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Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives (DI3)
Center for Inclusive Education

Turner Fellowship

Eligibility

To participate in the SUNY Graduate Doctoral Fellowship Program (GDFP), known as the Dr. W. Burghardt Turner Fellowship at Stony Brook, candidates are required to: 

  1. Be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status, and 

  2. Demonstrate how they have overcome a disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education. Candidates must also demonstrate a commitment to contributing to the diversity of the student body by facilitating and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in their academic programs and campus activities. 

Even though financial need is not a requirement for program eligibility, economic disadvantage may be utilized as a basis for eligibility.

Priority consideration may be given to nominees who are: 

  1. Current SUNY students, alumni, and/or Fellows. 

  2. From a low-income background (e.g., Pell-eligible as undergraduates), were first-generation college students (students whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s degree), have overcome adversity, are AmeriCorps alumni, or are veterans. 

Note: 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

Candidates are nominated by Graduate Program Directors of the department or professional 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 excluded 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 responses to questions that will help the Turner Advisory Committee determine the candidate's connection to the mission and spirit of the Dr. W. Burghardt Turner Fellowship. Candidates will also be able to share how they would contribute to the Turner Fellowship community.

The Turner Advisory Committee serves as a selection review committee. The review committee is interested in many aspects of the candidates' experiences, including activities that demonstrate their commitment to diversity, inclusion and/or community development. We seek to select fellows who will serve as future leaders in their professions, their community, and the broader 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 (for PhD students). This includes:

  • Full-tuition scholarship
  • More than $26,000 annual stipend for Ph.D. students, or $10,000 annual stipend for master's and MD/DDS 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 academic and/or summer research funding
  • Financial support for presentations at conferences
  • CIE emergency funding (one-time award)

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The Dr. W. Burghardt Turner Fellowship (SUNY GDFP) is open to any and all prospective candidates regardless of race, color, national origin, or sex, and is consistent with all current governing federal and state nondiscrimination law. All application submissions will be assessed and evaluated in accordance with the required eligibility criteria.

Turner Fellowship
Turner Fellowship