Fellowships & Funding

These scholarships must be coordinated through the GenCen Undergrad Advisor in conjunction with a Community Engaged Research Internship.

Eligibility:

• Students must have a GPA of 2.0 or higher as well as demonstrated academic or professional experience relevant to the research project and/or organization where they wish to intern.
• The student must submit a completed Internship Application form to the GenCen Advisor and receive approval from the Women’s and Gender Studies director by the deadline indicated.
• To apply for a Community Engaged Research Scholarship, include an additional 1-3 paragraphs in your personal statement describing your financial need.

Before beginning the research internship, students must successfully complete MSU’s initial online IRB training.

More details on this scholarship can be found on our internships page.

Applications for GenCen education abroad scholarships for London and Malawi Summer 2026 programs are due on February 14th, 2027, via email to gencen@msu.edu

GenCen is pleased to be able to award scholarships of up to $1,000 to students attending the Summer 2027 Education Abroad program in London (Sex, Politics, and Culture in Global London) or Malawi (Global Impact: International NGO Internships).

Students are eligible to apply if they are:

• Enrolled in a Women's & Gender Studies degree program (WGS major/minor or LGBTQ minor).
• Have at least a 3.0 GPA.
• Have demonstrated the capacity to make a difference in public service upon graduation.

Applications Must Include:

• A cover letter expressing interest in the scholarship, how the education abroad program furthers their scholarly interests, and how they plan to use their women's and gender studies degree after graduation.
• A resume or CV.
• Preference will be given to students demonstrating financial need.

Submit materials by March 1st to gencen@msu.edu. Please contact the GenCen advisor Pat Arnold if you have any questions.

The Center for Gender in Global Context conducts this annual activism competition named in honor of Tracy Dobson's tireless efforts to bring gender equity to MSU as well as her efforts in launching MSU's enhanced plan to recruit and retain women faculty and administrators. Her commitment to inform and inspire students to work for social justice profoundly influenced the future careers of many students as they pursued work in law, nonprofits, policy orgs and academia. Professor Dobson retired in 2011 from MSU's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.

The Dobson award honors an MSU undergraduate student or student org who have earned distinction through exemplary local, national, or international activism on behalf of gender equity and social justice. The award recognizes those who have achieved a leadership position on behalf of their chosen cause. Evidence of commitment to a feminist cause through their college career as well as dedication to a career in some aspect of gender equity and social justice is encouraged in the nomination letter. Students are encouraged to nominate themselves or another student/student org they believe deserves recognition.

To apply for the award, students must submit a 1-3-page nomination for the student or student org describing their contribution to a feminist cause. Resumes, letters of support from a supervisor, co-worker, peer activist, or MSU faculty/staff mentor, or other supporting documents are encouraged but not require).

Applications Due March 1st (Application form linked here)

Applications will be reviewed by a faculty/staff committee, and the award will be presented at the following GenCen Annual Reception. The awarded student will receive a $300.00 prize.

The Center for Gender in Global Context invites MSU undergraduate students to submit a paper for its annual Mary Anderson Gender in Global Perspective award. 

Named in honor of former MSU Women's Studies scholar Mary Anderson, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 1993 after a tireless career advocating for women's rights locally and globally. The paper should have been completed within the past academic year and should focus on issues related to women and gender in global perspective. Papers should be approximately 15-20 double-spaced pages in length. Exceptional student projects in other formats are also welcome for submission (films, oral histories, creative or digital media productions, etc.), provided that they fit the theme of the award.

Applications Due March 1st (Application form linked here)

Papers will be reviewed by a faculty committee, and the award will be presented at the next GenCen Annual Reception. The awarded student will receive a $300.00 prize.

The Research Consortium on Gender-based Violence (RCGV) in collaboration with the Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen) is excited to provide a $300 award for the best undergraduate paper related to gender-based violence. Gender-based violence includes any form of harm that is both a consequence and cause of gender power inequities. It can be physical, psychological, sexual, economic, or sociocultural, and includes but is not limited to sexual abuse, rape, intimate partner abuse, incest, sexual harassment, stalking, femicide, trafficking, gendered hate crimes and dowry abuse.

Papers for the undergraduate student submission should have been completed within the past academic year and should focus on any issue related to gender-based violence. Papers should be approximately 15-20 double-spaced pages in length with a title page and list of references. The student submitting the paper should be first author if it is a multi-author published or conference paper.

