Turner Fellowship
Eligibility
Nominees must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. They must demonstrate how they will contribute to the diversity of the student body in the program and/or show how they have overcome disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education. Candidates must be a qualified student who holds, or expects to receive by August of the initial Fellowship academic year, a bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited college or university. Only incoming doctoral or MFA students are eligible, however, students currently enrolled in a master's degree program at Stony Brook who desire to pursue a doctorate may also be nominated. Candidates must first be accepted into one of the qualifying graduate degree programs at Stony Brook University prior to nomination.
Selection Procedure
No direct application is required by students for consideration by the Turner Fellowship program. Candidates are nominated by Graduate Program Directors of the department or program to which the candidate has been admitted. When filling out the application for admission to Stony Brook University, applicants should self-identify as a member of a historically marginalized or other underrepresented group (i.e. Veterans) and indicate that they wish to be considered for a Turner Fellowship Award. A call for nominations is sent by the Center for Inclusive Education to the Graduate Program Directors of qualifying graduate programs in the fall semester of every academic year.
If nominated for the Turner Fellowship, the candidate will be asked to submit a one-page Turner statement indicating why they should receive a Turner Fellowship. This statement should include how the candidate feels they connect to the mission of the Dr. W. Burghardt Turner Fellowship, and how they would contribute to the Turner Fellowship Program.
The Turner Advisory Committee serves as a selection review committee. In addition to strong academic credentials, the review committee is interested in important extracurricular activities that demonstrate the applicant's commitment to diversity, inclusion and/or community development. Please include any relevant information regarding your public and community service in your Turner Fellowship statement. Turner Fellowship Awards are not solely based on the nominee's academic record. Along with strong academic qualification, we seek to select fellows who will serve as future leaders in their professions, their community, and the wider society.
View the most recent call for nominations here
Stipends/Awards
The total combined value of a Turner Doctoral Fellowship is at least $100,000 over a five-year academic period. This includes:
- Full-tuition scholarship
- More than $22,000 annual stipend for Ph.D. students, or $10,000 annual stipend for master's students
- Subsidized health insurance
All funded graduate students must apply for New York State residency during their first year. For doctoral candidates, five academic years of full support are guaranteed to students who make satisfactory academic progress in their original programs. Master of Fine Arts candidates will receive up to three years of full support, also subject to good academic standing. If eligible, master's degree fellows are guaranteed two academic years of full support provided they maintain the academic requirements. In addition, eligible Turner Fellows may apply for:
- Support to Ph.D. students for summer research funding
- Financial support for presentations at conferences
- Financial support for preparation of dissertation