AAG Dissertation Research Grants

About this program

The American Association of Geographers (AAG) offers Dissertation Research Grants of up to $1,000 to support doctoral dissertation research; the 2027 competition will reopen in 2026 with a deadline of November 15, 2026 (midnight EST). Applicants must have been AAG members for at least one year, must not have earned a doctorate at the time of award, and must complete all Ph.D. requirements except the dissertation by the end of the semester/term following award approval. A dissertation supervisor must provide an official certification letter containing specified text and an anticipated completion date; proposals are evaluated for scholarly merit, awards rarely exceed $1,000 and may not be made if funds or suitable proposals are lacking. Awardees are required to submit a dissertation abstract and an expense report, acknowledge AAG support in presentations and publications, and grants are supported in part by named memorial funds (including a Paul Vouras Fund preference for minority applicants).