The Ruth D. Peterson Fellowships is designed to encourage students of color, especially those from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the field, to enter the field of criminology and criminal justice, and to facilitate the completion of their degrees. Applicants need not be members of the American Society of Criminology but individuals studying criminology or criminal justice issues are encouraged to apply. The recipients of the fellowships must be accepted into a program of doctoral studies and the award is for $6,000.