Research Fellowships
Pardee RAND research fellowships provide funds to cover tuition and living expenses. Each Ph.D. student receives a research fellowship by working an increasing number of days each year on RAND projects of their choice. This on-the-job training (OJT) is valuable both educationally and financially. OJT is an important requirement of the academic degree. (For more, see the OJT section on Experiential Learning).
Our students learn policy analysis by doing it, as part of interdisciplinary RAND research teams working on problems that range from the inner city to outer space. Students thereby accumulate unique, practical experience that employers in academia, government, business, and non-profit organizations value highly.
At the same time, students are able to support themselves at levels that equal or exceed most Ph.D. programs. To receive their full research fellowships, students must perform a minimum amount of OJT each year (including during the summer):
| Year 1 | 75 days (600 hours) |
|---|---|
| Year 2 | 125 days (1,000 hours) |
| Years 3-5 | 155 days (1,240 hours) |
If a student works more than the minimum number of research days in the first year, that number of days is subtracted from the required minimum in subsequent years. If a student works more than the minimum number of research days in year two and thereafter, the student may be able to earn a larger fellowship.