Tinker Dissertation Completion Fellowship

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) invites applications for a dissertation completion fellowship to support Stanford doctoral students in year 5, or above, whose work in any discipline demonstrates the promise of future achievement in Latin American Studies and whose commitment and tangible contributions to the advancement of Latin American Studies on campus are sustained and well-documented. Up to two Tinker Dissertation Completion Fellowships (TDCF) are awarded each year.  

The Tinker Dissertation Completion Fellowship includes a stipend for Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters and TGR tuition. 

  • For reference, stipend rates for 2025-2026 are $14,807 per quarter ($42,261 total). These rates are for academic year 2025-2026 and are subject to change for the following year.
  • Fellows may not hold additional, comparable fellowships during the award period. They may, however, hold a concurrent assistantship appointment up to a maximum of 25%, or hourly employment of up to 8 hours per week, but not both. See Administrative Guide 10.2.1 and 10.2.2 for more details. 

TDCF Fellows are invited to be active members of a vibrant, interdisciplinary scholarly community at CLAS. They will have the opportunity to participate in our Friday Lecture Series and Center events, as well as in other professional development opportunities. To facilitate participation, Fellows will receive a shared office space at Bolívar House and are expected to have a regular physical presence at CLAS throughout the tenure of the fellowship. 

Eligibility

Doctoral students in any discipline in year 5 or beyond, who have the following:

  • Active candidacy
  • Completed all requirements for their doctoral degree except for the dissertation and the University Oral Examination (when there is a defense of the dissertation)
  • An approved dissertation reading committee
  • A dissertation proposal approved by their committee
  • A strong likelihood of completing the degree within the tenure of the fellowship
  • Reached TGR status by the beginning of Autumn Quarter of the fellowship year.

Application

The deadline for applications is March 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT.

The following materials are required for the application:

  • Applicant contact information
  • A curriculum vitae (C.V.)
  • Current unofficial transcript (downloaded from AXESS)
  • Approved timeline for completion of the doctoral degree, detailing how the dissertation would be completed by the end of the award period (e.g., dissertation outline detailing status of each chapter)
  • Summary of the dissertation and its scholarly significance
    • Provide a concise explanation of the ways in which the project is a significant contribution to its area of study
    • The statement should assume the audience to be academics who are not specialists in the field. (250 word maximum)
  • A brief statement describing how your academic work, personal experiences and interests intersect with Latin America (250 word maximum)
  • A brief description (1,000 words maximum) of the dissertation
  • Letter of recommendation from the dissertation advisor
  • Letter of recommendation from a second faculty member who is knowledgeable about the research and dissertation (e.g., member of the Reading Committee)

Please note that incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

APPLICATION FORM

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FORM

For Further Information:

Contact us with any questions by email at latinamerica [at] stanford.edu (latinamerica[at]stanford[dot]edu).

This fellowship is funded by the Tinker Foundation endowment and administered by the Center for Latin American Studies.