Hardie Dissertation Award Competition

Eligibility | Selection Process | Award and Conditions | Deadlines

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Hardie Dissertation Research Support Award
College of Education
2009-2010

Each year, the Bureau of Educational Research in the College of Education grants several dissertation awards on a competitive basis to graduate students to support the completion of their doctoral dissertations. These awards are funded through the generosity of the alumni and friends of the College. This information will help you to determine if you are eligible and how to apply.

Doctoral students are encouraged to apply for the Hardie Dissertation Research Support Award under the Traditional or Strategic Initiative category but cannot apply to both award categories. The Strategic Initiative category supports dissertations related to one of five of the College of Education’s Strategic Initiatives:

• Center for Education in Small Urban Communities
• Initiative on STEM Teaching and Learning
• Ubiquitous Learning Institute: New Education Ecologies
• Forum on the Future of Public Education
• Teacher Quality

More information about the strategic plan and these initiatives can be found at http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/Future/strategicplan.html.  Applicants who wish to address one of the strategic initiatives must meet with the director of the initiative, discuss ways in which their proposed research will further or complement the initiative and obtain a brief letter of support from the director regarding the relatedness of the proposal to the initiative.

 
Eligibility
Applicants must be candidates for the doctoral degree in the College of Education. They must also be full-time in a graduate program. Applicants must document that they will have completed all pre-dissertation requirements (Early Research, Research Specialization, and Qualifying Exams) by the time of the submission, and must provide a clear and specific plan for completing the dissertation within a two-year time frame. Preference will be given to students who have passed their Preliminary Oral Exam. If students have not passed their preliminary oral exam, their advisor must address their progress in the accompanying letter of recommendation. Funds will not be released until the preliminary exam is completed.

Selection Process
Recipients of the dissertation awards are selected by the College of Education Research Committee based upon submission of the following

Letter(s) of Recommendation. One letter of recommendation should be from someone who is very knowledgeable about the student’s research interests, such as the student’s advisor or dissertation director, and should specifically address the importance of the proposed study and the student’s capacity to carry it out. If the student has not passed the preliminary exam, the advisor should assess progress toward that goal. If the student is proposing a dissertation related to one of the strategic initiatives, then a second letter is required from the director of the initiative indicating that the proposed research fits within the purview of the initiative. 

Curriculum Vitae. A curriculum vitae must be submitted from the applicant, which includes publications, presentations and awards.

Abstract. An abstract of 150 words or less must be submitted from the applicant.

Research Prospectus.The research prospectus should be no more than 1500 words (about 8 double-spaced pages) in length. The prospectus should include the following components: Research Problem, Significance of the Problem, Research Questions or Hypotheses. It must contain a Methods section, including population and sample, instrumentation, data collection and analysis, and procedures, and Justification for Methods. Emphasis should be placed on clearly describing the research methods that will be used. It is important that the reviewers understand how the research questions are explicitly linked to and supported by the chosen research method(s). Conversely, the data analysis procedures should be linked back to the research question.

Include a list of references to support the research prospectus (not included in the 1500-word limit). Copies of relevant instruments or protocols can be appended (not included in the word limit). Applicants are strongly encouraged to have his/her advisor read the final proposal prior to submission.

Work Plan. The work plan should specify what dissertation work will be accomplished during the award period. It should include realistic dates by which each stage will be completed. If the study is in progress, the proposal should clearly describe methods as implemented rather than methods as planned, for example, actual samples obtained rather than samples planned.

Budget and Justification. The award is intended to finance only budget items associated with the completion of the dissertation. The budget should include a rationale for how all items are related to the completion of the project. Funding can cover such expenses as, for example, data gathering equipment, analytical software and training, primary source materials, travel and accommodations for fieldwork, duplicating, postage, modest stipends for subjects, and hourly pay to hire assistants for such tasks as transcription, translation, collecting or coding data, rating, and similar work. Funding cannot cover such expenses as computers, the applicant’s personal salary, conference travel, and housing or living expenses. Funding can cover already-expended costs, given that they meet the requirements of the College Budget office.

Criteria. Student applications will be judged in terms of the following evaluation criteria: importance to the field, methodological soundness, students capacity to carry out the project, appropriateness of budget, and feasibility of work plan. Successful proposals will clearly state the significance of the research for the field of education, broadly defined, and will clearly describe the study’s methodology and implementation.

Award and Conditions
Dissertation awards will be granted once this academic year in March. Recipients of the awards can receive a maximum of $2,000 to support completion of their dissertation. The amount must be expended within a time limit of two years or graduation and in accordance with the work plan provided by the candidate..

Deadlines
Application Deadline: 5pm, Monday, March 8, 2010. It is the student applicant’s responsibility to see that all materials are received by the deadline. No late applications will be accepted. Only complete applications will be reviewed.

Applications will be submitted through a NEW online system instead of hard copies to the Bureau of Educational Research. Details on the submission process will follow and be available on the Bureau website, at http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/ber/resward.html under College Research Awards.