The Center for Russia, East Europe, & Central Asia (CREECA) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison invites applications for two pre-doctoral dissertation fellowships for Russian social scientists, funded with a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Fellows are expected to be in residence in Madison, Wisconsin, and to conduct research toward their dissertation about Russia in one or more of the five topic areas: 1) Education, labor markets, and inequality; 2) Law and society; 3) Political economy; 4) Identity, place, and migration; and 5) Demographic change. Graduate fellows will conduct research in consultation with UW faculty and form close contacts with UW PhD students working on similar topics.

The fellowships will commence in September 2017 and run through August 2018; fellows will be expected to participate in a conference in Madison in summer 2018 (conference dates TBD).

Eligibility: Applicants must be citizens of the Russian Federation and currently enrolled at a Russian university, writing a dissertation toward a PhD (or equivalent degree, such as the kandidat) in a social science discipline (Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Law, Political Science, and Sociology). Applicants from institutions outside of Moscow are especially encouraged to apply.

Fellows will be expected to register for a three-credit research course with a UW professor. Graduate fellows will receive tuition remission for the research course, health insurance, and a stipend of $1,500 per month to cover living expenses. (Tuition for courses beyond the research course are not covered by this fellowship, but fellows may be able to audit other graduate-level classes with permission of the professor.) Fellows must be prepared to cover their travel expenses to arrive in Madison for the fellowship.

All applicants are required to submit the following materials: 1) A cover letter. The letter should describe the research the applicant will conduct during the fellowship (including topic, data and methodology, and expected output by the end of the fellowship period), should indicate which topic area(s) of the five listed above the project falls under, and should identify a UW faculty member who would be an appropriate mentor for the applicant; 2) A current curriculum vita; 3) An article-length writing sample; 4) Transcripts of graduate-level work (unofficial transcripts are acceptable); and 5) Three letters of recommendation from faculty members who can evaluate the applicant’s work and proposal.