EmoryGraduateDiversityFellowship2017-2018
forstudentsadmittedinthespringof2017
Nominationsdue:
February14(HumanitiesandSocialSciences)/February21(NaturalSciences)
Selectiontakesplace:
February22-24(HumanitiesandSocialSciences)/March2-3(NaturalSciences)
PostedJanuary3,2017
TheLaneyGraduateSchoolwillawardtwelveormoreEmoryGraduateDiversityFellowships(EGDFs)to
studentsenteringdoctoralprogramsinfall2017.TheEGDFFellowshipisahighlyprestigiousentering
studentfellowship.Nomineesshouldshowexceptionalpromiseasfutureleadersintheirfields.The
fellowshipcoverstuitionandfeesandprovidesa$5,000supplementtotheregularprogramstipend.
Awardsmayberenewedannuallyforuptofiveyearsofstudy,contingentuponsatisfactoryacademic
performance.(InprogramswithshortertermsofLGSdirectstipendsupport,fellowswillcontinueto
receivetheEGDFsupplementaftertheLGSdirectsupportexpires.)
TheEGDFisintendedtopromotethediversityofthegraduatestudentbody.Werecognizethat
studentsfromgroupsnottraditionallyrepresentedintheacademybringnewperspectivesthatenrich
thefieldsofstudyandenhancetheeducationalexperienceofallstudents.TheEGDFisawardedto
prospectivestudentswhoareU.S.citizensorpermanentresidents,andwhoseenrollmentwould
enhancethediversityofintellectualdialogandcontributetotheeducationalbenefitsofdiversitywithin
aprogramortheUniversityasawhole,basedontheirracial,ethnic,socioeconomicorexperiential
backgroundand/orthestudents’gender,sexualorientation,ordisabilitystatus.
TheLaneyGraduateSchooliscommittedtoassessingapplicantsthroughaprocessofwholefilereview,
wherenosingleindicatorisusedtodetermineanapplicationoutcome.Inidentifyingcandidateswho
meritnominationsfortheEGDF,programsareurgedtolookbroadlyanddeeplyatapplicationfiles,and
notusestandardizedtestscores.
• Eachprogram/divisionmaynominatefiveormorecandidates,dependingonthenumberof
graduateschoolfundedlinesintheenteringcohort.
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•
NumberofLGSfundedlinesin
enteringcohort
Numberof
nominations
1-10
5
11-20
7
21-40
10
41+
14
UnliketheWoodrufffellowship,theEGDFprovidesanadditionallinetotheprogram.
Allnomineesmustbeofferedadmissiontotheprogram,regardlessoftheoutcomeoftheEGDF
nomination.
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EmoryGraduateDiversityFellowship2017-2018Guidelines
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EGDFswillbeselectedbytwocommittees,oneforthenaturalsciences,andoneforthehumanities
andsocialsciences.Programsthatstraddledivisionsmaynominateineitherorbothpools(thelimit
aboveappliestothecombinedtotal).
EvaluationCriteria
Asyouputtogethernominations,considerhowtheselectioncommitteewillevaluatethenominees.
Eachcommitteememberwillcompleteapreliminaryratingsheet,ratingthenomineesbyassigning
pointsinthesecategories,listedinorderofrelativeimportance:
Criterion
Description
Creates,enhancesorsustains
adiverseeducationaland
intellectualexperienceinthe
programorthegraduate
school
Thedegreetowhichthestudent’sparticipationintheprogramandinvolvementin
programintellectualandacademiclifeenhancesthediversityandthedepthand
rangeoftheintellectualenvironmentoftheprogram,theGraduateSchooland/or
theUniversity
AcademicPerformanceand
Preparation
Qualityoftheapplicant’sacademicperformanceandthedegreetowhichthe
applicantispreparedtoundertakethePhDprogram.
AvailableandAccessible
Mentoring
Howwelldotheapplicant’sstatedinterestscorrelatetothefocioftheprogram
andistherelikelytobeadequatedepthofmentoringtotheapplicantwithinthe
program?Thiscriterionshouldbeexplicitlyaddressedintheprogramletterof
support.
PreparationforResearch,
TeachingorLeadership
Howwellistheapplicantpreparedtoundertakescholarlyresearch,teachingor
analogousleadershipactivitiesinthechosendiscipline?Evidencemaycomefrom
thelettersofrecommendation,pastexperience,andthestatementofpurpose.
