End of Dissertation Award

Goal: To provide scholars who are near completion of their Ph.D. with opportunities for professional exposure, to facilitate freedom and flexibility in their job search.  The WiSE Program will provide End of Dissertation awards to USC Ph.D. students who are completing the last year of their Ph.D. in science and engineering departments on the University Park Campus. Postdoctoral fellows who graduated from a USC Ph.D. program and are in their first year of a postdoctoral fellowship, hired lecturer or TA position (in a WiSE-eligible department) at USC will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and should contact the WiSE Program Manager for more information.

The award will be approved in cases where the proposed activities serve to increase the representation of women in science and engineering, and benefit the student’s scholarly and professional development.

Award Amount: Proposals will be considered for funds up to $1500, contingent on the availability of funds and the relevancy of the proposed activities.  

Eligibility:

  • The applicant must be a full-time USC graduate student (completing the last year of the Ph.D.) in a WiSE-eligible department in the Viterbi School of Engineering or USC Dornsife College. Priority will be given to USC students in the last year of their PhD, but applicants who are in the first year of their Postdoctoral Fellowship at USC and who graduated with a Ph.D. from USC should contact the Program Manager for more information.
  • Applicants may only receive one WiSE End of Dissertation Award during their time at USC  
  • The application must be submitted at least one month prior to the proposed activities. No retroactive reimbursements will be authorized.

Application Process: Applications materials should be submitted electronically to WiSE using the online system. All documents should be in Adobe PDF format. A complete application includes the following required documents:

  • Description of the activities: briefly describe the nature of the proposed activities, how they will advance your educational and professional development, and in particular, how they will facilitate your job search; provide any other relevant information.
  • Budget: provide an itemized list of reasonable estimates for the expense of the proposed activities.
  • Letter of Support from Advisor: a letter from the candidate’s advisor that a) explains how the proposed activities are important to the student’s educational and professional advancement and specifically their job search; b) states how the proposed activates will further the goals of the WiSE Program to increase the number of women in science and engineering. The justification should be based only on the candidate and not on the benefits to the advisor.

Award Process: The End of Dissertation Award Program is administered by the Manager of the WiSE Program. Reimbursement of the award amount will take place after submission of all receipts, according to University regulations. Applicants will be notified via e-mail as to the status of their application. The e-mail confirmation will serve as official notice of the award and should be included with the request for reimbursement. Requests for reimbursement should be directed to the student’s Home Department Coordinator and processed through the “WiSE Travel Grant Fund” in either USC Dornsife or the Viterbi School of Engineering. No money will be transacted through the WiSE Program Office.