The Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGESW), with support from the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), will begin accepting applications for its Pre-Dissertation Fellows Program on March 1, 2024. The application deadline is June 1, 2024.
The mission of the Pre-Dissertation Fellows Program is to provide doctoral students committed to the field of aging with the training and mentoring necessary to prepare them for a career as a gerontological social work faculty member.
Program Eligibility
An applicant must at the time of application be:
- enrolled in a U.S. social work (or related field) PhD only program
- in the first or second year of their PhD program (or equivalent if part-time)
- a graduate of a Master of Social Work Program
Program Training & Financial Benefits
Professional Development Training
- One-hour virtual meeting for networking, conference prep, and Q&A
- Ten hours of training at the 2024 GSA Annual Scientific Meeting
- Nationally recognized faculty experts in Gerontological Social Work will provide training focused on navigating the dissertation process; working with quantitative and qualitative methods; writing for publication; teaching strategies; and effective networking
- Three professional development webinars held in the spring of 2025
- Ongoing connection, networking, and mentoring opportunities though AGESW
Financial Benefits
- $1,200 stipend to attend AGESW Pre-Dissertation Fellows Training at 2024 GSA annual meeting
- One-year memberships to AGESW and GSA organizations
- Registration fee for the 2024 GSA Conference
The Application
- Applicant Information and Curriculum Vita
- Personal statement that is two pages, single-spaced, with one-inch margins that addresses:
- State how you meet the program eligibility criteria outlined above.
- How your professional and personal experiences inform your desire to work as an academic in the field of gerontological social work.
- Your professional goals for working as an academic in the field of gerontological social work. Please include a discussion of your research interests.
- Your perspective on how the Fellows Program will enhance the educational and professional development opportunities you are receiving in your doctoral program.
- A letter of support from an institutional faculty sponsor indicating: 1) the applicant’s match to the Program’s goal of preparing PhD students for academia; 2) the applicant’s capacity to develop into a competitive candidate for an academic career; and 3) how the applicant meets program eligibility criteria
- A letter from your program director confirming $600 institutional support for attending the 2024 GSA Annual Scientific Meeting
- Submit application online
Questions: Cara Wallace (cara.wallace@slu.edu); Stephanie Wladkowski (swladko@bgsu.edu)