Boston College Sociology Department
Spring 2014
Instructions for Applying for the
Benedict S. Alper Graduate Fellowship and Ritchie P. Lowry Research Fellowship
Deadline: March 21, 2014
Please submit your application electronically to: alper@sarkisian.net
Ben Alper and Ritchie P. Lowry, both former faculty members of the Department of Sociology,
left very generous endowments to support graduate students, in the form of the Benedict S. Alper
Graduate Fellowship and Ritchie P. Lowry Research Fellowship. Benedict S. Alper Graduate
Fellowship is awarded each year to one student who demonstrates engaged critical scholarship
and use of critical thinking toward social justice issues. The student must also demonstrate both
academic achievement and financial need. The Fellowship will carry a cash stipend (in the past
varying between $9,000 and $10,500, depending on the accrued interest to the original bequest)
and, where applicable, tuition waivers. The recipient will be required to perform NO duties for
the award.
Since Ritchie Lowry’s endowment is not fully vested yet, so far, Ritchie P. Lowry Research
Fellowship carries a cash stipend of $5,000 and assumes no duties; for now, a combined process
and the same criteria are used to select the recipient of this fellowship.
If you wish to apply for the Alper Fellowship and/or Lowry Fellowship, you should submit all
the application materials listed below by email to alper@sarkisian.net by 5 p.m. on March 21,
2014. Please do not send multiple emails – everything should be attached to one email (if
possible, as a single ZIP file). Applicants will be evaluated and ranked by the faculty members of
the Graduate Studies Committee.
Please submit the following as part of your application:
1.
A statement of approximately 5 pages, double-spaced, indicating:
a) In what ways your work contributes to critical thinking on issues of social justice.
b) Your plans for the upcoming academic year—how would you put the Benedict Alper
Fellowship or the Ritchie Lowry Fellowship to use?
c) A timetable for completing your graduate studies.
d) Your financial needs for the period between September of 2014 and June of 2015
(one of the criteria for the award is “demonstrated financial need”).
e) Whether you want to be considered for both fellowships or only one of them (for
example, because you received the other one in the past).
f) Names of three faculty members – your academic advisor or dissertation chair who
will provide a confidential letter of support and names of two additional faculty
members familiar with your work to serve as references.
2.
A current transcript--please obtain a paper copy and scan it into an electronic file to be
submitted or ask that it is faxed to the following fax number: (270) 717-3516.
3.
A current vitae (listing publications, papers presented, awards, etc.).
4.
A writing sample.
5.
Please ask your academic advisor or dissertation chair to email a confidential letter of
support directly to alper@sarkisian.net, with your name in the subject line.