Susan Lipschutz, Margaret Ayers Host, and Anna Olcott Smith Awards for Rackham Graduate Students

These awards were established in the 20th century through generous donor support to honor the memories and contributions of Dr. Susan Lipschutz, Margaret Ayers Host, and Ella Smith Avery, who dedicated themselves to supporting women in academia. Recipients will be selected as part of the Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship awarding process, as further outlined below.

Eligibility

Nominees must:

Identify as women actively pursuing a doctoral degree; have achieved candidacy no later than January 20, 2026, for the Winter 2026 term or earlier; be enrolled full-time in a Rackham doctoral program at the University of Michigan.

Selection Criteria

Recipients will be selected as part of the Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship process. Predoctoral Fellow Recipients who meet the Lipschutz, Host, Smith Scholarship eligibility criteria may be selected as a Lipschutz, Host, Smith Scholar.

Deadline

January 20, 2026

Award Description

Awards cover full tuition and required fees, stipend of $41,310 (currently) for one academic year (fall, winter, and spring/summer terms), GradCare health and dental (option 1) during the tenure of the fellowship. Students may receive only one award. Awards are non-renewable.

Nomination Procedure

Students must be nominated by their program. Graduate programs may nominate eligible students through the Predoctoral Fellowship nomination process. Students should contact their program regarding their selection and nomination process.

To nominate a student, graduate programs must complete the Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship nomination process. 

Please refer to the Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship Program page for more information regarding the combined Predoctoral and Lipschutz, Host, and Smith competitions.