Scholarships, Fellowships, and Awards
University departmental scholarships and awards are posted in the University of Connecticut Financial Aid System and are disbursed to the student’s fee bill account. If a student has already been packaged for Financial Aid, the addition of a scholarship(s) can result in adjustments to that aid. If a student has a balance on their fee bill, the scholarship funds will be applied to that balance and the student may request a refund for any remaining funds.
Undergraduate Awards
Arnold and Sandra Dashefsky Student Award for Excellence
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be:
- Incoming or continuing graduate or undergraduate student enrolled full time in CLAS
- Be majoring in Sociology or related fields.
- Demonstrate outstanding academic achievement in one of the following topics: American Jewry, prejudice discrimination, racism, or anti-semitism.
- Submit an application letter and a curriculum vitae
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For the undergraduate award, nominations must be made by instructors who should provide in writing reasons for how the student meets academic excellence in the above topics. Instructors who nominate an undergraduate student please contact the student nominee to submit an application letter and a curriculum vitae to the committee.
Graduate students may self-nominate but need a letter of recommendation from a faculty member endorsing their nomination and academic excellence in the above topics.
Each award is for $250.
Janet M. Fierberg Scholarship
The Janet M. Fierberg Scholarship Fund in Sociology was endowed by I. Martin Fierberg and Janet M. Fierberg, an alumna of UConn who studied Sociology and had careers in Social Work. Two scholarships of a minimum of $2,000* each will be awarded this year to outstanding students in their Junior or Senior year at UConn who are planning to pursue graduate study in Social Work or Sociology or first year students in the University of Connecticut School of Social Work.
Applicants must be sociology majors or minors, first year students in the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, or students who have applied to and will be accepted into the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. All awards will consider need and future professional promise.
Applications must include:
- A letter of application in which you discuss your career interests in Social Work, or Sociology and relevant experiences in school, work or elsewhere;
- A copy of your transcript; and
- A statement of your financial situation that describes your resources, debts, and need.
Sociology Undergraduate Research Grant Competition
In the fall semester, the Department of Sociology holds a grant competition for undergraduate research. It is open to Sociology majors, and it awards 5 grants of $500 each. Students will work with a Sociology Department faculty member during the spring semester. Students can propose their own research or work on a faculty member’s ongoing research project. The goal of this program is to give Sociology majors practical research experience.
Additional Funding Opportunities
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) – Scholarships
UConn Office of Undergraduate Research – Funding Opportunities
UConn Financial Aid Office – Scholarships
UConn Education Abroad Office – Scholarships
Financial Aid and Scholarship Guide for Black Students
Graduate Awards
Arnold and Sandra Dashefsky Student Award for Excellence
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be:
- Incoming or continuing graduate or undergraduate student enrolled full time in CLAS
- Be majoring in Sociology or related fields.
- Demonstrate outstanding academic achievement in one of the following topics: American Jewry, prejudice discrimination, racism, or anti-semitism.
- Submit an application letter and a curriculum vitae
-
For the undergraduate award, nominations must be made by instructors who should provide in writing reasons for how the student meets academic excellence in the above topics. Instructors who nominate an undergraduate student please contact the student nominee to submit an application letter and a curriculum vitae to the committee.
Graduate students may self-nominate but need a letter of recommendation from a faculty member endorsing their nomination and academic excellence in the above topics.
Each award is for $250.
Apply Here
Conference Participation Award
The Graduate School is committed to helping graduate students achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals during their time at the University of Connecticut. In support of this goal, The Graduate School offers a Conference Participation Award, previously known as the Doctoral Student Travel Award, to support students’ ability to present their research at national or international meetings and conferences, including both in-person and virtual events.
This conference participation fellowship in the amount of $750 will be awarded for the semester following the application submission and paid through the student’s fee bill. Students are responsible for knowing any and all travel advisories, restrictions, and relevant University policies and should plan accordingly. Students should stay up-to-date with information shared by the U.S. Department of State, State of Connecticut, and the University’s Travel Services office.
Please note, fellowships are not guaranteed, as they are pending budgetary approval. We hope to provide funding to all eligible applicants, but eligible students who are not awarded in this cycle will be encouraged to apply in the next cycle.
Please review the eligibility criteria for the fellowship carefully before applying. Applications for this award are accepted in June and November.
Graduate School Funding Opportunities
Check the Graduate School website for a list of funding opportunities.
Michael L. Dunphy Award
The Sociology, History, and Political Science departments alternate in making an award of $250 for an outstanding graduate student who has:
- exceptional academic credentials
- financial need, and
- scholarly interest in any or a combination of the following fields: American politics, society, culture, and history.
This year the Sociology Department is authorized to make the award. The Graduate Program Committee has recommended as a threshold for academic excellence that applicants be post MA and have earned a GPA of a least 3.5 and as evidence of the student’s interests the topics of theses, dissertations, or papers submitted for publication. The committee also recommended that the applicant be within eligibility for departmental funding.
Applications must include:
- a statement indicating why the applicant thinks he or she should receive the award
- a curriculum vitae
- an unofficial transcript
- a brief statement of financial need, and
- a statement that the applicant is currently within her or his funding cycle (i.e., not beyond 5th year in program)
Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
Information is provided by the department each year.
Ron Taylor Award
The Ron Taylor Award honors Professor Ronald L. Taylor, who served as Head of the Department of Sociology from 1981 to 1986. The award is made annually for the best paper by a graduate student in the Department of Sociology. In addition to the departmental recognition, the award includes a monetary prize. Papers for courses, for conference presentation, or for publication completed after January 2021 are eligible. In the case of co-authored papers, all authors must be graduate students in the department. Only one submission per student is permitted, with a maximum length of 12,000 words. Papers are to be submitted in Word format only and will not be accepted if they are submitted in PDF format.
Apply Here
Summer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship
The Graduate School is committed to helping graduate students achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals during their time at the University of Connecticut. In support of this goal, The Graduate School offers a Conference Participation Award, previously known as the Doctoral Student Travel Award, to support students’ ability to present their research at national or international meetings and conferences, including both in-person and virtual events.
This conference participation fellowship in the amount of $750 will be awarded for the semester following the application submission and paid through the student’s fee bill. Students are responsible for knowing any and all travel advisories, restrictions, and relevant University policies and should plan accordingly. Students should stay up-to-date with information shared by the U.S. Department of State, State of Connecticut, and the University’s Travel Services office.
Please note, fellowships are not guaranteed, as they are pending budgetary approval. We hope to provide funding to all eligible applicants, but eligible students who are not awarded in this cycle will be encouraged to apply in the next cycle.
Please review the eligibility criteria for the fellowship carefully before applying. Applications for this award are accepted in June and November.