Correction appended.
Fifth-year doctoral candidates who applied for sixth-year funding through the Graduate School will be notified of funding offers today. Eighty percent of those requesting funding will receive the full amount they asked for, and the remaining 20 percent will receive partial funding.
This upcoming year, 58 percent of humanities and social science doctoral candidates will receive funding for a sixth year, said Peter Weber P'12, dean of the Grad School. In past years, this figure ranged between 30 and 40 percent.
The committee that reviewed applications consisted of faculty in the social sciences and humanities and administrators. Departments could rank students applying for funding — though this was not required and most departments choose not to respond, Weber said.
The Grad School piloted a more concrete process for evaluating and administering funds for sixth-year doctoral candidates this semester. Additionally, the Grad School allocated a sum of money for sixth-year funding in advance, unlike in the past when the funding has been dependent on the size of the incoming doctoral class. Grad student funding is determined based on merit rather than need.
Student funding requests vary and may include one or two semesters of support.
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the percentage of fifth-year doctoral candidates who will continue work on their dissertation for a sixth year. The Herald regrets the error.
