THE BENJAMIN H. STEVENS 2026–2027
GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP IN REGIONAL SCIENCE
Graduate students enrolled in Ph.D. programs in North America who are conducting dissertation research related to regional science are encouraged to apply for the Twenty-Sixth Benjamin H. Stevens Graduate Fellowship in Regional Science, administered by the North American Regional Science Council (NARSC) of the Regional Science Association International.
This Fellowship, in support of dissertation research in regional science, is awarded annually in memory of Dr. Benjamin H. Stevens, an intellectual leader whose selfless devotion to graduate students as teacher, advisor, mentor, and friend had a profound impact on the field. Regional Science is a multidisciplinary field concerned with urban and regional phenomena. Regional Scientists apply theoretical and empirical frameworks and methods of social and other sciences and develop new ones specifically for regional analysis and policy.
Eligible students should have completed all degree requirements except for their dissertation by the time the Fellowship commences (typically on July 1). Eligible applicants must be continuing North American Ph.D. students during the fellowship and have dissertation research that addresses a research question in Regional Science. Requirements of the fellowship also include:
- that the recipient has no duties other than dissertation research during the period of the Fellowship, although the recipient may hold other fellowships concurrently; and
- that the student obtains a tuition waiver for the year of the Fellowship from the university, or an equivalent payment of the student’s tuition. Previous involvement with North American regional science organizations and journals will be considered by the Selection Committee.
The Fellowship consists of a stipend in the amount of $36,000 (U.S.), paid over a twelve-month period.
Applications and dissertation advisor letters of support for the 2026–2027 Fellowship should be sent electronically to the Selection Committee Chair, Dr. Heather Stephens, at heather.stephens@mail.wvu.edu, by the deadline of February 20, 2026.
Each applicant should submit the following by February 20, 2026:
- A curriculum vita of no more than two (2) pages in length. Previous involvement with North American regional science organizations and journals should be annotated.
- A 1-page maximum summary describing the intellectual merit of the dissertation research and the broader impacts that may result.
- A statement (maximum of 10 pages) explaining the dissertation research, including the questions and issues to be addressed, the approach to be used, and the product expected from the dissertation research. The 10-page limit is inclusive of references but exclusive of tables and figures. (Note for both the summary and the statement, text should be in 12-point or larger font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins; however, references may be single-spaced.)
- Copies of the candidate’s transcripts for all graduate study. Unofficial copies are acceptable.
The dissertation supervisor shall separately provide by February 20, 2026, a confidential letter sent as an attachment from the supervisor’s email account with the student’s name in the subject line to Dr. Heather Stephens. In the letter, the supervisor should assess the quality and significance of the proposed dissertation research, specify the current state of progress toward the candidate’s degree, and provide a commitment by the dissertation supervisor to obtain a tuition waiver for the candidate for the year of the Fellowship. As noted above, a requirement of the Fellowship is the granting of a tuition waiver for the year of the Fellowship by the university, or an equivalent payment of the student’s tuition.
Applications and questions should be directed to the Fellowship Committee Chair, Dr. Heather Stephens, at heather.stephens@mail.wvu.edu.
For information about the North American Regional Science Council (NARSC), please visit www.narsc.org. For information about the Regional Science Association International (RSAI), please visit www.regionalscience.org.