Details

Develop your dissertation on global issues with a toolkit of resources. Over the course of the year, you’ll participate in seminars, workshops, and mentoring sessions and receive up to $5,000 for summer research. 

DPD supports 12 PhD students annually. Applicants’ research projects must focus on global issues, but the proposed research setting may be international or domestic. 

Funding for Summer 2025

This DPD cycle will begin immediately, with seminars during the spring 2025 semester and funding for research in summer 2025. In addition to six weeks of summer research, the program includes these community-building and mentoring events:

• Seminars: Up to three sessions on topics including proposal writing, research methods, and interdisciplinary international studies. 
• Spring workshop: Three-day workshop in May to help you refine your proposal and plan your summer pre-dissertation research.
• Fall workshop: Three-day workshop in September to support you as you finalize your dissertation proposal.

Applicants must commit to attending the entire spring and fall workshops and agree to conduct at least six weeks of summer research away from Cornell between the workshops.

Amount

Up to $5,000 for summer research. The award can cover the following research expenses:

• International travel (economy airfare, visa fees)
• Local travel
• Accommodation and living expenses
• Research expenses (permits, translation costs, internet, archive access, etc.)

We encourage you to apply for other Cornell grants and external grants to complement your DPD funding. You must apply for the Graduate School's research travel grants; you are not eligible to apply for Einaudi's travel grants.

Please note that you may only bill for a research expense once. If an expense is already covered by your DPD award or Graduate School travel grant, you may not use other Cornell or external grants to pay the same expense.

Eligibility

• Students who are currently enrolled full-time in PhD programs at Cornell University are eligible.
• Both U.S. citizens and noncitizens are eligible.
• Progress within graduate program:
  • Applicants must have completed at least two full years of graduate study (MA and/or PhD) by the end of the spring workshop. First-year graduate students who have completed master’s degrees and fourth-year students who have not yet undertaken dissertation research may be eligible.
  • Applicants must be on track to obtain approval of their dissertation proposals after the fall workshop but before the end of the upcoming academic year.
• Students who have already submitted dissertation research proposals to their departments for approval or to funding agencies for dissertation research support are not eligible to apply.

Questions? 

Please email our academic programming staff if you have questions about the program.