Dissertation Completion Grant Awards

Collage of graduate students

Dissertation Completion Grant

In partnership with the Jimmy A. Payne Foundation, the Southern Miss Graduate School offers competitive Dissertation Completion Grants for the 2026–2027 academic year. These grants provide up to $2,000 to help doctoral candidates cover eligible dissertation-related expenses and support timely degree completion.

The grant is open to doctoral candidates in all Southern Miss doctoral programs who meet the eligibility requirements below.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant's must:

Be enrolled in a Southern Miss doctoral program and have achieved doctoral candidate status.
Complete all required graduate coursework.
Pass their doctoral comprehensive examinations.
Successfully defend their doctoral project proposal or dissertation prospectus.
Be enrolled full-time and in good academic standing with the Graduate School.
Commit to completing their dissertation and all degree requirements by the end of the summer 2027 term.

Allowable Expenses

Students may request up to $2,000 for expenses directly related to completing their dissertation, including:

Data collection and analysis.
Transcription services.
Editing assistance.
Required technology, supplies, or tools.
Travel specifically related to dissertation data collection.

Funds may not be used for student or faculty salaries or expenses unrelated to dissertation completion. Travel is subject to University restrictions, and recipients must remain in the United States for the duration of the award.

Application Requirements

Submit the following materials together in one PDF document. Your name must appear on every page.

Curriculum Vitae (CV).: Provide your current CV.
Dissertation Proposal/Project Description: Up to 500 words describing your dissertation topic, rationale, and proposed research methods.
Budget Justification: Provide a detailed justification for each major expense, including dollar amounts and an explanation of how the requested funds will be used. If requesting travel expenses, explain how the travel will support your dissertation research. Travel is subject to University restrictions.
Statement of Financial Implications: Explain how the grant would help you complete your degree and what financial barriers it would address. Include your current Southern Miss financial support, such as assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships, as well as external funding sources, if applicable.

Letters of Support
Two letters of support are required: one from your major professor and one from your school director. Each letter must support your application, confirm your doctoral candidacy status, and confirm that you will complete all doctoral program requirements by the end of the summer 2027 term.

Students must request these letters, but the major professor and school director must upload their letters separately through the Recommendation Letter Submission Form. Do not include the letters in your application PDF.

Award Disbursement and Recipient Requirements

Recipients will receive their grant in two installments. The first installment will be issued by the end of the Fall 2026 term. To receive the remaining installment, recipients must submit the following by May 1, 2027:

A required survey.
A budget report documenting how grant funds were spent.
A self-reflection describing the grant’s impact on dissertation progress.

Recipients must submit all three items by May 1, 2027, to receive the remaining installment. No funds will be available for disbursement after this deadline.