Vocation of the Theological Educator Doctoral Fellowship
ANNUAL APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 1
The Doctoral Fellowship program invites Ph.D. or Th.D. students to consider theological education as their vocation. Up to ten Fellowships of $2,000 a year for two years will be offered. In addition a colloquium of the ten Doctoral Fellows will meet twice during each fellowship year.
Eligibility
Applicants must be Ph.D. or Th.D. students, currently in their first or second year of doctoral study. Eligible proposals should describe the applicant’s commitment to the Christian church and theological education and suggest how his or her doctoral work would be an appropriate preparation of a career in theological school teaching. Applicants may represent a variety of academic disciplines, including, but not limited to, history, ethics, the social sciences, biblical studies, and historical, systematic, and practical theology.
In all its grantmaking, including the VTE Doctoral Fellowship program, the Louisville Institute is interested in funding persons and projects with the potential to strengthen the religious life of North American Christians and their institutions while simultaneously advancing American religious and theological scholarship.
Applicants may not submit applications to more than one Louisville Institute grant or fellowship program within the same grant year (June 1-May 31).
Questions about eligibility may be sent to info@louisville-institute.org
Application Procedure
Application forms may be downloaded from the Louisville Institute web site. Applications include:
- Applicant Information Form and Application Summary
- VTE Doctoral Fellowship Program Additional Information Form (This is a downloadable "fill-in" PDF file that allows you to type directly into the form and save the data. The saved PDF form can then be downloaded to the Institute with other requirements. Please do not exceed the space provided for your answers. To help ensure that your completed application is accessible to the Louisville Institute, please fill out your application in either Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat.)
- Application Essay of 500-1000 words (double-spaced and typed in a 12-point font) in which you indicate why you are applying for this fellowship. How do you see your teaching and scholarship serving the wider church and its ministries?
- Doctoral Mentor's Letter of Recommendation Please give the letter of recommendation form to the person writing on your behalf and ask him or her to return this form directly to the Louisville Institute along with the letter of recommendation. (To help ensure that your completed application is accessible to the Louisville Institute, please fill out your application in either Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat.)
- Second Letter of Recommendation Please give the letter of recommendation form to the person writing on your behalf and ask him or her to return this form directly to the Louisville Institute along with the letter of recommendation. (To help ensure that your completed application is accessible to the Louisville Institute, please fill out your application in either Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat.)
- One official copy of each of your graduate & professional school transcripts sent by the institutions directly to the Louisville Institute.
With the following exceptions, we prefer that you send most application materials by either uploading documents through our website or by e-mail attachments in either *.pdf or *.doc format to info@louisville-institute.org by the annual deadline.
- Transcripts must be submitted in hard copy.
- The letters of recommendation should be sent by the letter writers directly to the Louisville Institute by the application deadline. While it is our preference to receive them by hard copy on letterhead, letters will be accepted on letterhead by email attachment in *.pdf or *.doc format or by fax, with hard copy to follow.
- If you choose to send your entire proposal in hard copy, please assemble it in the order listed above using paper clips and not staples and mail to the office of the Louisville Institute by the annual deadline of March 1.
Duration of Award and Stipend
VTE Doctoral Fellowships will provide a stipend of $2,000 per year for two years. All tuition, medical insurance, and required fees are the responsibility of the student.
Conditions
In both years of their award, Doctoral Fellows are expected to participate in the colloquium which will meet twice during each fellowship year. Travel and lodging expenses for the colloquium will be covered by the Louisville Institute.