DistinctiveFactors
Arethereotheraspectsoftheapplicant’sbackgroundthatmakehim/her
particularlyuniqueandqualified?Examplesmightincludeauniqueresearcharea,
previousresearchorworkexperience
Graduateschoolstaffcompilesanoverallrankingbycombiningallthecommitteemembers’rating
sheets.Thatpreliminaryrankingisusedasthestartingpointforthecommittee’sdeliberations,but
doesnotbyitselfdeterminetheoutcome.
ProgramLetterofSupport
Eachnominationshouldincludealetterthatdetailsthecriteriauponwhichtheprogramrecommends
awardingtheEGDF.Pleasesubmitonefileperletterofsupport.
EachletterofsupportshouldcomefromtheDirectorofGraduateStudies,butthesubstancemaybe
contributedbyafacultymemberwhobestknowsthecandidate’sfileandbackground.Thatmaymean,
forexample,atwo-sentencenotefromtheDGSnominatingtheapplicant,followedbyasubstantial
letterwrittenbyanotherfacultymember.
Theselectioncommitteereliesheavilyonprogramlettersinassessingnominees.Thefollowing
guidanceisbasedonrecommendationsfromselectioncommitteememberswhohavereadmany
letters.
• Inthespiritofwholefilereview,weencouragesubstantivediscussionsofqualityandmerit
indicators,anddiscouragerelianceonstandardizedtests.
• Usetheprogramletterofsupporttoexplainhowthenomineewouldcontributetodiversity.
Themannerinwhichafellowshipnomineemightcontributetothediversityofaprogramor
disciplinedifferssubstantiallyacrossthegraduateschool.Donotassumethatselection
EmoryGraduateDiversityFellowship2017-2018Guidelines
•
•
•
•
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committeememberswillbeawareofthesituationinyourprogramordiscipline,nationallyor
locally.
Committeemembersareaskedtoassessfilesbasedonthecriterialistedabove.Themost
helpfullettersdirectlyaddressthecriteria,andhelpthecommitteeseewhatpartsofthe
applicationrevealthestrengthsofthenominee.
Non-substantivepraiseisnothelpful,andmayactagainstacandidatebyfailingtoprovidethe
committeeanappropriateframeofreferenceforevaluatingthecandidate.
Committeemembersarerarelyinthesamefieldasyouandyournominees.Whatyouseeasan
obviousstrengthmaynotstandouttothecommitteemembers,soabriefexplanationis
helpful.
Committeememberslooktoprogramletterstohelpthemassess“AvailableandAccessible
Mentoring.”IndicatewhichEmoryfaculty,library,orlaboratoryresourceswouldparticularly
supportthenominee’sproposedcourseofstudy,andcommentonhowwellthenominee’s
backgroundandinterestfitwiththeprogram’sresourcesandaspirations.
Thestrongestlettersofnominationsdrawfrominterviews,inpersonorbyphone.
Longerlettersarenotalwaysbetter.Itisnotnecessarytosummarizetheapplicant’sfile,since
lettersarealwaysreadinconjunctionwiththatfile.
ADMITSubmission
NominationswillbesubmittedusingtheADMITonlineapplicationmanagementsystem.
1. Ineachnominee’sADMITrecord,uploadtheprogramnominationletter.Thefieldforuploading
islocatedontheDecisiontab,intheAdmissionsFellowshipsarea.
2. SelecteachnomineeandmovehisorherrecordtotheappropriateEGDFpool(locatedinthe
_AdmissionsFellowshipspool).
IfyouhavequestionsaboutusingADMIT,pleasecontactTammyColeman,
[email protected].
BeforeyouSubmit
Makesureeachnominee’sapplicationfileiscomplete.Ifcredentialsaremissingforanominee,contact
himorherdirectlytorequestthemissingitemsintimeforconsiderationfortheEGDF.
Questions?
ContactUlfNilsson,[email protected].
DeadlineforAcceptanceofAward:April15
Fellow-designateswillbeinformedthatthenationallyrecognizeddeadlineforacceptanceofawardsis
April15,andwewillnotpressurethemtomakeadecisionbeforethat.Nevertheless,wedoaskthat
fellowstellusassoonastheyhavereachedadecision.Ifpossible,wewouldappreciateknowingthe
statusoftheirdeliberationsbyApril1.
NofellowshipofferwillbeheldbeyondApril15,exceptinexceptionalcircumstancesandatthe
discretionoftheDean.