IRP Dissertation Research Fellowship

Additional Qualifications | Project Proposals | Summary of Proposal Contents | 2009–2010 Dissertation Research Fellow

IRP is often able to support at least one poverty-related dissertation research project each year with the financial support of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A call for proposals is released early in the spring semester and results are announced in April. (Subscribe to the IRP Announcements listserv to receive the call.) Only University of Wisconsin–Madison doctoral students may apply, and proposals must be sponsored by an IRP faculty affiliate. Funding levels vary, but usually are at the level of a 50% Research Assistant. Awards begin in fall and last for up to 12 months.

We welcome proposals to support poverty-related dissertations on any topic, but special consideration will be given to projects that contribute to the three IRP focal themes identified in our Poverty Center proposal for this period: supporting healthy families, promoting self-sufficiency, and understanding the reorganization of social policy. The following ASPE priority areas touch on these three themes: (1) strategies to encourage work, self-reliance, parent responsibility, community, and child well-being; (2) the changing labor market and its influence on low-income families with children; (3) nonmarital childbearing, teen pregnancy, and healthy marriage; (4) youth transition to adulthood; and (5) state- and local-level policy, programs, and interventions. Funding decisions will be based first and most importantly on the scientific merit or potential of the proposed research and its relevance to the core mission of the Institute.

Additional Qualifications

Funding is available to students who will have completed their required coursework by September and can reasonably expect to complete their Ph.D. within one or two academic years. Preference will be given to students who have participated in the IRP Graduate Research Fellows Program; however, any student sponsored by an IRP faculty affiliate may apply. In addition, all IRP applicants must show proof of application for outside funding support from another source in order to be considered for this award. Proof of application may be demonstrated by a letter or e-mail from the other potential funder that acknowledges receipt of your application. No student will be allowed to receive both the IRP award and another similar award from a third party.

Project Proposals

Proposals should be no longer than 10 pages double-spaced and must clearly describe the primary research questions and how this research will make an original contribution to the literature; the proposed methodology and data sources; and current status and expected date of completion. Please include a current CV. Proposals must include a letter of sponsorship from an IRP affiliate.

The letter of sponsorship from the IRP affiliate should address the merits of the project, the faculty affiliate’s level of involvement (e.g., chair of dissertation committee, collaborator on related project, etc.), and expected date of completion of the dissertation. Affiliates are asked to sponsor no more than one project per year.

Summary of Proposal Contents

1. Cover page listing

• Student’s name, department, contact information, and history of participation in the IRP Graduate Research Fellows program
• Faculty sponsor’s name
• Project title and abstract

2. Description of proposed work, no more than 10 pages double-spaced

• Research question, relevance to IRP priorities, original contribution to the literature
• Research design, methodology and data sources
• Current status/preliminary work and expected completion date

3. Current CV

4. Optional: copy of dissertation proposal or other supporting documentation

5. Documentation that the proposal was entered in at least one additional outside dissertation competition

2009–2010 IRP Dissertation Research Fellow

Callie Langton, a School of Social Work graduate student who is earning a special committee degree in public policy, was awarded IRP's 2009–2010 Dissertation Research Fellowship.

Langton's dissertation, "Pathways to Increasing Child Health: Implications for Policy, Research, and Practice," comprises three stand-alone papers. Two of the papers use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to examine: (1) associations between Earned Income Tax Credit receipt and child health insurance coverage and child health outcomes, and (2) the relationships between the presence of non-biological parents in children's homes, parental marital status, and children’s health insurance coverage status. The third paper uses a local Wisconsin dataset to examine cross-informant variance in health related quality of life reporting for children. IRP affiliate Lawrence Berger (Social Work) is Langton's faculty sponsor.