This Labor Studies Fellowship was created in 2004 to honor the memory of Martha H. Duggan, who died on July 24, 2003. Marty provided essential support to her husband, Robert Duggan, as he pursued his law degree. This fellowship acknowledges that Bob Duggan's life work would have been impossible without the caring labor of his life partner. Marty and Bob were both staunch supporters of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and associates of the great ILWU leader, Harry Bridges. After Harry’s death in 1990, they became founding supporters of the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies.
The fellowship winner must demonstrate high academic achievement and be enrolled at the UW for the upcoming Autumn Quarter. The fellowship has a value of $10,000 to be applied to tuition costs or provide support for living expenses, books, fees, and other educational expenses. Duggan fellows will consult with the Coordinator of the Bridges Center regarding the allocation of funds. The fellowship must be used within two years of receiving the award and while the student is still active at the University of Washington.
The Duggan fellow will be asked to assist the Bridges Chair in maintaining the focus on caring labor as a visible and ongoing part of the Center’s program. This might involve the identification and invitation of an important speaker in this field, or it may involve developing an activity (such as a conference or workshop) where scholars, practitioners, and/or activists who are concerned with caring labor can meet and exchange ideas. Additional funds may be available from the Bridges Center to be used by the Duggan fellow in these pursuits.
Deadline to Apply for 2024-2025 Academic Year
Monday, May 6, 2024 at 11:59PM
Who Should Apply
The fellowship shall be awarded to any graduate student at any of the three University of Washington campuses (Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma) who has demonstrated academic merit. Preference for the award shall be given to graduate students committed to researching or serving those who provided caring labor, or who themselves have provided caring labor or assisted partners or other family members in gaining advanced education. The fellowship may be awarded to a student in any field as long as her or his work has a focus on labor.
If you have applied to the University of Washington but have not yet received notice from the Admissions Office, you are eligible for the scholarship. However, the award will be contingent on your admittance to the UW.
How to Apply
To apply, a student should prepare the following materials:
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Essay responses. Please prepare written answers to the following questions. We recommend compiling answers into a separate document before entering them into the online application. This will ensure your responses are saved on multiple platforms, as answers entered in the online application are not saved until they are submitted.
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Tell us about any labor, social justice, or racial justice issues that you are passionate about and why these issues matter to you. Please share your history of involvement with these issues, which may include but is not limited to personal experience, advocacy, or research. If relevant, highlight issues related to waterfront industries or organized labor. Please limit your response to 800 words or less.
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How will funding from the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies support the goals you have for your education at the University of Washington? How do you plan to engage with the labor movement during your studies here? How will funding prepare you for what you want to accomplish upon completion of your degree? Again, if relevant, highlight issues relevant to waterfront industries or organized labor. Please limit your response to 400 words or less.
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Include a written response detailing your involvement and commitment to caring labor. Please limit your statement to 800 words or less.
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A brief letter of support from a teacher or community member.
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A high school or college transcript (whichever is most recent). Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
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Up to date contact information, including e-mail, mailing addresses, and phone number.
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Optional: Additional documents demonstrating your commitment to labor or Labor Studies, such as a resume or curriculum vitae, may also be submitted.
How to Submit Your Application
The online application for all Labor Studies scholarships and fellowships for the 2024-2025 academic year opens in Spring Quarter. A link to the online application portal will be posted on the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies website. By submitting the online application, you will be considered for all Labor Studies awards you qualify for.
Questions about the application or scholarship terms? Call (206) 543-7946 or e-mail hbcls@uw.edu.
Previous Fellowship Recipients
2013: Annie Menzel
2014: Rod Palmquist
2015: Stephanie Cruz
2016: Jiwoon Yu-Lee
2017: Jamie Wong
2018: Maria Blancas
2019: Caitlin Alcorn
2020: Yingyi Wang & Yuanjin Zhou
2021: Anupa Gewali & Samantha Thompson
2022: Veronica Tecsi
2023: Jennifer Im