Iowa Performance Fellowship
Iowa Performance Fellowships are given to the most talented newly admitted Doctor of Musical Arts students in a performance area of music who will begin their studies in the fall semester. Each year up to two awards are given. Applicants must be nominated by the School of Music.
The financial commitment for Iowa Performance Fellows entering the DMA program in Fall 2023 or later is as follows:
Year 1: The Graduate College provides a non-service fellowship appointment for $21,400 for the academic year and a summer fellowship for $5,000.
Year 2: The Graduate College provides a non-service fellowship appointment with a stipend equivalent to a 25% graduate assistantship for the academic year and a summer fellowship for $5,000. In addition, the School of Music will provide support at the normal level, generally a 25% teaching or research assistantship for the academic year.
Year 3: The Graduate College provides a non-service fellowship appointment with a stipend equivalent to a 25% graduate assistantship for the academic year only. In addition, the School of Music will provide support at the normal level, generally a 25% teaching or research assistantship for the academic year.
Year 4: The School of Music will provide academic year support at the normal level, generally a 25% teaching or research assistantship. The fourth year of promised funding is new to 2023-2024 fellows. We are not able to guarantee this funding to previous year fellowship cohorts.
The Graduate College pays a tuition scholarship at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences resident rate, plus a scholarship for 50% of the designated mandatory fees as listed in the tuition and mandatory fees table during both the three academic years and two summers of support. The Graduate College will also provide a university contribution to the fellow's health insurance for years 1-3. The School of Music will provide the tuition scholarship and 50% of the designated mandatory fees, as well as a university contribution to health insurance to the fellow in year 4.
Typically, fellowships cannot be used in combination with any other source of support (e.g., fellowship/scholarship, grant, graduate assistantships, or employment outside the University of Iowa) since the fellowships are meant to provide protected time for the student to advance their studies. Failure to report additional employment can be considered in future applications/nominations/continued Graduate College funding for both the student and the department. For more information or to ask for a possible one-time exception, contact the Graduate College.
Departments/Programs may select their strongest newly admitted DMA students.
Students must be nominated by their departments or programs.
Online nominations must include the following items as separate PDF files:
Required materials:
- Nomination letter from Director of Graduate Studies
- Copy of the student's complete application including all signed letters of reference
- Letters of support from at least two faculty members (at least one from within the program and at least one who is at the associate professor level or higher) agreeing to serve as mentors for the student. Faculty members must have at least one of the following credentials: 1) a record of successfully mentoring doctoral students to completion, 2) successfully completed or committing to completing National Research Mentoring Network training offered at the University of Iowa and elsewhere, and/or 3) the completion of another type of formal program demonstrating commitment to student success. The letters must address how the mentor addresses this qualification.
Nominations must be submitted online at https://workflow.uiowa.edu/form/iowa-performance by the department or program, with all materials prepared as PDF documents. Applications submitted by the student (and not someone in the department such as the DGS, DEO or grad coordinator) will be voided and not considered.
The deadline for submissions for the 2024-2025 academic year is Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 5pm. Submissions will be accepted in Workflow beginning Monday, February 19, 2024.
Please direct any questions to Graduate Administrative Affairs Coordinator Katie Bottorff (467-4307) or Associate Dean Shelly Campo (335-2136) or via email at grad-fellowships@uiowa.edu.