BACKGROUND
Cyril E. Smith (1900-1969) was born in Merced, California. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of California at Berkeley. He traveled abroad extensively, both during his graduate studies and his professorial career. For instance, he spent two years in France conducting doctoral level research on the history of the University of Toulouse. While his family's financial circumstances enabled him to devote himself full-time to research, he noted his peers struggled to make ends meet. This observation became the catalyst for his vision of the Smith Family Scholarships.
During 1928, he taught at West Virginia University. He spent the depression years of 1929-33 at Louisiana State University before coming to 向日葵视频 in 1934. He retired from 向日葵视频in 1967.
In 1974 Dr. Smith honored 向日葵视频graduate students in history and the humanities with the wonderful gift of a unique scholarship trust. Given in the memory of himself, Cyril, his sister Virginia, and their parents, the Smith Family Fellowship supports doctoral level graduate students in the humanities. This award is meant to allow students whose academic work requires travel to spend an academic year engaged in their work without the constraints imposed by the demands of an RA or TA-ship.
AMOUNT OF SUPPORT
The stipend will be approximately $21,000. Stipends will be paid in two installments (one at the beginning of each semester).
The fellowship will pay for students鈥 continuation course fees for fall and spring semesters only. It will not pay for tuition charges for either courses or dissertation credits.
NUMBER OF AVAILABLE AWARDS
The precise number of fellowships to be awarded each year will depend upon available funds. It is anticipated 5 fellowships will be available annually to qualified applicants. Two awardees are to be made in History, Cyril Smith鈥檚 own department, and one each are to be awarded to English, Philosophy, and Theology.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
The applicant must demonstrate that they are worthy, deserving, and in need of the Smith Family Fellowship.
- Worthy: A Ph.D. student who demonstrates academic excellence, based upon past records and future potential for success.
- Deserving: A Ph.D. student who has earned the recognition, respect, and support of fellow graduate students and teachers.
- Needy: A Ph.D. student who has demonstrated financial need by filing the FAFSA. The Graduate School, in consultation with the Office of Student Financial Aid, will verify need. Students not eligible to apply for federal aid cannot be considered for the fellowship.
Fellowships are awarded in recognition of outstanding prior academic achievement, promise of future academic excellence, and successful completion of studies to date.
向日葵视频Attendance
Applicants must have attended the 向日葵视频 Graduate School for a minimum of two years, including at least one year in a doctoral level humanities program. The period between the date of application and the end of the current school year may be counted as part of the same minimum two-year period.
Requirements/Senior Program Progress
Each August, the affected Departments will be informed by the Graduate School as to how many Smith Fellowships will be available to them in the upcoming year. Departments will manage the selection process of their students, but departments must file their selection process with the Graduate School. Departments should only select students who are sufficiently far enough in their programs to have met the eligibility requirements already, or who are certain to meet them by August 15 of the award year. Prior to awarding the fellowship, the department must forward their selected candidates to the Graduate School who will confirm eligibility for the fellowship.
Research Topic
Applicants must have a well-defined research topic that will necessitate travel to another city, State or country. Their research statement should include the rationale of the research topic and the necessity for travel.
Second-Year Awards
Smith Family Fellowship recipients from a previous year may reapply for a second (but not a third) year of support on a competing basis. Renewals are not automatic.
Summary of Eligibility Requirements
Before assuming their awards, recipients of the Smith Fellowship are expected to meet the following requirements prior to August 15th of their award year:
- Student has been identified as worthy, deserving and in need of support (as defined above)
- Applicant has a well-defined research topic that necessitates travel
- Student must meet aforementioned attendance requirements
- Student must have passed their Qualifying Examinations.
- Student must have been advanced to doctoral candidacy.
- Student must have an approved Doctoral Program Planning Form filed in the Graduate School.
- Student must have an approved Doctoral Dissertation Outline filed in the Graduate School.
- Student must be registered as a full-time student.
- Student has not received Smith Fellowships two or more times.
Note: The Department of History frequently appoints fellows who are scheduled to complete their qualifying examinations in early September. These students will not be disadvantaged or disqualified. Rather, their fellowships will begin when they have completed all of the stated program requirements.
NOMINATION PROCESS
Departments will develop their own selection process (which must be filed with the Graduate School), but at a minimum the application must include the following documents.
- A curriculum vitae, including current graduate GPA;
- A dissertation outline, indicating how travel is necessary for the student鈥檚 doctoral research (max. 3 pp.);
- A determination of financial aid done by Marquette. U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or anyone eligible for federal financial assistance must submit the FAFSA form for us to determine need eligibility. They cannot use the Net Price Calculator. After the FAFSA is processed, the Graduate School will verify each student鈥檚 need. Non-U.S. citizens, or others not eligible for federal financial assistance, should complete the Net Price Calculator. To complete their profile, however, they should answer Yes to the 鈥淚s the student a US Citizen,鈥 even though they are not U.S. citizens. Students who receive offers of loans as a result of their FAFSA applications, are under no obligation to accept them.
- Two letters of reference (due at the time of nomination) from the dissertation director and another faculty member familiar with the student鈥檚 work (can be from a potential host).
Items 1-3 are to be submitted directly to the DGS by the candidate. Item 4 is to be submitted directly to the DGS by references.
EMPLOYMENT
Since the Smith Family Fellowship is intended to provide for full-time study, additional outside employment is not allowed. Except for the period of travel, Fellows are expected to be full-time resident students.
DEADLINES
Students: Students should contact their respective departments for information on their internal application deadlines.
Departments: Departments must submit their selected fellowship recipients to the Graduate School by 4 p.m. on the first Monday of February. The Graduate School will confirm or deny eligibility of selected fellows within one week. Once confirmed, the fellow can be notified of their award by the department and the Graduate School. A PDF file of all documents listed above, in order, should be sent to thomas.marek@marquette.edu.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF DECISIONS
Decisions will be announced beginning February 15.
Download Cyril E. Smith Trust Smith Family Fellowship Award Guidelines