About

The Hank Center administers these yearly fellowships for graduate students working on topics in the Catholic intellectual tradition. Named for Michael J. Garanzini, S.J. and funded by a generous grant from Loyola University Chicago's Jesuit Community, these awards support graduate students who have demonstrated superior academic achievement and offer promise as scholars, teachers, and authors who will contribute to the dynamic life of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Our current cycle of funding will provide support for graduate students during Summer 2026. 

Dates

All applications and supplemental materials are due March 24, 2026. Applications are reviewed by a committee, and applicants are notified of decisions by April 1, 2026. Fellowships run for Summer 2026, and fellows will be expected to submit a final report by September 1, 2026.

Funding

Several awards of $5,000 are available to fund students for Summer 2026 and may be used either to support award recipients directly, or for expenses such as research-related travel, data work/collection, and supplies. Regardless of how funds are used, awardees will receive $2500 upon being awarded the fellowship, with the remaining $2500 after receipt of the final report. 

Letters of Recommendation

Because we would like to receive letters by March 24, the first thing you should do is enter your letter-writers' information and click "Send Request Now" for each letter. This will send your letter writers a link so that they begin working on their letter and submit by the deadline. Please make sure your letter writers know that their letter should be submitted by March 24.