Each year the Center for Families awards one faculty fellowship of up to $10,000 to support a research project or proposal. Faculty must determine which fellowship focus to apply under.

Fellowship Focus

A Burkhart Fellow will focus their research primarily on emerging family issues. Topics of particular interest include healthy family functioning; evolving family forms; and family disparities in educational, employment, or community settings. Lorene Burkhart, the founding donor of the Center for Families, is passionately committed to family well-being.

A Kontos Fellow will focus their research on optimizing the development of children and youth. Topics of particular interest include child care and early childhood education; the health and development of children and youth in challenging contexts; and the inclusion of disadvantaged or underrepresented children and youth in educational, employment, or community settings. Susan Kontos was the founding director of the Center for Families and an international authority in the field of early childhood education.

A Hancook Fellow will focus their research on maximizing the health, well-being, and development of adults as individuals, parents, and partners. Topics of particular interest include assessing and addressing community needs and investigating, promoting, and nurturing conditions that foster successful family functioning. Ann Hancook, former Associate Dean for Extension in the School of Consumer and Family Sciences, was a central figure in founding the Center for Families.

How to Apply

All materials listed below must be combined into one file in PDF and submitted through the electronic CFF application process.

• Statement of Purpose no longer than 3 double-spaced pages in which you:
  • Identify the goals of your proposed project
  • Explain how this project aligns with the opportunity you are applying for and how it will advance the work of the Center for Families
  • Provide a summary of your relevant experiences and qualifications for carrying out this project
• A Budget Justification or COEUS budget. CFF Fellowship funds should not be allocated to indirect costs
• Curriculum Vitae

Faculty may apply for more than one award, but can receive only one. Preference will be given to CFF faculty partners, faculty who have not previously received CFF funding, proposals that will lead to external funding affiliated with the Center for Families, and/or proposals that incorporate the annual research theme.

Faculty fellowships are currently supported by the Robert O. And Zelma C. Swaim Memorial Fund.

This grant is given to faculty to fund student training and involvement in research. Funds can be used for student travel to research or training opportunities, or to provide stipends for undergraduate members of research teams. Faculty members apply on behalf of students.

How to Apply

All materials listed below must be combined into one file in PDF and submitted through the electronic CFF application process.

• Statement of Purpose no longer than 3 double-spaced pages in which you:
  • Identify the goals of your proposed project
  • Explain how this project aligns with the opportunity you are applying for and how it will advance the work of the Center for Families
  • Provide a summary of your relevant experiences and qualifications for carrying out this project
• A Budget Justification or COEUS budget. CFF Fellowship funds should not be allocated to indirect costs
• Curriculum Vitae

Faculty may apply for more than one award, but can receive only one. Preference will be given to CFF faculty partners, faculty who have not previously received CFF funding, proposals that will lead to external funding affiliated with the Center for Families, and/or proposals that incorporate the annual research theme.

This grant is available thanks to the Bob L. and Joyce Beery Miles Research Endowment. After seeing the impact a small amount of support can have on the trajectory of a student, Bob and Joyce created the endowment, further committing their ongoing support of undergraduate research at Purdue.

This grant is for students who will generate important new information about families. It allows them to engage in a program of scholarly activity of their own design, related to the focus of the grant. Student work must be supervised by a faculty member.

How to Apply

All materials listed below must be combined into one file in PDF and submitted through the electronic CFF application process.

• Statement of Purpose no longer than 3 double-spaced pages in which you:
  • Identify the goals of your proposed project
  • Explain how this project aligns with the opportunity you are applying for and how it will advance the work of the Center for Families
  • Provide a summary of your relevant experiences and qualifications for carrying out this project
• Budget Justification (Describe how you will use the CFF funding to support your project goals)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of support from the faculty member(s) who has agreed to supervise the project work (Interdisciplinary Research Grant applicants must provide at least two letters of support from faculty in two different departments)

Students may apply for more than one opportunity. Preference is given to those who have not been selected to receive other CFF funding, students who are advised by CFF faculty partners, and/or proposals that incorporate the annual research theme.

This grant is for students who have chosen a field of study that combines one or more academic disciplines with the study of the families. It allows them to engage in a program of scholarly activity of their own design, related to the focus of the grant. The work must be supervised by two faculty members in two different departments.

How to Apply

All materials listed below must be combined into one file in PDF and submitted through the electronic CFF application process.

