Texas Tech University

Doctoral Fellowships

Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowships

The Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship (DDCF) is a competitive award designed to increase Ph.D. completion rates and enhance the recruitment of new students. Doctoral candidates awarded will receive support for their final year of dissertation work. Departmental/college/grant funds previously used to support the DDCF recipient must be used to recruit a new Ph.D. student.

DDCF recipients can receive up to 12 months of RA funding provided by the Graduate School. The length of funding is dependent on when recipients expect to graduate, and stipends will match their current assistantship funding level (RA, TA, or GPTI). Additional funding can be awarded by the academic department to supplement the fellowship. This enables recipients to focus exclusively on completing their dissertation without having the responsibilities of their teaching/research assistantships or external employment. Health insurance, waivers, and in-state tuition support will also continue, if applicable.

More information on eligibility criteria, required departmental commitments, the nomination process, and the timetable for the nomination cycle can be found below.

Eligibility Criteria

Nominees must meet all of the following:

  • Must be Advanced to Ph.D. candidacy by beginning of fall award period – 1st day of classes.
  • Must be Scheduled to hold an assistantship (RA, TA, or GPTI) for 26-27 academic year.
    • Students whose assistantship ends before Fall 2026 are not eligible.
  • Must have not received a Distinguished Graduate Student Assistantship
    (DGSA) previously.
  • Must remain under the 99 doctoral credit hour cap throughout the fellowship year.
    • Texas law prohibits state funding of doctoral students beyond 99 hours.
  • Must complete the Ph.D. within:
    • 8 years of starting the doctoral program or
    • 4 years from candidacy – whichever comes first
      • Extensions require advance approval from the Graduate Dean.
  • Must be on campus (not remote) during the fellowship and not engage in any outside employment.

Departmental Commitments

  • Departments must reallocate the recipient’s prior funding to recruit a new graduate student.
    • Note: The new student cannot be awarded a DGSA.
    • If no new student is recruited, the DDCF award will be revoked.
  • Nominations must clearly demonstrate:
    • The eligibility of the nominee, and
    • The availability of recruitment funds

Nomination Process

Students may not apply directly. Nominations must come from faculty and include contributions from the nominee’s advisor and program.

  • Step 1: Preliminary Nomination
    • Submit basic nominee information confirming eligibility and departmental
      readiness to recruit a new student.
  • Step 2: Full Nomination (by invitation only based on preliminary nomination)
    • Required materials include:
      • Major advisor CV and nomination letter
      • Program/department endorsement
      • Nominee CV, personal and research statement
      • Projected dissertation completion timeline
      • Recruitment plan for new student

DDCF 2026-2027 Timeline

Preliminary Nominations Open October 1
Deadline for Preliminary Nominations October 25
Nominators Informed if Eligible to Submit Full Nomination October 31
Full Nominations Deadline December 15
Awards Announced February 15
Notice of Acceptance of Award by Student Deadline/Submit Name of the Newly Recruited Student Deadline April 15

 

Nominations Closed

 

 

Recipients

Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship Award 2024-2025

See Recipients

Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Fellowships

Administration Building 328
T. 806.742.2787
gradfellowships@ttu.edu