NYU's Institute of Education Sciences-funded Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training (IES-PIRT) program is committed to strengthening the pipeline of skilled researchers prepared to conduct rigorous and relevant education research. Qualified incoming PhD students may apply for a 4-year fellowship that includes generous stipend, tuition coverage, and other benefits. Upon completion of the training, fellows are awarded an Education Sciences Certificate.

Application information, including terms, conditions, and expectations about the IES-PIRT fellowship are provided below. We will be accepting new applications in the 2022-2023 academic year.

What type of financial support do you offer?

IES-PIRT fellows are offered a generous 4-year funding package. Each academic year, students receive the following support:

• $34,000 stipend
• $2,000 in support of research and conference attendance
• Tuition remission
• Comprehensive Healthcare

Who is eligible?

To be eligible for the fellowship, students must exhibit a clear record of interest and/or commitment to research on causal questions in education science relevant to the U.S. context, and demonstrate aptitude for and interest in quantitative methods and data science. Candidates must also meet the following basic requirements:

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Commit to completing a dissertation on a subject relevant to practical issues in U.S. education (Note that dissertation topics are subject to IES review)
• Apply and be admitted into one of the following affiliated NYU PhD programs:
  • Administration, Leadership, and Technology (NYU Steinhardt)
  • Applied Psychology (NYU Steinhardt)
  • Applied Statistics, Social Sciences, and Humanities (NYU Steinhardt)
  • Psychology (GSAS)
  • Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service
  • Sociology (GSAS)
  • Teaching and Learning (NYU Steinhardt)

How do I apply?

Students must apply to an affiliated NYU PhD program (see the full list above). Candidates are nominated by affiliated faculty during the doctoral admissions process. We strongly encourage students to mention their interest in the IES-PIRT fellowship program in their PhD program application.

Students applying to a Steinhardt-based program (e.g., Applied Psychology; Administration, Leadership, and Technology; Applied Statistics, Social Sciences, and Humanities; Teaching and Learning) may self-nominate by selecting IES-PIRT Fellowship in the application process. Students applying to Sociology, Psychology, and The Robert F. Wagner School may self-nominate by contacting the IES-PIRT team.

What are we looking for?

Over the decade, we have prioritized the recruitment of strong applicants from diverse demographic, geographic, and experiential backgrounds. We intend to recruit students from groups underrepresented in education sciences, including scholars of color, students from low-income families, immigrant origin students, and individuals with disabilities. Successful applicants possess a range of skills, substantive knowledge, and professional experiences, and have varying gaps in their skills, knowledge, and experiences. However, the typical student enters our training program with one of three backgrounds:

1. Education practice (e.g., teacher, curriculum developer, or coach)
2. Public policy (i.e., role in local, state, or federal government)
3. Research or lab (e.g., member of academic or research organization team)

When reviewing applications, our faculty are looking for the following:

• A clear record of interest and/or commitment to research on causal questions in education science relevant to the U.S. context. Interest and commitment are seen in the candidate’s personal statement as well as in letters of recommendation and/or prior experiences from their application for admission to one of our program's affiliated doctoral programs.
• Demonstrated aptitude for and interest in quantitative methods and data science, as demonstrated by high grades in advanced math, quantitative methods, or statistics coursework in college and/or graduate school.
• Clear evidence of interest in developing research skills and knowledge in areas of education science.

What are the fellowship terms and conditions?

If awarded, fellows commit to full participation in the following training experiences:

• Attendance at the weekly proseminar colloquium series (Mondays, 12:00-1:45pm);
• Involvement during the academic year in a research apprenticeship training opportunity provided by either:
  • Any one of the participating IES-PIRT affiliated faculty members, or
  • One of NYU’s external research partners (MDRC, American Institutes for Research, or the New York City Department of Education, etc.);
• Participation in a practice/policy apprenticeship of variable time commitment (to be discussed with the Training Director and Research Apprenticeship Mentor) focused on “client-driven” research aimed at a specific actionable policy or practice question, which may be conducted individually or as a group course experience;
• Enrollment in quantitative and content-related coursework recommended by faculty advisors and appropriate to specific discipline courses in the IES-PIRT quantitative “core curriculum,” including courses in causal inference, data science, and multilevel modeling;
• Commitment to conducting research (including dissertation research) relevant to U.S. education; and
• Participation in other supplemental professional development activities, including presentations at the proseminar and conferences

Fellows understand that fellowship activities are designed to complement and enhance existing departmental offerings and facilitate doctoral studies in their home department.

This fellowship award is funded by the Institute of Education Science (IES). Fellows commit respond to the funder’s (IES) requests for information, comply with IES guidelines for acknowledgement of funding, submit final peer-reviewed manuscripts (supported in whole or in part by this fellowship) to the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC).