Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Scholars Program

In partnership with the Louisiana Board of Regents, UL Lafayette offers Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholars Program fellowships to Ph.D. students from underrepresented, minoritized groups.

The program has a proven track record of supporting doctoral students to graduate at a higher rate and finish their Ph.D. degree two to five years sooner than the national average.

Eligibility Requirements

You must meet the following requirements to be considered for a BoR-SREB Fellowship:

• Be a member of an underrepresented racial or ethnic minoritized group (including African American/Black, Black/Non-Hispanic, Hispanic/Latin American, Native American Indian/Alaskan Native)
• Have U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status
• Be at the start of your Ph.D. study
• Demonstrate interest in pursuing a faculty career

While all disciplines are eligible, the SREB Doctoral Scholars Program gives preference to those pursuing a degree in STEM.

Program Requirements and Duties

For the duration of their graduate degree program at UL Lafayette, BoR-SREB fellows are required to fully participate in all program components including, but not limited to:

• The annual SREB Institute on Teaching and Mentoring*
• The new UL Lafayette Community of Fellows activities

Recipients are guaranteed two years of support with no duties.

• Year 1 is non-service to allow you to focus exclusively on coursework and community building. Year 5 also is non-service to allow you to be dedicated solely to dissertation completion and post-graduation planning.
• In Years 2-4, you will be assigned as teaching fellows to ensure that you graduate with the teaching experience necessary to be competitive for post-graduation academic employment.

*Commitment also is required from the student’s prospective advisor to attend the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring once during the first three years of the fellowship.

Financial Support and Fellowship Tenure

In 2021-2022, these fellowships will provide five years of guaranteed support, contingent upon satisfactory academic progress:

• Years 1-3 provide an annual 12-month stipend of $30,000 + waiver of tuition and most fees
• Years 4-5 provide an annual academic-year stipend of $20,000 + waiver of tuition and most fees
• $1,000 annually to support research, conference attendance, and in-discipline professional development and travel
• The full cost of attendance (including travel) for the Institute for Teaching and Mentoring is provided in years 1-3 when attendance is required. In years 4-5, attendance is encouraged. SREB will cover the cost of registration and lodging, and UL Lafayette will provide a travel award of up to $1,000 to offset other costs of attendance.
• The full cost of attendance (including travel) for your faculty advisor to attend the Institute for Teaching and Mentoring once during years 1-3 of the fellowship.

Additional benefits include SREB Doctoral Scholars Program membership, which provides financial, academic, personal and motivational support for students. The program facilitates faculty recruitment and networking annually through the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, the largest gathering of minority Ph.D. students in the country. The program also maintains the DSP Scholar Directory, a subscription-based database that showcases scholars for faculty and research recruiters.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit the Doctoral Fellowship Application by February 1st. We encourage you also to indicate your interest to the Graduate Coordinator for the Ph.D. program to which you are applying.