economic Theory. For the purpose of this award, "Economic Theory" is to be interpreted broadly. The Fred M. Taylor Fellowship in Economic Theory is a highly competitive award program that covers tuition for three terms, GradCare health insurance, and a stipend of $21,600. There is one recipient of this departmental award every other year.

TRAVEL GRANTS

Travel grants up to $150 plus 1/2 of the remaining travel expenses up to a maximum of $300 are available to students who are presenting a paper at some recognized economic organization. A student can be awarded a Travel Grant only once during the length of the program and can't be used to give or attend seminars at other institutions. To apply for this money, the student must turn in a copy of the program noting their presentation at the conference, and travel receipts to the graduate program office.
Deadline: as need arises

FELLOWSHIPS AVAILABLE OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

There are a number of fellowships that are offered for doctoral students in economics that are available from outside the department. Flyers received that advertise these opportunities are posted on the bulletin board across from 250 Lorch.

Updated 8/11/06