AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship Program in Education Research

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Research was established in 1991 by the AERA Council. Its core objective is to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of scholars, faculty, and researchers within the education research field. The fellowship specifically supports doctoral candidates from groups historically underrepresented in higher education, including African Americans, Alaskan Natives, American Indians, Asian Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders. AERA aims to develop these students’ research capabilities and support their advancement into academic and applied research careers. This fellowship program offers financial and professional development resources to doctoral students at the dissertation stage. Fellows receive a stipend to support living and research expenses, along with access to mentoring and capacity-building activities. These efforts are intended to help candidates successfully complete their dissertations and enhance their competitiveness for research-focused faculty roles or other professional positions in education policy and practice. Alumni of the program have gone on to prestigious postdoctoral roles and faculty appointments at leading universities, as well as positions in policy and research organizations. The fellowship supports research in a wide array of educational topics including school experiences, STEM education, ethnic studies, achievement gaps, and more, across all education levels from early childhood to workforce development. Methodologies may include quantitative, qualitative, archival, or mixed methods. Research involving specific racial/ethnic groups, genders, social classes, or individuals with disabilities is especially encouraged. Fellows are expected to use rigorous scientific approaches and to include positionality discussions where applicable. Each award includes a stipend of up to $25,000 for research-related expenses, including tuition, books, travel, and software. Fellows are also required to attend and present at the AERA Annual Meeting and participate in a mentoring and career development workshop. This workshop supports fellows in transitioning from graduate school to academic or research careers and includes guidance from experienced scholars and committee members. Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are at the dissertation writing stage by the start of the award and must demonstrate advancement to candidacy. Applications must include a dissertation prospectus, timeline, budget, CV, transcript, and two recommendation letters, one of which should come from the dissertation advisor. All components are submitted through the AERA Apply portal. The application deadline for the 2025–26 fellowship cycle was November 10, 2025. The award period begins in July 2026 and spans one year. The program is annual, and prospective applicants are encouraged to monitor the AERA website for the next call for proposals and webinar updates.

Focus on rigorous research methods and clear dissemination plans.