INDIANAPOLIS—Lumina Foundation for Education has awarded a grant to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University to establish a fellowship program for students earning a Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies.
The funding will support for three years two fellows focused either on research in philanthropy and higher education or on research related to private foundations. The two fellowships will provide opportunities in which respected scholars guide exceptional, creative minds to a new level of intellectual growth and will heighten their future contributions to academia and to nonprofit professionals’ work.
“We are grateful to Lumina Foundation for their generous underwriting of these fellowships,” said Gene Tempel, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy. “They will make a huge difference financially to our students, and enable them to do important research to advance the field. This support will enhance our ability to attract the best students to this unique doctoral program.”
The doctoral degree is designed to blend the expertise of practitioners and scholars to produce meaningful new contributions for the field. The intensive program allows students to engage in in-depth examination of the most complex issues in philanthropy. It emphasizes original research by doctoral candidates designed to help build the knowledge base about philanthropy and develop solutions and information for issues facing nonprofits, foundations and communities.
Just as the Center created the nation’s first Master of Arts program in Philanthropic Studies, it also has established this program, which is believed to be the first traditional-format Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies in the United States. It is among a small number of doctorate programs dedicated to such issues nationwide. Members of the first class began their studies in fall 2004.
Lumina Foundation for Education, an Indianapolis-based, private, independent foundation, strives to help people achieve their potential by expanding access and success in education beyond high school. Through grants for research, innovation, communication and evaluation, as well as policy education and leadership development, Lumina Foundation addresses issues that affect access and educational attainment among all students, particularly underserved groups, including adult learners. The Foundation bases its mission on the belief that postsecondary education remains one of the most beneficial investments that individuals can make in themselves and that society can make in its people. For more details on the Foundation, visit its Web site at www.luminafoundation.org.
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University is a leading academic center dedicated to increasing the understanding of philanthropy and improving its practice through research, teaching, public service and public affairs programs in philanthropy, fundraising, and management of nonprofit organizations. The Center conducts basic and applied research about contemporary and historical issues in philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, the nonprofit sector, giving, fundraising, voluntary action, and public policy issues linked to philanthropic activity.
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