Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships Grant

The Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships offer short-term research support for academic researchers and doctoral candidates focusing on Virginia history. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, these fellowships provide $1,000 per week for research visits lasting one to two weeks. They cover diverse topics, including political, economic, and cultural studies. Applicants are evaluated based on scholarly qualifications and proposal merit, with priority given to those whose work may lead to significant publication.

About the Fellowships: To promote the interpretation of Virginia history and access to its collections, we offer short-term research fellowships.
These short-term research fellowships are funded by a matching grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and gifts from individuals. These fellowships provide funding to support one- to two-week research visits. For the purpose of this program, a week is defined as five days in the research library, which is open 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Saturday.
Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships cover the broad sweep of Virginia and American history. They support research in the following general categories of study, but are not limited to:

• Political, constitutional, religious, military, and Black studies
• Business history, economic history, and labor relations
• Gender, women’s, and LGBTQ+ studies
• Social, cultural, and literature studies

We confer fellowships on the basis of the applicants’ scholarly qualifications, the merits of their proposals, and the appropriateness of their topics, as demonstrated by citation to specific sources in our collections. Applicants whose research promises to result in significant publication, including the Virginia Magazine of History & Biography, will receive primary consideration.
We offer a few grants ($500 per week) for mileage to commuting researchers who live outside that area. The majority of fellowships ($1,000 per week) go to those who live farther away and incur greater expenses. We expect recipients to work on a regular basis in our reading room during the period of their fellowships. We welcome applications from doctoral candidates.

Eligibility

Eligibility: These fellowships are for academic researchers and doctoral candidates living outside the Richmond metropolitan area.

Ineligibility

Undergraduates, master's students, and graduate students not yet admitted to Ph.D. candidacy are not eligible.Because the program is designed to help defray travel expenses, residents of the Richmond metropolitan area are not eligible for fellowships.