W. Allison Davis Graduate Research Award

W. Allison Davis was a pioneering anthropologist and professor at the University of Chicago where, in 1942, he became the first African American to hold a full faculty position at a major white university. Professor Davis devoted his life to studying systems of stratification and segregation between and within racial and ethnic groups in the United States. He was committed to rigorous inquiry documenting the effects of social stratification and segregation on family life, language use, educational attainment and the development of personality and character of children and adolescents in American minority groups. He aimed at discovering social policies and practices that promised to promote the healthy development of all children and youth.

In his honor, the Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity in the Division of the Social Sciences and the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at the University of Chicago will grant the W. Allison Davis Graduate Research Award to doctoral students who propose to conduct outstanding research on these questions. Awardees will be asked to present their research at the following year’s Allison Davis Symposium.

Conditions
The applicant must be a registered doctoral student in one of the Divisions or Schools of the University of Chicago. Proposals of collaborative projects, including interdisciplinary collaborations, are welcome.

Applications should briefly explain—either in the cover letter or the project narrative—how the research advances the following aims of the W. Allison Davis Research Award:

  • Understanding of systems of stratification and segregation between and within racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.
  • Documenting the effects of social stratification and segregation on family life, language use, educational attainment and the development of personality and character of children and adolescents in American minority groups
  • Identifying social policies and practices that promise to promote the healthy development of all children and youth

Application Materials
Please apply online at the University of Chicago InfoReady Funding Portal.

  1. A completed application form.
  2. A cover letter addressed to the W. Allison Davis Graduate Research Award Committee.
  3. A project narrative (2–3 pages) that describes the proposed study and research design and includes a timeline demonstrating that projects will be completed by the end of Spring Quarter 2025. Collaborative projects can be submitted jointly and should include how the project relates to each student’s long-term academic interests.
  4. A budget with estimates of the research expenses. Allowable research expenses include travel costs, supplies, salary for research assistants, and transcription costs. Stipends are not an allowable expense. The budget can range up to $5,000.
  5. A copy of your CV.
  6. One letter of recommendation from a member of the faculty who is familiar with the work and can speak to the feasibility and promise of the proposed project.

Applications should be submitted by 12:00pm CT on February 28, 2024. The letter of recommendation should be submitted by the faculty member by 12:00pm CT on March 6, 2024.

Contact Natalie Arsenault (ncarsenault@uchicago.edu) with any questions.