Secure $500–$2,500 for Your Summer Dissertation Work: THI Summer Research Fellowships 2025 (UCSC Humanities PhD)

For a humanities PhD student, summer is often the island where real progress happens. No teaching, fewer meetings, and for a few blessed weeks you can actually write, hunt down obscure archival holdings, or record interviews without constant interruption. But summer costs money: travel, copies, temporary housing, digital access fees — the list goes on. The Humanities Institute (THI) at UC Santa Cruz offers the Summer Research Fellowships to patch that gap: small, focused awards of $500 to $2,500 intended to finance summer research during 2025.

This is not a multi-year stipend. It’s a practical, surgical piece of funding designed to move a dissertation forward. For the right candidate, $2,500 can buy an archival trip, cover digitization fees for rare materials, or provide breathing room so you can finish a chapter instead of taking a summer job. The award also comes with a built-in expectation — fellows present their summer work at the UCSC Graduate Research Symposium in Spring 2026 — which is a valuable opportunity to practice presenting your findings and to make your work visible across departments.

If you’re a PhD student in the Humanities Division at UCSC and you’re within normative time, this grant is worth serious consideration. Below I walk you through what the fellowship actually covers, who should apply, how to write a proposal that reviewers will notice, and the exact steps to submit your application through InfoReady. Read on and get practical: this is the sort of funding that moves theses across the finish line.

At a Glance

What This Opportunity Offers

THI’s Summer Research Fellowships are pragmatic micro-grants tailored to the realities of humanities research. They’re not glamorous, but they are effective. The money is explicitly for research and research-related travel during Summer 2025; conference travel is excluded. Think of the award as targeted fuel: it pays for a single, well-defined burst of work that advances your dissertation.

Practically speaking, the fellowship can fund a range of needs: round-trip airfare to an archive on the other coast, several nights of accommodation near a specialized library, fees to reproduce or digitize rare materials, costs for transcription and recording of oral histories, or even short-term living expenses if staying in Santa Cruz to write requires financial breathing room. A $2,500 award can cover a modest domestic archival trip or the purchase of a specific set of digital images and microfilm reproductions. A $500 award might cover reproduction fees and a few days on-site. The important piece is specificity: demonstrate exactly how the dollars produce tangible outcomes such as finished data collection, a completed chapter draft, or the recording of a set number of interviews.

Beyond cash, the fellowship confers intellectual visibility. Recipients present at the Graduate Research Symposium the following spring, which gives you a public platform to test arguments, clarify narrative arcs, and receive feedback from faculty and peers across the Humanities Division. That presentation experience is useful on job market shortlists and for polishing conference talks later.

Finally, the award signals departmental and institutional support. The required advisor letter and Graduate Director confirmation mean the committee will fund students who are making credible progress toward degree completion — people the program expects to finish.

Who Should Apply

This fellowship is explicitly for PhD students enrolled in Humanities Division departments at UCSC. Within that pool, the best candidates are those with a narrowly defined summer project that produces measurable progress toward the dissertation.

If this sounds like you, apply:

• The student who needs hands-on access to an archive: You’ve identified a specific collection (e.g., a regional archive, the Bancroft, a museum library) and your proposal lists the collections and the items you will consult. Your budget names airfare, lodging, and reproduction fees.

• The ethnographer or oral historian: You’ve lined up interlocutors or communities and need travel funds, recording devices, or transcription services. Your plan includes consent procedures and a short schedule for interviews.

• The writer in need of dedicated time: Your argument is constructed and you need a summer to produce a chapter draft. If you ask for funds for subsistence rather than travel, explain why staying put will create measurable outputs (e.g., draft of Chapter 2, 30,000 words, or finished archival organization).

• The student requiring digitization or permissions: Some collections charge for scanning and rights clearance. If your project depends on converting material to a digital format for analysis, show cost estimates and a timeline.

Who should not apply: students who will be graduating before Spring 2026 and therefore cannot fulfill the presentation requirement; students on leave or not enrolled for the 2025–2026 year; or those requesting funds for conference travel (explicitly excluded).

