Graduate Fellowship Competitions for 2026
- Graduate Research Scholar (GRS) Fellowship
- Paul J. Collins Fellowship
- 1-year Doctoral Fellowship ("UF")
- 1-semester Dissertator Fellowship
The fellowship opportunities described below are available to graduate students for the 2026-27 academic year. An individual student may be nominated for multiple awards; please submit a separate nomination letter for each award.
Fellowships provide a full waiver of tuition & segregated fees, a stipend of approx. $15,300 per semester, and eligibility for health insurance. Fellowships are non-service appointments but may be linked with academic/leadership expectations within studios and areas, subject to the approval of Dan Cavanagh.
Graduate Research Scholar (GRS) Fellowship
This 12-month fellowship is offered by the College of Letters & Science through a competitive process for incoming (prospective) students only. The L&S criteria for nominee eligibility are:
- Record of academic or professional success,
- U.S. citizen or permanent resident,
AND - Meets one of the objective or subjective GRS criteria.
Identity characteristics including race, gender, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, and/or national origin are not a justification for GRS nomination.
The 11 eligible areas are:
- Brass
- Composition
- Conducting
- (Ethno)musicology
- Jazz
- Music Education
- Percussion
- Piano
- Strings & Guitar
- Voice & Opera
- Woodwinds
Each area may submit one nomination (any degree level). Must be an incoming (prospective) student. Faculty must reach out to the nominee to request a statement (see sample email communication).
The nomination will consist of:
- A faculty nomination statement
- A statement from the student (max 500 words)
The internal nomination deadline is Monday, February 23, at 4:00 PM. Nominations may be sent to James Doing at gpm@music.wisc.edu
Internal nominations for the GRS will be reviewed by the School of Music Graduate Recruitment & Funding (GRF) Committee and ranked before official submission to the College of Letters & Science.
The GRS Fellowship is offered for one year only (plus a final Dissertator year for a Doctoral winner). To create a viable offer package, the committee will seek to identify TA funding for one additional year of support, in consultation with Dan Cavanagh.
Paul J. Collins Fellowship
The 7 eligible areas are:
- Brass
- Conducting
- Piano
- Strings
- Voice & Opera
- Woodwinds
- Guitar & Percussion (combined for Collins only)
Each area may submit two nominations, either MM or DMA. Must be an incoming (prospective) student or a current student who is advancing from MM to DMA. Candidates must have at least 20 minutes of high-quality recordings in their application portfolio, preferably with piano accompaniment. Candidates may update their existing portfolio contents until the nomination deadline.
The nomination deadline is Monday, March 2, at 4:00 PM. Nominations may be sent to James Doing at gpm@music.wisc.edu
For each nomination, please prepare one letter (max. 3 pages) from the area. Letters should be written by the primary instructor but can include comments from other faculty. Nomination letters should address the candidate’s outstanding performance skill, unique artistic qualities, potential for academic success, expected contributions to the department, and likelihood to attend if offered funding.
Additionally, the nomination letter must include an itemized list of the candidate's intended "Collins Leadership Expectations" which will form an integral part of the offer; faculty may consult James Doing for samples from past years.
Nominations for the Collins Fellowship will be reviewed by an ad hoc Collins Committee to be formed by one representative from each area who is not the primary instructor of a nominee. The meeting will be scheduled once all members are designated and should be held no later than March 16. The Director of Graduate Studies will act as chair and tie-breaker.
This year, we expect to award two fellowships. The Collins Fellowship is a "full ride" for a graduate student recipient, i.e. MM winners will receive 2 academic years of fellowship funding and DMA winners will receive 3 academic years of fellowship funding.
1-year Doctoral Fellowship ("UF")
This fellowship (formerly known as the University Fellowship or "UF") is supported by a block grant from the Graduate School for incoming Doctoral students only.
The 9 eligible areas are:
- Brass
- Composition
- Conducting
- (Ethno)musicology
- Percussion
- Piano
- Strings & Guitar
- Voice & Opera
- Woodwinds
Each area may submit two nominations, must be DMA or PHD. Must be an incoming (prospective) student or a current student who is advancing from the Master's to the Doctoral level.
The nomination deadline is Monday, March 2, at 4:00 PM. Nominations may be sent to James Doing at gpm@music.wisc.edu
For each nomination, please prepare one letter (max. 3 pages) from the area. Letters should be written by the primary instructor but can include comments from other faculty. Nomination letters should address the candidate’s demonstrated record of academic success, expected contributions to the department, aptitude for serving as a Teaching Assistant, and likelihood to attend if offered funding.
Nominations for the Doctoral Fellowship will be reviewed by the School of Music Graduate Recruitment & Funding (GRF) Committee. The meeting will be held on March 17. The Director of Graduate Studies will act as chair and tie-breaker.
This year, we expect to make at least three awards. The Doctoral Fellowship is offered for one academic year only. To create viable offer packages, the committee will seek to identify TA funding for one or two additional years of support, in consultation with Dan Cavanagh.
1-semester Dissertator Fellowship
Doctoral students will self-nominate for this award. Dissertator fellowships are designed to support the candidate's Doctoral research on the basis of a clearly defined and promising dissertation project with the recommendation of the Major Professor.
The application deadline is Monday, March 2, at 4:00 PM, via the Dissertator Fellowship Application Form, and must be accompanied by a letter of support from the Major Professor. The letter of support may be sent to James Doing at gpm@music.wisc.edu
Nominations for the Dissertator Fellowship will be reviewed by the School of Music Graduate Recruitment & Funding (GRF) Committee. The meeting will be held on March 17. The Director of Graduate Studies will act as chair and tie-breaker.
This year, we expect to make at least three awards. Dissertator fellowships are typically awarded for one semester only and will replace any existing funding guaranteed to the student for the 2026-27 academic year.