Funding Opportunities

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CALS Dissertation Support Awards

CALS Dissertation Support Awards

The Center for American Literary Studies, in collaboration with the College of the Liberal Arts, sponsors annual Departmental Dissertation Release Awards and Center and Institute Grants. These awards supplement the automatic dissertation semester release (Fall or Spring) from teaching or related service with the title “CALS Fellow,” and a research grant.

Humanities students named CALS Fellows will not only be excused from teaching or related duties (by means of an automatic Department Dissertation Release Award); they will also:

  • receive an additional grant of $1000 to support their research and related activities;
  • be affiliated with CALS and have opportunities to participate in and plan its activities;
  • share common experiences with others affiliated with CALS, and share work in progress with faculty and other graduate students;
  • profit from stimulating research environments and gain recognition for their affiliation with a Center or Institute.

How to Qualify and Apply

Students who wish to be considered for a Center and Institute Fellowship Award should forward an application to the Associate Dean’s Office care of . D. Scott Bennett, Associate Dean for Research, will review the applications and send them to centers and institutes for consideration.

Applications are due on the first Monday of April (April 1). Visit the Liberal Arts website for a full description of the program, its eligibility requirements, and the application process.

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Justin Smith, a past CALS Graduate Research Assistant and recipient of CALS travel funding, has accepted a position at Randolph-Macon College, where he will serve as an Assistant Professor of English and Black Studies. Congratulations, Justin, on this fantastic job market success!

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Sabrina Evans, winner of the 2022 CALS Summer Graduate Fellowship, has accepted a faculty position at Howard University, where she will serve as an Assistant Professor of English specializing in African American Literature. Howard is home to the Moorland Spingarn Research Center, whose archives are central to Sabrina's research. Congratulations, Sabrina, on this outstanding job market success!

Glew Headshot

Liana Glew, former CALS Dissertation Fellow and CALS Graduate Research Assistant, has accepted the role of Prison Education Program Manager with the Penn State College of Education's Restorative Justice Initiative. The RJI eliminates barriers to educational access and civic engagement for those who are currently and formerly incarcerated; since its founding in 2015, the initiative has worked with and provided resources to over 200 incarcerated individuals. In her new role, Liana will work to recruit and train additional instructors as part of the RJI's Higher Education in Prison program. Congratulations, Liana, on your job-market success—an important reminder of the range of meaningful, impactful work one can do with an English doctorate!

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Akash Belsare has accepted a tenure-track job beginning in Fall 2022 at University of Illinois—Springfield, where he will serve as Assistant Professor of English. Akash earned his PhD at Penn State in 2021 and he completed his dissertation--Humanimal Narratives: Genre and Animality in Contemporary Ethnic Literatures--under the direction of Tina Chen while being supported by a CALS Dissertation Support Award. Congratulations to Akash, and to Tina, for this outstanding success on the job market!