COMMUNICATION STUDIES

GRADUATE AWARD OPPORTUNITIES

 

The Lecture, Awards, and Department Seminar Committee (LADS)  invites graduate students to apply for awards for research and teaching. Please read about each of these awards and note the deadlines. Send appplications via email to Wanda Osborn (wanda-osborn@uiowa.edu). Please read and follow all instructions carefully. All awards will be announced at the final Department Seminar of the semester.

 

 

    Spring 2012 Semester Awards & Deadlines

     

    Social Science Award for Research Support - Due March 5, 2012

    The Communication Studies Department has set aside an annual allocation of $2,000 for Social Science Awards to encourage research participants from a variety of populations, including but not limited to the undergraduate student body, to participate in social scientific research conducted by graduate students in the Communication Studies Department.  Pending final review by the faculty, the award will be given in two funding cycles in October and March of each academic year.  A proposal of two-page maximum must include the signature of the sponsoring faculty advisor for the project.  Applicants should note that funds are limited, and the committee will need to exercise discretion to support as many research projects as feasible; thus, large requests are unlikely to be funded in full in the fall cycle. A given student may apply a second time during the spring cycle to support a given project. All else equal, priority will be given to dissertation-related research.

     

    Submit your application in electronic form (pdf format only) with the name of the award you are applying for in the subject line. 

     

     

    Carroll Arnold Fellowship - Due March 5, 2012

    The Carroll Arnold Fellowship is awarded to the most promising 2nd year scholar/teacher.  The Award amount is $2,500 and a plaque.

     

    Nominations must be made by the student's committee (students, let your committee know you wish to be nominated!) and will consist of:

     

    • Evidence of strong development as a teacher
    • Notable growth as a scholar (as evidenced in letters of commentary on graduate work from at least two committee members)
    • A statement from the candidate laying out a self-development plan.

      
    The winner may identify themselves as Carroll Arnold Graduate Fellows during the year of the award.

     

     

    Ramona Tomlin Mattson Fellowship - Due March 5, 2012

    The Ramona Tomlin Mattson Fellowship is awarded to one advanced female graduate student on the basis of the dissertation plan and on previous teaching evaluations, consistent with the donor's emphasis on "doctoral candidates. . . . preparing to teach at the college level." The Award amount is $4,000 and a plaque.

     

    Specific criteria for eligibility for this award are:

    • Must be enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Communication Studies at Iowa
    • Must have successfully defended a dissertation prospectus and successfully completed the pre-dissertation examination on or before February 28th in the academic year when the application is submitted (those whose deadlines have been extended beyond this date are not eligible)
    • Must be a resident at the University of Iowa for the year following the application (i.e., for the year when the fellowship would be received)

     

    Please Note: LADS will only review the requested materials

    Nominations must include:

    • Dissertation prospectus
    • One-page summary of ACE forms
    • One-page summary of student comments on teaching
    • Brief letter from the applicant indicating the basis for applying
    • A letter of recommendation from the nominator

     

    The winner may identify herself as the Ramona Tomlin Mattson Fellow during the year of the award.

     

     

    The Carol Schrage Prize for Community Building - Due March 5, 2012

    The Carol Schrage Prize will be awarded each spring to the graduate student or faculty or staff member who has done the most to build a sense of community either among the graduate students in the department or among all students, staff, and faculty in the department. The Award amount is $1,500.

     

    The recipient of the Carol Schrage Prize will be selected by a committee made up of one graduate student, appointed by the Graduate Student Advisory Committee, a representative from the LADS committee, and Carol Schrage.
     
    Please submit your nominations and a brief statement as to why this person deserves the award.

     

     

     

FALL 2012 SEMESTER AWARDS & DEADLINES

 

Social Science Award for Research Support - TBA

    The Communication Studies Department has set aside an annual allocation of $2,000 for Social Science Awards to encourage research participants from a variety of populations, including but not limited to the undergraduate student body, to participate in social scientific research conducted by graduate students in the Communication Studies Department.  Pending final review by the faculty, the award will be given in two funding cycles in October and March of each academic year.  A proposal of two-page maximum must include the signature of the sponsoring faculty advisor for the project.  Applicants should note that funds are limited, and the committee will need to exercise discretion to support as many research projects as feasible; thus, large requests are unlikely to be funded in full in the fall cycle. A given student may apply a second time during the spring cycle to support a given project. All else equal, priority will be given to dissertation-related research.

     

    Submit your application in electronic form (pdf format only) with the name of the award you are applying for in the subject line. 

 

 

Becker/Bowers/Bryant Awards - TBA

Samuel L. Becker Award for Outstanding Graduate Scholarship in Media Studies

John Waite Bowers Award for Outstanding Graduate Scholarship in Interpersonal Communication and Relationships

Donald C. Bryant Award for Outstanding Graduate Scholarship in Rhetorical Studies

 

The Award amount is $1000 for each award and a plaque.

 

The annual Becker, Bowers, and Bryant Awards are granted, respectively, for outstanding graduate scholarship in media studies, interpersonal communication and relationships, and rhetorical studies.  Applicants may only submit papers written while in the graduate program in Communication Studies at the University of Iowa. Work that integrates elements of any of the three areas of inquiry are welcome, regardless of the student's declared area of interest, but the award being sought must be specified at the time of application.  A paper may be submitted for only one of the awards, and only one paper may be submitted per person.  Co-authored papers are welcome, so long as the co-author(s) are fellow UI graduate students in Communication Studies.  Papers must be written in the style appropriate to work in your tradition (e.g., APA, Chicago, MLA).  Paper length should not exceed 30 double-spaced pages (excluding references, endnotes, tables, figures, etc.).  Papers should not contain any author identifiers, except on the title page.

