Stephen Lynn Smith (1944-2009) was born in Cedar Rapids and raised in nearby Marion. A 1963 graduate of Marion High School, he enrolled that summer in the ROTC program at the State University of Iowa (the original name of the University of Iowa), majoring in engineering. Perhaps influenced by the 1963 March on Washington that August, Steve embraced the Civil Rights Movement. He soon joined the local chapter of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and in 1964 participated in Freedom Summer, an effort to register African Americans in Mississippi to vote. He was one of more than 800 volunteers from across the country.

Two awards of $4000 each are given to students who demonstrate a commitment to the principles of social justice and progress. This award is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Applications must include:

• Application Form
• A one-page statement describing your academic or career goals, and some ways in which these reflect a concern for social justice.
• Two letters of recommendation
• Unofficial transcripts of University of Iowa coursework

Criteria for selection:

• Applicant must be a currently registered Ph.D. candidate.
• Dissertation proposal must be accepted by the candidate’s department before December 9, 2024.
• Applicant must have a demonstrated commitment to women’s issues through activities in the University or larger community.
• Dissertation promises to make contributions to understanding of women’s issues and to feminist scholarship

Applications must include:

• Application Form
• An application letter specifically addressing the selection criteria listed above. Provide information explaining the activist or community-based work you have done, including information about activist groups or organizations with which you have worked.
• A four- to five-page (double-spaced) summary of your dissertation in terms intelligible to readers not in your discipline.
• Two letters of reference. One letter must be from a faculty member acquainted with your dissertation. The second letter should be from a person acquainted with your activism on behalf of women’s issues.
• Unofficial transcripts of graduate work
• Curriculum vita