Use real-world examples in your application. Instead of writing that you’ll “research in Europe,” name the archive, the dates you plan to go, the items you need, and what concrete deliverable will result from the trip.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

There’s a difference between plausible and persuasive. Reviewers are busy faculty and staff who read dozens of short proposals. Make yours crisp, credible, and easy to score.

1. Be ruthlessly specific in your budget. Break line items down and show evidence. Example: “Airfare $450 (round-trip SFO–NYC, August 1–7, itinerary attached), Accommodation $720 (6 nights at $120/night), Reproduction fees $300, Local travel $80, Materials $100 — Total $1,650.” If numbers come from real searches, say so. Attach or cite the sources if the portal allows.

2. Write a one-to-two page narrative that answers three questions in order: What exactly will you do? Why does it matter to your dissertation? What will you deliver by the end of the summer? Put the deliverable in measurable terms: “complete transcription of 12 interviews,” “collect 100 images of manuscript folios,” “draft of Chapter 3, ~8,000–10,000 words.”

3. Tie the summer work to degree progress. Use calendar language: “This research will allow me to complete data collection by September 2025 and submit Chapter 3 draft to my committee by November 2025.” Explicit timelines make reviewers comfortable that the money moves you forward.

4. Prepare your advisor letter in advance. Draft a short memo your advisor can adapt. Many busy faculty appreciate a tidy paragraph they can paste into a letter. Provide them with your project summary, budget justification, and normative time status so they can speak directly to standing and urgency.

5. Mind InfoReady quirks. InfoReady sends automated links to referees; trigger those requests at least two weeks before the deadline. Confirm via email that your advisor received the link and has time to upload. THI does not accept late letters, so manage this early.

6. Anticipate feasibility questions. If you propose international travel, show contingency plans: alternative archives, digitization options, or remote permissions. A realistic backup plan reassures reviewers.

7. Keep the CV short and focused. One page is requested. Put research, relevant skills (languages, archival experience), and prior awards up top. If you list prior grants, be succinct: Title, Year, Amount.

8. Avoid clichés and vagueness. Don’t promise “broadening my horizons.” Promise deliverables and cite the specific materials or methods that will produce them.

9. Use plain language. Reviewers are scholars but they don’t want to wade through jargon. Make your argument accessible to an intelligent reader outside your subfield.

Those nine tactics make an application feel like solid scholarship backed by a realistic budget rather than a wish list.

Application Timeline (Work Backward from March 12, 2025)

A realistic timeline keeps you from panicking in the last 48 hours. The deadline is strict: March 12, 2025.

• 6–8 weeks before deadline (Late January–Early February): Decide on the summer project. Get rough cost estimates for travel, reproduction, and accommodation. Confirm your departmental status — check with the Graduate Director whether you’re within normative time.

• 4–6 weeks before deadline (Mid–Late February): Draft your 1–2 page application letter. Build a detailed budget with line items. Update a one-page CV. Draft a short memo for your advisor to use in their letter.

• 2–3 weeks before deadline (Late February–Early March): Complete the InfoReady application draft. Use “Send Reference Letter Request” to trigger the advisor letter link and the Graduate Director’s confirmation. Follow up directly with both referees to ensure they received the email.

• Final week (March 5–11): Final edits. Convert documents to PDFs. Check file sizes and formats. Submit at least 48 hours before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical problems.

• Deadline day (March 12): If everything is in order, submit. Do not wait until the final hour.

Required Materials

THI is clear about what they want. Prepare each item carefully and upload clean, labeled PDFs.

• Letter of application (1–2 pages): Explain the research plan, why it’s important, how it contributes to your degree, and provide a simple budget justification. Use clear headings: Project, Methods, Deliverables, Budget.

• Brief statement of previous/current awards and grants: List title, dates, and amounts. Do not bury this information; make it easy to scan.

• One-page CV: Keep it tightly focused on research experience, languages, archival skills, publications, and prior funding.

• Contact information for your Graduate Director: They will be prompted through InfoReady to confirm your normative time and standing. Notify them before submission.

• Letter of support from your faculty advisor: The advisor should evaluate your progress, confirm normative time and standing, and explain why the summer work is important to finishing your degree. Advisors upload directly via a unique InfoReady link.

Pro tip: name each PDF clearly — “LastName_FirstName_Application.pdf”, “LastName_Awards.pdf”, etc. It looks organized and helps reviewers.