Applications due March 1st (Application form linked here)

Papers will be reviewed by a committee of faculty/graduate student members of the Research Consortium on Gender-based Violence. The award will be presented at the next GenCen Annual Reception. The awarded student will receive a $300.00 prize.

The Center for Gender in Global Context conducts this annual graduate student paper competition, named for Rita S. Gallin, Professor of Sociology at Michigan State University, in honor of her 13 years as director of the Women and International Development Program and her scholarship in the area of women, gender, international development, and globalization. The paper should have been written within the past academic year, should be approximately 20 double-spaced pages in length, and should focus on issues related to women, gender, international development, and globalization.

Applications due March 1st (Application form linked here)

Papers will be reviewed by a faculty committee, and the award will be presented at the next GenCen Annual Reception. Winning authors will receive a $300.00 prize.

The application for the 2027-2028 GJEC Dissertation Fellowships is now open! Applications are due March 1st, 2027 and can be sent to Pat Arnold.

The Gender, Justice, and Environmental Change (GJEC) Program, at the Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen), offers fellowships for MSU graduate students annually. Enrollment in the GJEC program is not required. Generous funding provided by MSU’s Graduate School allows us to offer fellowship opportunities in the following two categories:

GJEC Dissertation Research Fellowship (Up to $10,000)

Eligibility:

Ph.D. students at MSU who have completed all requirements for their degree with the exception of their dissertation research. Applicants must have dissertation projects that focus specifically on the gender dimensions of environmental and/or agricultural change. Students must have a dissertation proposal approved by their home department prior to the disbursement of funding.

Application requirements:

• Completed Application Form [.docx] with Research Budget Itemization
• Five-page (double-spaced) Summary of the Dissertation Research
• Letter of Recommendation from Dissertation Committee Chair
• Curriculum Vitae

GJEC Dissertation Writing Fellowship (Up to $8,500)

Eligibility:

Ph.D. students at MSU who have completed dissertation research and all other requirements for their degree program, except for the final stages of the dissertation, and expect to graduate within the upcoming academic year. Students must have a dissertation proposal approved by their home department prior to the disbursement of funding.

Application requirements:

• Completed Application Form [.docx]
• Five-page (double-spaced) Summary of the Dissertation Proposal
• Letter of Recommendation from Dissertation Committee Chair
• Curriculum Vitae

We encourage previously unsuccessful applicants to reapply.

Submit completed applications and all supporting documents in .doc, .docx, or .PDF format to the GJEC Advisor, Pat Arnold.

*Awards are contingent upon funds approval and funding will first be applied to any outstanding MSU bills, including MSU short-term loans, tuition bills, etc.

Note: Fellowships are awarded as a lump sum and do not include tuition waivers or benefits. Students awarded the fellowships cannot receive more than the equivalent of a one-quarter time assistantship from other sources during the semester in which they receive the award. It is highly recommended that students also consult with their department and home college regarding their policies for the award of dissertation funding.

The application for the 2027-2028 WGS Dissertation Fellowships is now open! Applications are due March 1st 2027 to Pat Arnold.

The Women's & Gender Studies (WGS) Program and the Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen) offers Women's and Gender Studies fellowships for MSU graduate students annually. Enrollment in the WGS graduate specialization is not required. Generous funding provided by MSU’s Graduate School allows us to offer between 8-10 fellowship opportunities in the following two categories:

WGS Dissertation Research Fellowship (Up to $10,000)

Eligibility:

Ph.D. students at MSU who have completed all requirements for their degree with the exception of their dissertation research. Applicants must have dissertation projects that incorporate a significant focus on women, gender, or sexuality. Students must have a dissertation proposal approved by their home department prior to the disbursement of funding.

Application requirements:

• Completed Application Form [.docx] with Research Budget Itemization
• Five-page (double-spaced) Summary of the Dissertation Research
• Letter of Recommendation from Dissertation Committee Chair
• Curriculum Vitae

WGS Dissertation Writing Fellowship (Up to $8,500)

Eligibility:

Ph.D. students at MSU who have completed dissertation research and all other requirements for their degree program, except for the final stages of the dissertation, and expect to graduate in the upcoming academic year. Applicants must have dissertation projects that incorporate a significant focus on women, gender, or sexuality. Students must have a dissertation proposal approved by their home department prior to the disbursement of funding.

