Awarded: NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant to Afro-American Doctoral Student Karl Lyn
Karl Lyn, doctoral candidate in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, has been awarded a $25,000 Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant within the Cultural Anthropology Program from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).
The recognition is based on the intellectual merit and broader impact of Lyn’s research proposal, “Citizenship in the City: Everyday Possibilities and Constraints of Black Political Agency in South Central Los Angeles.”
The NSF’s Cultural Anthropology Doctoral Dissertation Grant program supports doctoral research aimed at understanding the causes, consequences, and complexities of human social and cultural variability. In addition to its financial provision, the grant will also offer Lyn financial support and access to a network of fellow awardees.
“I feel fortunate that my dissertation project has garnered recognition from the National Science Foundation,” Lyn says. “It is a testament to the value of community-based research, specifically in exploring what it means to exercise citizenship in the face of escalating inequality. The grant funds will enable me to delve deeper into this question, exploring new possibilities for political agency within and beyond American cities. This grant signifies more than a financial investment in my research; it reflects a broader commitment and need to support scholarly efforts that center the voices and experiences of historically marginalized communities. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to amplify my research through this grant, and I look forward to the journey ahead.”
“The W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies is incredibly proud of this amazing achievement,” says Yolanda Covington-Ward, professor and chair of the department. “Karl represents the best principles of our department: hard work, dedication, and a commitment to uplifting the voices and perspectives of Black communities. He truly embodies the values of our namesake, activist and scholar Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois. We look forward to seeing the results of this groundbreaking research.”