Dunn Peace Research Scholarship

The J. W. G. Dunn, Jr. Scholarship for Foreign Research on International Peace was developed to provide an annual award for a University of Minnesota student to pursue research abroad dealing with issues of direct relevance to international peace. The scholarship is an award of $3,000.

Application Deadline

Applications for the Summer 2024 Dunn Peace Research Scholarship are due March 22, 2024

Travel funded by the award should occur in Summer 2024. Exceptions to allow for travel restrictions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Applicants must be full-time, degree-seeking University of Minnesota undergraduate or graduate students.
  • The proposed research must be relevant to issues of international peace.
  • Examples of past research proposals:
    • "The Role of Civilian Initiatives in Building Local Capacities for Peace” 
    • “The Children of Cypriot Refugees and the Meaning of their Occupied Homes”
    • “The Role of the Korean Mass Media in Building Peace in the Korean Peninsula”
    • “Significance of Borders in the East African Integration”
  • The proposed project must require research outside of the United States. Projects that could be completed successfully using resources at the University of Minnesota or elsewhere in the United States will not be funded. Travel to countries or locations designated as Travel Advisory Level 3 or 4 by the US State Department requires approval from the University of Minnesota International Travel Risk Assessment and Advisory Committee.
  • Research may be for the PhD dissertation, a master’s thesis, a Plan B master’s paper, an honor thesis, or an independent study project. Applications will be judged by standards appropriate to each student’s level.

Application Procedures

Contact
If you have additional questions, email IGSscholarships@umn.edu.

Submit your complete application electronically to IGSscholarships@umn.edu (subject: Dunn Peace)

A complete application consists of the following:

  • Application Form
  • Description of research project 
  • Description of research preparation and qualifications
  • U of M transcript (unofficial copy acceptable) 
  • Resume
  • Faculty adviser’s recommendation

The description of your research project (not to exceed two single-spaced, typed pages) should include the following items:

  • Name of the project
  • Question or questions you want to address
  • Significance of research
  • Methods and resources you will use
  • Any clearances you may need (such as U of M human subjects or foreign government approval)
  • Necessity of going abroad for your research
  • Relevance of your project to issues of international peace

The description of your preparation for the research abroad (not to exceed one single-spaced, typed page) should include the following:

  • The language(s) other than English that will be required for your research, documentation of your level of proficiency in this language, deficiencies in language skills
  • The nature and extent of background reading, coursework, or research you have already done or plan to do before departure that relates to your subject and to the countries in which you will do your research
  • Previous experience abroad
  • Other non-academic experiences or background that has helped you prepare for this project 

Selection Criteria

Applications will be judged by standards appropriate to each student’s level. The selection committee will award the scholarship based on the following criteria:

  • Relevance of the proposed research to an issue or issues of international peace and the necessity of a foreign phase of the research
  • Quality of the research proposal
  • Feasibility of the research design in relation to:
    • the time allocation for completion
    • the resources available to the student both at the University of Minnesota and at the site of overseas study
    • the applicant’s ability to carry out the proposed research (e.g., language skills, relevant course work)
    • the applicant’s knowledge of the subject of the proposed research and of the concepts and methods of the relevant academic disciplines
  • The applicant’s past academic performance
  • Faculty advisor’s letter

Selection Procedures

A selection committee will review the applications. Recipients will be notified in early May.

Student Reports

  • Scholarship recipients are required to submit a copy of the final paper, or in certain cases, a progress report, to the Institute for Global Studies.
  • Final papers or progress reports of past recipients of the Dunn Peace Research Scholarship are on file in the Institute for Global Studies.

Medical Insurance

While abroad, all Dunn Peace Research Scholarship recipients must have On Call International insurance. Students purchasing this insurance will have their student account billed.