Application requirements:

• Completed Application Form [.docx]
• Five-page (double-spaced) Summary of the Dissertation Proposal
• Letter of Recommendation from Dissertation Committee Chair
• Curriculum Vitae

We encourage previously unsuccessful applicants to reapply.

Submit completed applications and all supporting documents in .doc, .docx, or .PDF format to the WGS Advisor, Pat Arnold.

*Awards are contingent upon funds approval and funding will first be applied to any outstanding MSU bills, including MSU short-term loans, tuition bills, etc.

Note: Fellowships are awarded as a lump sum and do not include tuition waivers or benefits. Students awarded the fellowships cannot receive more than the equivalent of a one-quarter time assistantship from other sources during the semester in which they receive the award. It is highly recommended that students also consult with their department and home college regarding their policies for the award of dissertation funding.

Conference Funding is currently open for the 2026-2027 academic year specifically for:

• Conference presentations within the WGS field (e.g., NWSA)
• Conference presentations for projects with a focus on transgender communities, health, or advocacy

When funds are available, GenCen awards grants of up to $500 to support graduate students who will be delivering papers or other presentations on research related to Women's and Gender Studies at academic conferences, with a preference for students presenting at conferences in the field of Women's and Gender Studies. A student may only apply for this grant once per academic year, and preference will be given to qualified applicants who have not previously received these funds. These funds should be used to supplement support from the student's home department or the Graduate School. Students must apply for this funding prior to their travel; funding will not be retroactively applied to travel already undertaken. Please note that the student must be registered for at least one credit in the semester that funding is awarded.

Funds will be awarded on a rolling basis throughout the academic year.

Applications must include:

• Evidence that a paper/presentation was accepted at an academic conference.
• A current CV.
• Evidence of support from student's home department.
• An estimated budget of costs to be incurred.
• Evidence, such as an abstract, that the presentation fits GenCen's current funding priorities

Electronic submission of materials is encouraged. Please email materials in Word or PDF format to gencen@msu.edu.

Research Collection Funding is currently open for the 2026-2027 academic year.

When funds are available, GenCen awards research grants of up to $500 each to graduate students whose major research focus is women's and gender studies. These funds will be used to support engagement in preliminary exploratory research in advance of writing a dissertation grant proposal. A student may only apply and be awarded this grant once in their graduate career, and these funds should supplement funds awarded by the student's home department and/or the Graduate School. Please note that the student must be registered for at least one credit in the semester that funding is awarded.

Funds will be awarded on a rolling basis throughout the academic year.

Applications must include:

• A cover letter describing the student's graduate program and project.
• A current CV.
• A letter of support from the student's major advisor.
• Evidence of support from student's home department and/or the Graduate School.
• An estimated budget of costs to be incurred.
• Evidence, such as an abstract, that the project has a strong emphasis on gender

Electronic submission of materials is encouraged. Please email materials in Word or PDF format to gencen@msu.edu.

Applications for Summer 2026 Teaching Roles are pending and will be announced by late fall semester 2026.

The Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen) hires advanced PhD students as instructors to teach online, asynchronous WGS core courses each summer, including:

• WS 201: Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies (two sections: summer I and summer II)
• WS 202: Introduction to Contemporary Feminisms and Gender Theories
• WS 301: Sexual Violence Against Women and Children
• WS 304: LGBTQ and Sexuality Studies

WS 403: Women and Change in Developing Countries.

These courses are offered in online and asynchronous modality only.

Preferred Applicant Qualifications:

• Enrollment in or completion of GenCen graduate specialization:
  • Gender, Justice, and Environmental Change (GJEC)
  • Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS)
  • International Development (GSID)
• Previous teaching experience
• Women's and Gender Studies coursework completed

Application Requirements:

• A cover letter expressing:
  • interest and experience in a specified course
  • qualifications for teaching that course
  • 1-2 paragraph teaching philosophy
• A proposed course syllabus
  • Sample WS 201 Syllabus
  • Sample WS 201 Summer Syllabus
  • Sample WS 201 Summer Syllabus 2
  • Sample WS 202 Syllabus
  • Sample WS 202 Summer Syllabus
  • Sample WS 301 Syllabus
  • Sample WS 304 Syllabus
  • Sample WS 304 Summer Syllabus
  • Sample WS 403 Syllabus
  • Sample WS403 Summer Syllabus
• A current C.V. that lists relevant coursework completed
• A letter of support from the student’s program advisor (recommended)