• Statement of Purpose no longer than 3 double-spaced pages in which you:
  • Identify the goals of your proposed project
  • Explain how this project aligns with the opportunity you are applying for and how it will advance the work of the Center for Families
  • Provide a summary of your relevant experiences and qualifications for carrying out this project
• Budget Justification (Describe how you will use the CFF funding to support your project goals)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of support from the faculty member(s) who has agreed to supervise the project work (Interdisciplinary Research Grant applicants must provide at least two letters of support from faculty in two different departments)

Students may apply for more than one opportunity. Preference is given to those who have not been selected to receive other CFF funding, students who are advised by CFF faculty partners, and/or proposals that incorporate the annual research theme.

This grant is possible due to the generosity of Dr. Travis Dorsch and Dr. Breanna Studenka and the Studorshka Interdisciplinary Research Endowment. While completing his doctoral dissertation in Health and Kinesiology at Purdue, Travis spent hours learning about families, as he recognized that you can’t study individuals in isolation. He sought out support from the CFF Funding Program, which helped launch his career. He and Bree hope this interdisciplinary grant will help launch the career of others.

This grant is for students pursuing research on the quality of life for children and families, focusing on nutrition, and specifically diet or public policy. It allows them to engage in a program of scholarly activity of their own design, related to the focus of the grant. Student work must be supervised by a faculty member.

How to Apply

All materials listed below must be combined into one file in PDF and submitted through the electronic CFF application process.

• Statement of Purpose no longer than 3 double-spaced pages in which you:
  • Identify the goals of your proposed project
  • Explain how this project aligns with the opportunity you are applying for and how it will advance the work of the Center for Families
  • Provide a summary of your relevant experiences and qualifications for carrying out this project
• Budget Justification (Describe how you will use the CFF funding to support your project goals)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of support from the faculty member(s) who has agreed to supervise the project work (Interdisciplinary Research Grant applicants must provide at least two letters of support from faculty in two different departments)

Students may apply for more than one opportunity. Preference is given to those who have not been selected to receive other CFF funding, students who are advised by CFF faculty partners, and/or proposals that incorporate the annual research theme.

This grant is available thanks the Catherine L.Justice Trust. Catherine L. Justice, former Associate Professor in the Department of Food and Nutrition and Founder of the National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics, touched the lives of many dietitians in Indiana and throughout the U.S. as well.

This Internship is for students who have an interest in learning about the translations of research to policy. Along with this internship, recipients will receive the Levien Scholarship, which was created to support students committed to fostering family values and bettering families.

Interns assist with planning and conducting research for the Indiana Family Impact Seminar and the Family Impact Institute. The seminar, which takes place annually in November, educates state legislators about the implications of policy issues for families.

Students must be in at least their second year of study to apply. Interns must register for 3-4 credits, with a minimum of 2 credits to be taken in the fall.

How to Apply

All materials listed below must be combined into one file in PDF and submitted through the electronic CFF application process.

• Statement of Purpose no longer than 2 double-spaced pages in which you:
  • Provide a summary of your relevant experiences and qualifications
  • Explain how this internship will support your future professional goals
• Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of support from a faculty member(s) regarding students qualification

Students may apply for more than one opportunity. Preference is given to those who have not been selected to receive other CFF funding, and students who are advised by CFF faculty partners.

This scholarship is possible due to the generosity of Betty Levien Krejci, who created the endowment to honor her parents, Leo and Elva Levien and their belief in family. Betty is responsible for the establishment of the Indiana Family Impact Seminars at the Center for Families.

Given every three to five years, the McAllister fellow will collaborate with their advisor on research related to the quality of life for children and families. It is anticipated that the fellowship recipient will publish at least one working paper within the Center for Families. The fellowship is a 12-month, half-time position, carrying a stipend commensurate with Purdue University Graduate School Fellowships. Unlike some fellowships, the McAllister is not administered as an assistantship and carries no duties other than completion of the work described in student’s application. Applicants must have a master’s degree, have completed their PhD qualifying exam, and be a U.S. citizen.

How to Apply

All materials listed below must be combined into one file in PDF and submitted through the electronic CFF application process.

• Statement of Purpose no longer than 3 double-spaced pages in which you:
  • Identify the goals of your proposed project
  • Explain how this project aligns with the opportunity you are applying for and how it will advance the work of the Center for Families
  • Provide a summary of your relevant experiences and qualifications for carrying out this project
• Budget Justification (Describe how you will use the CFF funding to support your project goals)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of support from the faculty member(s) who has agreed to supervise the project work (Interdisciplinary Research Grant applicants must provide at least two letters of support from faculty in two different departments)

Students may apply for more than one opportunity. Preference is given to those who have not been selected to receive other CFF funding, students who are advised by CFF faculty partners, and/or proposals that incorporate the annual research theme.

For the Research Enhancement Grant, faculty members must apply on behalf of students following the instruction outlined under faculty opportunities. Contact your faculty advisor with award information.