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  4. SGS Fellowship for Excellence
  5. Application Process

Application Process

  1. Home
  2. Professional Development
  3. Grad CareerCraft
  4. SGS Fellowship for Excellence
  5. Application Process

2026-2027 SGS Fellowship for Excellence

  1. Purpose and Vision

The SGS Fellowship for Excellence is one of the School of Graduate Studies’ premier awards, established to help graduate programs recruit and support the most talented Ph.D. students across all disciplines. The Fellowship recognizes academic excellence, research innovation, and leadership potential, providing top doctoral candidates with resources and visibility that foster success at Rutgers and beyond.

The SGS Fellowship for Excellence is grounded in the principle of Excellence. By investing in outstanding doctoral scholars, SGS strengthens Rutgers’ reputation for world-class research, innovation, and graduate education.

 

  1. Program Goals
  • Recruit the most exceptional doctoral candidates by offering competitive, merit-based awards that highlight Rutgers as a destination for excellence.
  • Recognize and reward academic excellence and research innovation among top applicants across all disciplines.
  • Build a community of scholarly leaders who exemplify intellectual rigor, collaboration, and leadership within and beyond their disciplines.
  • Showcase the impact of excellence-driven fellowships on enhancing Rutgers’ academic reputation and global competitiveness.

 

  1. Timeline
  • Jan. 20: GPD Nomination period opens.
  • Feb. 20: Nomination period closes
  • Mar. 6: Final Selection Committee aggregates ratings and categorizes nominees as Award, Wait List, Deny
  • Mar. 11: GPDs notified of nominee status. The fellowship will become official after we receive your confirmation of nominee’s acceptance.

 

  1. SGS Fellowship for Excellence: A Strategic Investment in Excellence

The SGS Fellowship for Excellence is not merely a financial award, it is a strategic investment in doctoral excellence that supports recruitment, visibility, and measurable outcomes. The program is structured around four key components:

Step 1: Selection and Nomination

Graduate programs nominate their most outstanding admitted Ph.D. students based on academic excellence, research accomplishments, and leadership potential. Programs are encouraged to submit two or more nominees, depending on program size. To submit a nomination for the SGS Fellowship for Excellence, please complete the online form available at the link below:

https://rutgersnewbrunswick.submittable.com/submit/341390/sgs-fellowship-for-excellence-2026-2027

Submittable Instructions:

  1. Create an Account (if needed):
    If you have not used Submittable before, you will need to create a free account using your email address before accessing the form.
  2. Complete All Required Sections:
    The form includes the following key sections:
    • Acknowledgment of your program’s review commitment
    • Graduate program and nominator information
    • Nominee’s full name, RUID, and admission status for Fall 2026
    • Evaluation of the nominee’s academic excellence, research innovation, and leadership potential
    • A program nomination statement (up to 500 words)
    • Required uploads: nominee’s CV and academic transcripts
    • Optional uploads: supporting materials (e.g., publications, awards, research or leadership statements)
  3. Review and Submit:
    At the end of the form, confirm the accuracy of the information and submit the nomination. A confirmation email will be sent to the address provided.

Please ensure that the nomination is submitted by the Graduate Program Director (GPD) or an authorized designee.

As outlined in Section 1 of the nomination form, all nominators are expected to participate in the review of fellowship applications from other programs within the same disciplinary cluster. This peer review process helps ensure a fair and collaborative selection process.

If you have any questions about the form or encounter technical issues, feel free to reach out to the SGS team, Diego Chica (diegochk@grad.rutgers.edu).

Step2: Review and Awarding Process

  • Faculty evaluators are drawn from all major disciplinary clusters within SGS, ensuring balanced representation.
  • Evaluators do not review nominations from their own programs to maintain fairness and impartiality.
  • Each nominee is reviewed by three faculty members who score and rank candidates according to the evaluation rubric.
  • Approximately 20 Dean’s Fellowships will be offered this year.
  • Funding will continue to be awarded until all available fellowship funds have been allocated.

Step 3: Building a Community of Scholarly Leaders

Fellows form a visible and connected cohort within SGS. They are welcomed each year through a formal event hosted by the Dean, featured in online profiles, and linked through a Dean’s Fellows Network on Canvas and LinkedIn. These platforms support mentorship, professional growth, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Step 4: Evaluating Excellence: An Impact Study

SGS maintains a structured system to track the progress and outcomes of Fellows throughout their doctoral journey and into their early careers. This tracking allows SGS to assess the impact of the Fellowship on academic achievement, research productivity, and leadership outcomes relative to peers.

In addition, SGS will conduct an IRB-approved research study to evaluate the effectiveness of the Dean’s Fellowship in advancing doctoral excellence and success. Using a mixed-methods design, the study will track fellowship recipients from admission through post-graduation and compare them with non-recipients on key indicators such as time to degree, research productivity, and early career outcomes. The results will inform graduate education policy and highlight the value of investing in excellence-driven doctoral funding.