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Applicants should be well prepared academically for rigorous quantitative methods training and often enter with master’s degrees in one of the social sciences or an applied field, such as education, public policy, social work, or quantitative analysis, but applicants are not required to have a master’s degree. We are looking for students with a wide range of experiences, and we especially encourage students from communities underrepresented in doctoral programs, first-generation students, and those with experience working at community colleges or other broad-access institutions to apply.

The PEAR Fellowship will be awarded to newly admitted Teachers College students in one of the doctoral programs offered through the Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis (EPSA) (Economics and Education, Education Policy, History and Education, Politics and Education, or Sociology and Education); the Higher and Postsecondary Education program in the Department of Organization and Leadership; or the Developmental Psychology, Measurement and Evaluation, or Cognitive Science in Education program in the Department of Human Development.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and plan to attend full-time. They must affirm their understanding of the program’s requirements and goals in a written agreement with Teachers College.

Individuals who wish to be considered for the PEAR Fellowship must indicate their interest in their Teachers College degree application. Fellowship applicants should ensure their statement of purpose discusses their interest in applied research on topics such as the high school-to-college transition, two- and four-year colleges, adult education, and workforce training—as well as how that interest aligns with other interests and skills they hope to develop in their doctoral studies. Fellowship applicants will also be required to upload a supplemental essay with their degree application responding to the following prompt:

Please write about a piece of applied postsecondary research that you found persuasive, impactful, or important. If there was anything you found incomplete about the study, describe what you would do differently. Please include a citation for the work that you reference. The citation will not count toward the word limit. (400-word limit)

Successful applicants for the PEAR Fellowship will be notified as part of their doctoral program admissions offers.