The Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship Program (KDFP) is an annual competitive program that awards up to 15 Dissertation Fellowship grants of $15,000 each to Ph.D., D.B.A., or other doctoral students at accredited U.S. universities to support dissertations in the area of entrepreneurship.
Since its establishment in 2003, the KDFP has received more than a thousand proposals and supported 153 dissertations on various topics related to entrepreneurship from a wide range of disciplines while maintaining an overall high quality of research.
This program helps launch the careers of emerging world-class entrepreneurship scholars, who have gone on to find positions in top-tier universities, research arms of federal agencies, and private industry, thus laying a foundation for future scientific advancement. The findings generated by this effort will be translated into knowledge with immediate application for policymakers, educators, service providers, and entrepreneurs as well as high-quality academic research.
Eligibility
Ph.D., D.B.A., or other students seeking doctoral degrees from accredited U.S. institutions of higher education are eligible to apply for a Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship grant. This program is intended for students who are in the process of formulating their dissertation proposal as well as doctoral candidates with recently approved dissertation proposals. It is expected that applicants will complete the dissertation by the conclusion of the 2015–2016 academic year. Grants will not be distributed until doctoral candidates have received their institution’s approval for the dissertation proposal.
Funding
Grant awards may be used to pay for costs associated with the student’s dissertation, including data collection and analysis, travel, and course buyouts. In addition, grant funds may be used to purchase databases or specialized hardware/software. The individuals who are selected as Kauffman Dissertation Fellows will receive their monies directly, not through their affiliated institutions.
$12,000 of the grant award will be disbursed in January 2015. The remaining $3,000 will be disbursed upon completion of the dissertation and after the Kauffman Foundation has received all deliverables. It is expected that the dissertation will be completed by the conclusion of the 2015–2016 academic year. Requests for extensions will be considered on an individual basis.
Application deadline: 10 September 2014.
For further details and application please visit the Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship Program page.
