• Be a candidate for a Ph.D. degree at a graduate school in the United States
• Fulfill all pre-dissertation requirements by December 31 of the year applying, including approval of the dissertation proposal with the expectation that the dissertation will be completed no later than July of the year following the fellowship grant year
• Must not have received a similar grant or fellowship for the writing of the dissertation. Fellows may not accept other awards that provide similar benefits in the same academic year. We anticipate that with funding from Lake Institute, you will be able to complete and defend your dissertation during the fellowship year. If you are receiving a full stipend from your school, we ask that you bank or postpone it to accept the Lake Fellowship. Smaller awards and/or those involving limited opportunities to teach may be permitted, at the discretion of the Research Advisory Committee of Lake Institute on Faith & Giving.  
• Submit application and other requested documents by January 15.

• Receive three award payments totaling $25,000
• Be invited to special research-focused Lake Institute engagements
• Have the opportunity to take advantage of the Lake Institute's resources and expertise
• Share your research through our website and citations in our seminars

To apply, please fill out the online form, upload the required documents, have your letters of recommendation uploaded and send an official transcript (unofficial transcripts are also accepted). All application materials must be received by January 15. Applications must include the following:

• Application form
• Resume/CV
• Executive summary
  • No longer than 15 pages summarizing your topic and its relevance for the understanding of an important question(s) or issue(s) related to religion and philanthropy or faith and giving. Please write this executive summary so that scholars outside of your discipline would not have difficulty comprehending your proposal.
• Copy of the approved dissertation proposal
  • Describing the proposed work, demonstrating relevance to the field of religion and philanthropy, describing source materials and their availability, commenting on any special skills or interests you have for carrying out the proposed work, and giving a clear statement of the research or scholarly methodology to be employed. Please make sure to include the signature page of the proposal. 
• A selected bibliography
  • No longer than two pages, double-spaced, indicating the major theoretical, practical and critical works that bear on your dissertation. This means you should include those works that most clearly demonstrate your command of the scholarship necessary to write the proposed dissertation. In most cases this will already be part of your proposal.
• A timetable
  • Detailing your chapter outline, your progress to date, and your schedule for the fellowship year. It should be no longer than one page, double-spaced.
• Three letters of recommendation
  • One from your dissertation director and two from faculty members familiar with your work. Share this link with recommenders to upload letters.
• Official or Unofficial Transcript from the graduate school which will award the Ph.D. degree. Transcripts must be uploaded along with the other documents.