The Social Sciences Research Institute provides Pre-Dissertation Research (PDR) grants of up to $3,000 to support expenses related to preliminary dissertation research for graduate students in the School of Social Sciences. All subject areas and methodologies within the School of Social Sciences will be considered equally. PDR grants are intended to support exploratory research that helps students conduct pilot or other preliminary projects needed to formulate a dissertation plan. This initial work should help students prepare stronger dissertation projects and submit more competitive dissertation research applications to other internal or external funding sources. Usually, PDR applicants will be in their second to fourth year of graduate study. The SSRI Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (DRIG) competition is better suited to students who are ready to fully begin their dissertation research.
Applications will be evaluated by a review panel that includes faculty representatives from multiple departments in the School of Social Sciences, the Dean of Social Sciences, and the Associate Dean for Research. Proposals must be written for a multidisciplinary academic audience.
All funds remaining at the time of award expiration will be returned to SSRI. The student, advisor, or student’s home department will be responsible for covering any budget overruns or deficits, which must be paid from non-sponsored funds. No-cost extensions will not be granted. Students may receive only one SSRI Pre-Dissertation Research Grant during their graduate career at Rice.
Application Deadline (Due by 11:45 p.m. CST)
Fall cycle: Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Spring cycle: Sunday, April 11, 2027.
Award Information (FY27)
Estimated Number of Awards: 5
Anticipated Funding Amount per Award: Up to $3,000
Award duration: 18 months.
Expected project start dates are as follows:
- Fall cycle: January 1, 2027.
- Spring cycle: July 1, 2027.
Eligibility
Applicants must be currently enrolled Rice University graduate students in a School of Social Sciences discipline. Students may receive only one SSRI Pre-Dissertation Research Grant during their graduate career at Rice.
Proposal Guidelines and Application Packets
Applicants must submit the completed online PDR application at the bottom of this page by the stated deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. All application materials must be written in at least 11-point Arial or Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins and single spacing, and saved as a PDF.
- The proposal narrative (single-spaced, three pages maximum). Applicants must submit a single proposal document that includes the proposal narrative and the references cited. The proposal narrative may not exceed three pages. References do not count toward the three-page narrative limit. Appendices or other supplemental materials are not allowed. The narrative should describe the proposed preliminary research and explain how it is preparatory to, and expected to strengthen, the anticipated dissertation research. The research question, project goals, and proposed methods should be clearly explained and written for a non-specialist academic audience. The proposal narrative should address the significance and innovation of the proposed research in the context of existing literature; the research question or problem being addressed; the methods or approach that will be used; the anticipated end product of the PDR-funded research; and how the preliminary research will support the student’s dissertation plan. The proposal narrative must include a project timeline within the three-page narrative limit. The timeline may be presented as a brief subsection, paragraph, table, or other clear format within the narrative and should indicate when the research will begin, where it will be conducted, major project milestones, and when the research activities will end. References cited must be included at the end of the proposal document. Each reference should include the names of all authors, in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication; article and journal title, if applicable; book title, if applicable; volume number; page numbers; and year of publication.
- Itemized budget and justification, a maximum of two pages. The itemized budget and budget justification may not exceed two pages. The budget should include each requested item, cost, quantity, and rationale. The justification should explain how each cost directly supports the proposed preliminary dissertation research. Examples of allowable costs include research-related travel, human subject payments, research supplies, software directly tied to the project, data set purchases, and other necessary research expenses. The maximum budget request is $3,000. There is no minimum budget request. Requests for travel funding must be based on actual dollar estimates. Meals and other subsistence costs, including per diem for meals or incidental expenses, are not allowable. Conference travel and computer hardware are not allowable.
- Applicants must include a curriculum vitae. The CV may not exceed two pages.
- Potential funding sources for dissertation research. If available, include a list of possible future funding sources that could support dissertation research. For each potential funding source, include the sponsor or funding agency, funding opportunity name, link to the funding announcement or program page if available, anticipated award amount if known, and expected due date or submission cycle if known.
- A letter from the student’s advisor is required and must be submitted to Chris Rodriguez at carod@rice.edu. The advisor's letter should discuss the significance and feasibility of the proposed research and its preliminary role in the student’s dissertation plan. The letter must be received no later than three business days after the PDR proposal deadline. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the advisor letter is submitted by this deadline.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the significance of the proposed research; feasibility of the proposed work within the planned timeframe; appropriateness and justification of the budget; potential to enhance or improve the student’s future dissertation research; potential to strengthen future dissertation research funding applications; and clarity and accessibility of the proposal for a multidisciplinary academic audience.
Successful Applications
Recipients of an SSRI Pre-Dissertation Research Grant are required to submit a final research report within 60 days after the award expiration date. The report should be one to two pages and should summarize the research activities completed, results or preliminary findings, how the actual results differed from expected results, if applicable, and how the preliminary findings have affected the student’s dissertation plans. A detailed financial report is not required, but recipients are encouraged to include a brief summary of any budget changes needed during the research. If additional dissertation support is received from an external sponsor or Rice funding source after receiving the SSRI PDR grant, the recipient must notify Chris Rodriguez at carod@rice.edu and provide the award information, including sponsor, award amount, and project period, if available.