What Makes an Application Stand Out

Committees fund applicants who will actually finish things. Prioritize clarity of outcome, feasibility, and alignment with degree progress.

• Deliverables matter. A strong application promises something concrete: a chapter draft, a completed transcription set, or a finished data set. Include realistic metrics and timelines.

• Demonstrated preparation. Have you already contacted the archive? Do you have appointment confirmations or evidence that the material exists? Evidence of groundwork separates serious proposals from speculative ones.

• Reasonable budgets. The committee wants to see you’ve done the arithmetic. If your need exceeds $2,500, explain additional funding sources or how you will scale the work.

• Advisor buy-in. A short, specific advisor letter that confirms normative time and explains why the summer research is necessary signals institutional support.

• Feasibility across the season. If your plan requires visits to multiple countries, show that the travel schedule is realistic and that key resources will be available when you arrive.

A standout application reads like a well-planned mini-project rather than a vague aspiration.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many applications fail on avoidable grounds. Here are the recurring pitfalls and how to fix them.

• Missing the presentation obligation: Some applicants forget that you must present at the Spring 2026 Symposium. If you can’t meet that, don’t apply. If you’re unsure because of anticipated graduation, check with THI.

• Late or missing letters: THI will not accept late materials. Trigger letter requests early and follow up politely. Provide your advisor with a one-paragraph draft to speed the process.

• Vague budgets: “Travel $2,000” without explanation looks lazy. Break numbers down and show quotes or price estimates.

• Overambitious scope: Proposing an impossibly broad summer project invites skepticism. Narrow your goals and promise what you can realistically finish.

• Ignoring InfoReady instructions: Use the UCSC login option and follow the InfoReady Guide. Mistakes with the portal are the fastest way to get disqualified.

• Applying without departmental confirmation: Ensure your primary organization is set in InfoReady so your departmental affiliation shows correctly.

Avoid these traps and your application will look professional and reliable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I apply if I plan to graduate before Spring 2026? A: Generally no. The fellowship requires presentation at the Spring 2026 Graduate Research Symposium. If your timeline is unusual, contact THI staff before applying.

Q: Can I combine a THI Summer Fellowship with other funding? A: Yes. You must disclose other awards. THI may prioritize students who lack other summer support, but concurrent funding is allowed if you explain how funds work together.

Q: Are conference costs eligible? A: No. The fellowship does not cover conference travel. It’s meant for research and research-related travel.

Q: What if the archive closes or travel becomes impossible? A: Contact THI immediately. They’re usually open to reasonable adjustments if you can explain an alternate plan that still advances your dissertation.

Q: Who confirms normative time? A: Your department’s Graduate Director confirms normative time and good standing through an InfoReady prompt after you submit your application.

Q: How long are awards typically for? A: This is a one-summer award (Summer 2025). There is no extension; plan to complete the stated deliverables within the timeframe.

Q: When will recipients be notified? A: Notification timing varies; check the THI webpage or contact the program manager for specific dates after the March 12 deadline.

How to Apply (Get Started)

Ready to apply? Here’s a step-by-step checklist to get you from draft to submission.

1. Log in to InfoReady using the “Login for University of California, Santa Cruz Users” option. If it’s your first time, follow the InfoReady Guide linked on the THI page.

2. Prepare your documents as PDFs: one- to two-page application letter (with line-item budget), one-page CV, awards statement, and the contact info for your Graduate Director.

3. Draft a short memo or paragraph for your advisor that summarizes the project, the normative time status, and the budget. Trigger the advisor letter request via InfoReady at least two weeks before March 12.

4. Enter your departmental affiliation in InfoReady as your primary organization so your eligibility is visible.

5. Submit your application at least 48 hours before the March 12 deadline to avoid technical problems.

Ready to apply? Visit the official opportunity page and start your application now: https://thi.ucsc.edu/cfa-thi-summer-research-fellowships-2025/

If you have questions, contact Saskia Nauenberg Dunkell, Research Program Manager, at [email protected]. Good planning and precise writing go a long way — get your documents in order, manage your references, and treat this as a focused, measurable project. A funded summer is often the difference between an idea and a completed chapter. Apply thoughtfully and make it count.