THI Summer Research Fellowships 2025

The Humanities Institute (THI) at UC Santa Cruz offers Summer Research Fellowships to provide targeted financial support for doctoral students in the Humanities Division. Awards of $500 to $2,500 subsidize summer research activities—such as archival visits or other research-related travel—that directly advance dissertation progress during Summer 2025.【544fb5†L6-L13】 The application deadline has been extended to March 12, 2025, and THI emphasizes that no late materials or recommendation letters will be accepted after this date.【544fb5†L5-L8】

Fellows must remain in good standing with the Graduate Division and align their projects with THI’s expectation that funded work accelerates degree completion. Recipients are also expected to showcase their progress publicly by presenting at the university’s Graduate Research Symposium in Spring 2026, ensuring the fellowship contributes to campus-wide scholarly exchange.【544fb5†L13-L19】【7b7025†L1-L4】 Applicants should budget time to navigate the InfoReady platform used for submissions and recommender uploads, as the institute encourages students to familiarize themselves with the system well before finalizing their materials.【7b7025†L5-L12】

Competition fundamentals

Timeline and preparation checklist

• February 2025 – Confirm departmental eligibility, verify enrollment in at least five graduate credits, and outline the research activities the fellowship will underwrite.
• Late February 2025 – Draft the one- to two-page application letter, build the simple budget, and request updated CV and award history information.
• Early March 2025 – Finalize the advisor letter request through InfoReady, prompt the Graduate Director to confirm standing, and submit the full application well before the March 12 deadline to avoid technical delays.
• Spring 2026 – Prepare for the Graduate Research Symposium presentation required of all fellows.

Eligibility summary

• PhD student in a Humanities Division department at UC Santa Cruz.【544fb5†L10-L14】
• Within normative time and in good academic standing.【544fb5†L14-L18】
• Enrolled in at least five credits of graduate coursework; students on leave are ineligible.【544fb5†L16-L18】
• Prepared to present fellowship-supported research at the UCSC Graduate Research Symposium in Spring 2026.【544fb5†L13-L19】

Application components

• Letter of application (one to two pages) explaining the research plan, significance, and simple budget.【746afa†L1-L6】
• Brief statement listing previous and current awards and grants, with titles, dates, and amounts.【746afa†L1-L7】
• One-page curriculum vitae.【746afa†L6-L7】
• Contact information for the departmental Graduate Director to certify standing through InfoReady after submission.【746afa†L7-L10】
• Letter of support from the faculty advisor evaluating academic progress and verifying normative time and standing, submitted via InfoReady’s recommender portal.【746afa†L9-L13】【7b7025†L1-L4】

Strategy tips

• Quantify summer outputs so reviewers can see how the requested funds translate into dissertation chapters, archival collections, or other tangible milestones aligned with timely degree completion.
• Demonstrate feasibility by detailing the travel or research schedule for Summer 2025 and explaining how the award complements other funding sources you have secured or pursued.
• Highlight departmental integration by noting how your project contributes to Humanities Division priorities or collaborative initiatives, reinforcing your fit within the UCSC scholarly community.
• Coordinate recommender logistics early; InfoReady sends unique upload links, so alert your advisor and Graduate Director to watch for automated emails once you trigger the requests.【7b7025†L7-L12】
• Plan for the symposium presentation by sketching how you will share outcomes at the Spring 2026 Graduate Research Symposium, demonstrating a clear path from fieldwork to public dissemination.【544fb5†L13-L19】

Post-award expectations

Awardees must present their fellowship-supported research during the UCSC Graduate Research Symposium in Spring 2026 and remain in good academic standing while executing their summer projects.【544fb5†L13-L19】