Kitty Kelley Dissertation Fellowship in Biography
Kitty Kelley Dissertation Fellowship in Biography supports doctoral candidates completing biographical dissertations, funding a year of focused work to unite scholarly research and biographical storytelling.
Funder: Biographers International Organization
Due Dates: February 15, 2027 (Application and advisor’s letter)
Funding Amounts: $25,000 for one year of full-time dissertation work
Summary: Supports doctoral candidates completing English-language dissertations focused on the life of another person or the lives of multiple individuals.
Key Information: Students who have already received a dissertation fellowship are not eligible.
Description
The Kitty Kelley Dissertation Fellowship in Biography, administered by Biographers International Organization (BIO), provides financial support for a doctoral candidate to devote a year to completing a dissertation in biography. It is open to students in any academic department whose work is biographical in its methods and focus. Projects may examine one person or multiple individuals and need not cover their subjects’ entire lives.
Endowed by Kitty Kelley, a founding BIO member and author of seven best-selling biographies, the fellowship supports work combining doctoral research with biographical storytelling. Selection emphasizes scholarly significance, writing quality, applicant qualifications, and the feasibility of the project and schedule. The fellowship forms part of BIO’s mission to promote the art and craft of biography and support biographers worldwide.
