Lou Frey Institute Graduate Political Science Research Fellowship (PhD)

Criteria:

• Must be a student in the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs enrolled full time in the Security Studies PhD program.
• Must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.
• Must complete a letter of interest (double spaced) explaining motivation for application and why their work matters in civic life.
• Must provide 2-3 page research proposal, thesis proposal, or capstone project explaining how this research aligns with the civic education and civic engagement mission of the Lou Frey Institute; Example: Challenges and issues to US civic life; concerns about democracy and democratic education; the meaning of constitutional republicanism. APA format (7th ed.) is expected. Relevant citations should be included.
  • Note: If the student is providing their thesis or capstone project proposal instead of a 2-3 page research proposal, they will need to clearly highlight its relevance to Lou Frey Institute mission and goals. A thesis or capstone project proposal may exceed the 3 page/900 word maximum.
• Must provide a clear budget and budget narrative that explains how the applicant will spend money and its allocation for Year 1 and a possible Year 2 of award.
• Must provide a letter of recommendation from a professor in the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs. This letter should highlight academic capability, initiative, and classroom engagement. This letter may be from the faculty advisor, but it is not required.
• Must provide evidence of past civic engagement. This may include involvement in campaigns, attendance at community meetings, student or community leadership, or similar actions. While political engagement is welcome, non-partisan activities are especially favored, as they best reflect the goals of the Institute. Please note that we recognize that graduate work is time and energy intensive, so we do not necessarily expect evidence of recent engagement, though it is encouraged!
• Must provide IRB if required for this particular research

Additional Information:
This award covers one academic year, for a maximum of $2500.00. It is renewable for a second year. To be considered for a second year, students must:

• Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA in the major
• Maintain a minimum enrollment, dependent on whether the awardee is in candidacy
• Provide evidence from committee chair of progress with research proposal or dissertation

Definitions:
More information about the Lou Frey Institute can be found at: https://loufreyinstitute.org/

Limitations:
This Scholarship can pay over a student’s Cost of Attendance (COA). COA is the estimated amount it will cost a student to attend the university. Additional information about COA can be found at https://www.ucf.edu/financial-aid/cost/.

Contact:
College of Sciences