Dissertation Fellowship

The Louisville Institute Dissertation Fellowship offers $35,000 (USD) grants to support the final year of dissertation writing for Ph.D. or Th.D. students whose research focuses on Christian faith and life, the practice of ministry, religious trends and movements, Christian and other faith-based institutions, and religion and social issues in the United States and Canada. Dissertation projects may emerge from diverse fields such as history, systematic and practical theology, social sciences, ethics, biblical studies, or may be interdisciplinary in nature. Of particular interest to the Louisville Institute are projects with the potential to bridge church and academy, and to generate new knowledge that enriches the life of the church in North America. Students applying in 2026 should expect to complete their dissertations during the 2027 calendar year. Fellowship recipients also attend the Winter Seminar, a gathering where award recipients from three Louisville Institute programs share their projects and engage in valuable collaboration.