 

LADS will determine the winners based on evaluations made by Communication Studies alumni reviewers.

 

Submit your paper in electronic form (word document only) with the name of the award you are applying for (Becker, Bowers, or Bryant) in the subject line. 

 

LADS will review and announce the award in the fall semester, but the award will be given in the Spring Graduate Awards Ceremony. If the recipient would like to receive their cash prize earlier, let LADS know.

 

 

Douglas Ehninger Prize for Teaching Excellence - TBA

The Award amount is $1,500 and the winner's name will also be inscribed on the Departmental plaque.

 

This award recognizes teaching excellence among graduate students. All departmental teaching assistants are eligible for the prize, including assistants who have taught in the Rhetoric program.

 

Please Note: LADS will only review the requested materials—additional documents will not be considered by the committee.

 

The nomination packet should include (self nominations are encouraged):

 

- A letter of support from a supervisor of the teaching assistant.

 

- One-page summary of ACE scores

 

- One-page summary of additional comments from students.

 

- One sample syllabus.

 

- One-page statement of nominee's teaching philosophy.

 

Submit your application in electronic form (pdf format as ONE DOCUMENT only) with the name of the award you are applying for in the subject line. 

 

LADS will review and announce the award in the fall semester, but the award will be given in the Spring Graduate Awards Ceremony.

 

Please note that the winner(s) of the Ehninger Award will be nominated by LADS for the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award: http://www.uiowa.edu/~cot/TA%20Award/otamenu.htm

 

 

     

     

    GRADUATE COLLEGE AWARD OPPORTUNITIES

     

    Seashore & Ballard Dissertation Year Fellowship - TBA

    The Lecture, Awards, and Department Seminar Committee is soliciting Seashore Ballard applications. Ballard and Seashore Fellowships are intended to help students in the social sciences and humanities complete their dissertations. Because this is a final year fellowship, a student may be nominated only once, when there is a high likelihood of completion during the fellowship period. The number of fellowships is limited and awards are highly competitive.

     

    Again, this is a final year fellowship, for students who WILL graduate by the Summer term at the latest. Therefore, you must have completed comprehensive exam at the time of nomination and plan to complete the Ph.D. degree by the end of the spring or summer session the following year. Recipients may not hold other teaching or research appointments, except in unique situations that contribute substantially to the student's academic development — such appointments must be approved by the Graduate College.

     

    Recipients of the Presidential Graduate Fellowship or the Dean's Graduate Fellowship are not eligible for this award.

     

    The materials are due to the Lecture, Awards, and Department Seminar Committee. The committee will review the applications, make recommendations to the DEO and DGS, and the nominations will be forwarded to the graduate college by their deadline.

     

    You will need to turn in the following materials to the LADS committee if you wish to be considered for nomination to the graduate college:
    Student materials (single spaced, 12 pt. type, 1" margins):

    • A two-page abstract written to be understood by people in other fields of study. The abstract should address the purpose of the research, how the research will be carried out, and the value of the research to the student's field (do not include references).
    • A two-page document containing a descriptive list of chapters and a timetable for completion of the dissertation.
    • A one-page C.V. of the nominee's educational and professional experience, honors and awards, and publications.

    Two letters of support:

    • One letter from the nominee's dissertation director that includes:
      • How long the student has been working on the Ph.D.
      • Confirmation the student will have successfully completed the comprehensive examination by the nomination deadline
      • The student's qualifications for carrying out this research.
      • How much work has already been accomplished on the dissertation.
      • The value of the research topic to the specific field.
      • The likelihood that the degree will be completed by the end of the 2012 summer session at the latest.
    • One letter from a committee member or other faculty member familiar with the student's work.

    The Award is currently $18,000 for the academic year, plus a summer stipend of $4,000. In addition, the fellowship provides for 2 credit hours of tuition, standard graduate student fees, and a health and dental insurance allowance for the duration of the award.

     

    Other details can be found here: http://www.grad.uiowa.edu/aid-youre-nominated-for/ballard-and-seashore-dissertation-year-fellowships

     

    Outstanding Teaching Assistant

    Nominees must certify that they have had formal student contact during one of the following semesters: Spring 2011, Summer 2011, or Fall 2011. A teaching assistant who won an award in the past may not be nominated again.

     

    Nominations may be initiated by students, faculty, colleagues, departmental executive officers (DEOs) or deans. Self-nominations are not allowed. Nominations must follow the guidelines specified in the directions. All materials must be submitted to the nominee’s teaching department for the DEO’s signature. The DEO will forward nominations to the Council on Teaching in care of the Office of the Provost.

     

    Website with more info:http://www.uiowa.edu/~cot/TA%20Award/otamenu.htm

     

    Please note that the LADS committee will automatically nominate the winner of the Douglas Ehninger Teaching Award for the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. Others wishing to be nominated will need to handle the award with their faculty nominator.

     

    Graduate College Summer Fellowship

    $3,000 summer stipend, plus tuition for up to 2 credit hours.

     

    Deadline: Spring – set each year by graduate college

    Eligibility: Must have completed Comprehensive Exam by the end of Spring term for which you are applying and will defend dissertation during summer term or later.
    Previous Graduate College Summer Fellowship recipients and Ballard and Seashore Fellowship recipients are not eligible.

    Application Materials: 

      • Cover Sheet
      • Detailed description of how you will benefit from this summer fellowship with respect  to completion of your doctoral dissertation (no more than 2 pages).
      • A copy of your transcript (an unofficial copy is acceptable).
      • A letter of recommendation from your dissertation advisor.  
        The letter should be in a sealed envelope with a signature across the seal.
      • The signature page.