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Alvin H. Johnson AMS 50 Fellowships provide funding for the final year of PhD dissertation work and are awarded on the basis of academic merit. Fellows receive a twelve-month stipend, currently set at $25,000. They may also elect to accept the award on a non-stipendiary basis (thus freeing scarce resources for others). The fellowships are intended for full-time study. There are no provisions for the payment of tuition. The fellowships are not intended for support of the early stages of research. It is expected that a fellow’s dissertation will be completed within the fellowship year. Fellows are selected in the spring and announced in the summer.

Application Materials

Please see the application form for additional details regarding allowable formatting, required content and allowable submission filetypes for each document. Applications to the AMS 50 Fellowship must include:

  1. A brief (1,000 character) dissertation project description
  2. A current dissertation proposal of 2,000-4,000 words, including a detailed rationale of the project and an overview of each chapter
  3. A timeline (1-2 pages) for completion of the dissertation
  4. A sample chapter or excerpt (preferably not an introductory chapter reviewing the literature) not exceeding 60 double-spaced pages in length
  5. A letter from the registrar or departmental Director of Graduate Studies, attesting to ABD (all-but-dissertation) status.

Note: All documents should include the name of your project, but omit personally identifying information, such as your name and institution.

Eligibility

Any submission for a doctoral degree in which the emphasis is on musical scholarship will be eligible. Any student registered in good standing for a doctorate at a North American university — defined as all 23 countries on the North American continent— and who has completed all formal degree requirements except the dissertation at the time of full application is eligible to apply.

An equivalent major award from another source may not be held concurrently or consecutively unless the AMS award is accepted without a stipend. Fellowships are for one year and are not deferrable or renewable. Fellows are expected to focus on completing their dissertations and not to undertake more than twenty (20) hours each week of paid or unpaid employment during the fellowship term.

Frequently Asked Questions

What platform do I use to submit my application?

The AMS uses the Submittable platform for fellowship and grant applications. To access the application form, please follow the application link and create a Submittable account. All application materials must be uploaded to Submittable.

What needs to be included in my dissertation proposal document?

The proposal should include a detailed rationale of the project (supported by, but not limited to, an assessment of relevant secondary literature) and an overview of each chapter. It should be a sourced document with footnotes, endnotes, and/or bibliography. Word count does not include footnotes, endnotes, or bibliography. This document should include the name of your project, but omit personally identifying information, such as your name and institution.

What needs to be included on my timeline of dissertation completion document?

The timeline should indicate all milestones (completion of exams, proposal approval, etc.) that are relevant for your program/institution. This document should include the name of your project, but omit personally identifying information, such as your name and institution.

How do I procure a letter attesting to my ABD status for the purposes of this application?

Your letter must be requested using the reference request feature included in the application form, so have your attestor’s name and email handy when filling in the form. You may send this letter request at any time, even before you are ready to submit the application.

Am I eligible for the AMS 50 Fellowship if I am not an ABD candidate?

You must have achieved ABD or equivalent status at the time of your application to be eligible for the AMS 50 Dissertation Completion Fellowship. The expectation is that you will use fellowship funds to finalize your dissertation research and complete your degree.

Am I eligible for the AMS 50 Fellowship if I live outside of the United States or Canada?

Graduate students enrolled at universities in all 23 countries of the North American continent are eligible for the AMS 50 Fellowship. Eligibility is determined according to the location of the university where you are currently enrolled, not by your citizenship or the location of your current residence.

Can I accept the AMS 50 Fellowship if I have received a similar dissertation completion fellowship or grant?

In order to accept an AMS 50 Fellowship while holding a similar dissertation completion fellowship, you must accept the fellowship on a non-stipendary basis. Recipients who receive the AMS 50 Fellowship with the accompanying stipend may not concurrently hold an equivalent award.

How do I submit my application materials?
  • Applicants must submit items 1-4 above, through the Submittable application, i.e., without name or evidence of institutional affiliation in any document (including text, headers, footers, footnotes and document properties). Please be particularly careful not to name university-based sources of funding or other institutional information in the prospectus and timeline.
  • Start your application process early. You may save an incomplete form and continue later. You MUST click the ‘Submit‘ button at the end of the form to submit your application. Applications not submitted by the deadline cannot be considered.

Upon submission of your application form you will receive an email confirmation. You may also check the status of your application by signing into your Submittable account and clicking “My Submissions”. If you have any questions, please contact ams@amsmusicology.org.

Funding News

Stay abreast of recent AMS grant and fellowship awards on our News & Updates page. The AMS funds a wide variety of individuals and projects, and keeping up with them can give you insight into future disciplinary trends and conversations.

Funding News

 

Past Recipients

The AMS has been a major provider of dissertation fellowships in music studies for decades. Peruse our searchable table of Past Recipients to see the extraordinary individuals the Society has supported over the years.

Past Recipients

 

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