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Dissertation Fellowship Program

The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College sponsors the annual Dissertation Fellowship Program in the field of retirement or disability research. The program is funded by the U.S. Social Security Administration and provides funding opportunities for doctoral candidates to pursue cutting-edge research on retirement or disability issues. Individuals from historically underserved or underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply.

Applicants must demonstrate that their proposal focuses on at least one of SSA’s research focal areas:

Disparities by race, ethnicity, and sex;
Addressing barriers to disability program and SSI program participation;
Economic security of program applicants and beneficiaries;
Understanding service needs;
Understanding communication needs; and
Addressing employment barriers for people with disabilities.

Fellowship Awards

One $28,000 fellowship will be awarded to a doctoral candidate enrolled in an accredited program at a U.S. university. The grant recipient may be required to present their work to the Social Security Administration in Washington, DC or Baltimore, MD.