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, 2025. The application deadline is June 1, 2025.
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 1st or 2nd 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 preparation, and Q&A
- Ten hours of training at the 2025 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 2026
- Ongoing connection, networking, and mentoring opportunities through AGESW
Financial Benefits
- $1,200 stipend to attend AGESW Pre-Dissertation Fellows Training at the 2025 GSA Annual Scientific Meeting
- One-year memberships to AGESW and GSA organizations
- Registration fee for the 2025 GSA Conference
Program Application
Applications should include the following materials:
- Applicant information (provided via submission portal below)
- Current curriculum vita
- Personal statement that is two pages, single-spaced, with one-inch margins that address:
- 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 Pre-Dissertation 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: (a) the applicant’s match to the Program’s goal of preparing PhD students for academia, (b) the applicant’s capacity to develop into a competitive candidate for an academic career, and (c) how the applicant meets program eligibility criteria
- A letter from your program director confirming $600 institutional support for attending the 2025 GSA Annual Scientific Meeting
Applications should be submitted here.
Please contact Program co-directors, Cara Wallace, PhD, LMSW, APHSW-C (cara.wallace@slu.edu) or Stephanie Wladkowski, PhD, LMSW, APHSW-C (swladko@bgsu.edu), with any questions.
