Goldstick Family Doctoral Fellowship
The Goldstick Initiative for the Study of Communication Disorders was established in 2005 to recruit and train future faculty in the area of communication. The Goldstick Initiative assists in providing states, schools, and families with recommended practices thereby improving learning and living outcomes for individuals with communication-related disabilities. The competition for the Goldstick Family Doctoral Fellowship occurs each summer.
Fellowships
For 2026-2027, the Goldstick Family Initiative will award fellowships of up to $10,000. Award amounts will be determined based on student need/existing funding and overall availability of funding, with the goal of supporting as many students as possible. Recipients may apply for a second or third year of support through the Goldstick Fellowship assuming satisfactory progress is being made towards the completion of a degree.
The late Phillip C. and Beverly Kramer Goldstick and their family are long-time supporters of the mission of the University of Illinois. They were married while Phil was pursuing his 1953 Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Business on the Urbana-Champaign campus. He followed his impressive academic and athletic career with an equally successful career as an attorney and investment advisor. The Goldstick’s have been generous donors to many University and community causes through the years. Their gifts to Illinois have supported everything from student scholarships to fine arts to music to athletics to neurological research. In addition to the fellowship(s), the Goldstick Initiative also provides support for the Goldstick Family Scholar and the Goldstick Family Lecture Series in Communication Disorders.
Minimum Criteria
Selection criteria for this year's Goldstick Family Fellowship recipients include:
- Full-time PhD students in Special Education or Speech & Hearing Science who conduct research that meaningfully considers or centers individuals with disabilities who possess extensive support needs
- Minimum graduate GPA of 3.5 (without rounding)
- Preference will be given to applicants who conduct research specific to support needs related to communication and/or social relationships for individuals with extensive support needs
Process
Interested students should submit an electronic copy of ALL of the following to the specified Box folder by the deadline of Friday, June 20, 2025 at 11:59pm CST. Note: No late submissions will be accepted.
- Completed application form on REDCap: https://redcap.link/GoldstickApp26.
- An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- A Personal Statement (2 pages or less) that describes current and prior professional experiences (i.e., research, teaching, service, prior practitioner experiences) related to facilitating positive outcomes for individuals with disabilities who possess extensive support needs, particularly regarding communication and/or social relationships. The statement should be double-spaced, not including references. Note: If the personal statement is longer, you will not be considered.
- An unofficial transcript, including Spring 2026 grades. Use these directions to order this transcript free of charge.
Evaluation Criteria
Recipients will be determined by a selection committee and will be introduced at the Goldstick Family Lecture during the Fall of 2026.
More specifically, each application will be evaluated based on the following: (a) alignment with the target population (i.e., individuals with disabilities who possess extensive support needs, special preference for relation to communication and/or social relationships; (b) academic success and productivity; (c) potential for impact on the target population; and (d) need for funding.
Note that any applicants who previously received the Goldstick Family Doctoral Fellowship are required to disclose such and describe how they used such funds. Finally, recipients will attend the College of Education Award Banquet in the Spring of 2027.
For more information
Dr. Michele Schutz, Goldstick Family Scholar and Assistant Professor
Department of Special Education
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1310 South Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
maschutz@illinois.edu