CMH Dissertation Fellowships:
General Information

Purpose
To support scholarly research and writing among qualified civilian graduate students preparing dissertations in the history of warfare, the Center offers three Dissertation Fellowships each year. One, funded by the National Museum of the U.S. Army, is designed to support dissertations that explore the material culture of the Army; the two others support research in the more general areas of military history in all its many aspects. In your application please specify if you wish to compete for the two general fellowships or for the Museums fellowship. These fellowships carry a $10,000 stipend and access to the Center's facilities and technical expertise.

Area and Topics of Study
For purposes of this program, the history of war on land is broadly defined, including such areas as biography, military campaigns, military organization and administration, policy, strategy, tactics, weaponry, technology, training, logistics, and the evolution of civil-military relations. In the selection of proposals for funding, preference is given to topics on the history of the U.S. Army. Topics submitted should complement rather than duplicate the Center's existing projects.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants who wish to become Fellows must be civilian citizens of the United States unaffiliated with the U.S. government; that is, they must not be military personnel, not in federal service as civilian employees, and not under contract to the U.S. government. They must demonstrate their professional potential by submitting the following: (1) official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools attended; (2) a proposed plan of research; (3) a letter of recommendation from their academic director that includes a statement approving the dissertation topic; (4) two other letters of recommendation from individuals who can attest to their qualifications for the fellowship; and (5) a writing sample of approximately 25 pages. (Please submit an entire piece rather than a fragment.) Applicants must have completed by September all requirements for the Ph.D. degree, except for the dissertation . Any student who has held or accepted an equivalent fellowship from any other Department of Defense agency is not eligible for these awards. Individuals who accept a Center of Military History fellowship may not accept a fellowship from any other institution for a period concurrent with the Center's fellowship.

Requirements During the Fellowship Year
Fellows are required to visit the Center at the beginning and end of their fellowship period. On the first visit, the Fellow meets the Chief of Military History, the Chief Historian, and the Executive Secretary of the Dissertation Fellowship Program and is consulted on ways in which the Center can aid him or her. On the second visit, the Fellow presents, in an appropriate form and forum, an oral report on his/her work in progress. The Fellow also prepares a brief written report at the conclusion of his or her fellowship year.

The Center requires deposit in its library of one copy of the complete bound dissertation.

Stipends and Payments
The stipend of $10,000 for the fellowship is provided in one payment at the start of the academic year. From this sum, the recipient must meet travel, typing, and all other expenses in connection with the fellowship. The payment of the stipend is made directly to the Fellow upon receipt of certification from the parent academic institution that he or she is a candidate for the Ph.D. degree and is authorized to become a Visiting Research Fellow.

Role of CMH
The Center of Military History also undertakes to support the Fellow's scholarly activities in the Washington area by making its collections accessible and its specialists available, insofar as official duties permit. Fellows receive desk space at the U.S. Army Center of Military History, if available, and are assisted in gaining access to archival and library sources within the Washington area as well as at the U.S. Army Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Review of the dissertation by the Center is at the discretion of the Center and the candidate's sponsoring institution, but responsibility for the control and approval of the dissertation remains with the academic institution and its faculty.

Applications
Application can be downloaded here.(PDF download - 116KB)

Our email
usarmy.mcnair.cmh.mbx.dissfellow@mail.mil

Applications and all supporting documents for the Dissertation Fellowships must be postmarked no later than 15 January each year ; none is accepted when mailed after that date. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all required documentation is mailed before the closing date. Completed applications should be mailed to:

Dissertation Fellowship Committee
U.S. Army Center of Military History
102 4th Avenue, Building 35
Fort McNair, DC 20319-5060

Evaluation and Selection
The Center of Military History conducts its evaluation of applicants on the basis of academic achievement, faculty recommendations, demonstrated writing ability, and the nature and location of the proposed research. The awards are made on merit without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicapping condition, marital status, or political affiliation. The Center notifies all applicants of the competition's outcome by a short notice or letter not later than 1 April.