UMBC Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities
AY21-22 Grant Program for Doctoral Candidates
Announcement Date – October 5, 2021
Eligibility Requirements: The competition is open to doctoral candidates currently enrolled at
the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and in the University of Maryland
School of Social Work who are eligible to submit applications for external support.
Award Amount: Sherman Center Doctoral Student Research Award recipients will be selected
through the competitive review of proposals by members of the Sherman Center campus
advisory committee. Awards of up to $15,000 of funding for 12 months will be available. Award
recipients will hold the designation of Sherman Center Doctoral Research Fellows during the
timeframe of their study.
Proposal Submission: Complete applications must include the following components: the
checklist page (provided in the application packet), cover page form (provided in the application
packet), budget template and narrative (provided in the application packet), current curriculum
vitae (maximum 10 pages), the proposal narrative, CITI confirmation, and two letters of
recommendation. Application materials are to be submitted by e-mail to the director of the
Sherman Center, Dr. Jennifer Mata-McMahon (jmatamcm@umbc.edu), as a single pdf
file. Applicants should coordinate with letter writers to ensure that recommendation letters are
received by the deadline. Hardcopy applications will not be accepted.
Deadline: For the AY21-22 competition, the proposal deadline is Tuesday, January 25, 2022.
Applications received after the deadline will not be considered for this year’s
competition. Awards will be announced by Tuesday, March 15, 2022.
Contact: Interested applicants should contact Dr. Jennifer Mata-McMahon, director of the
Sherman Center, at jmatamcm@umbc.edu or 410-455-2259 with questions.