Mellon Mays Predoctoral Research Grants

The Mellon Mays Predoctoral Research Grants provide financial support for Ph.D. students who are Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows. Three types of grants are available: the Graduate Studies Enhancement Grant (up to $2,000), the Predoctoral Research Development Grant (up to $3,000), and the Dissertation Completion Grant (up to $2,500). These grants aim to enhance research opportunities and facilitate timely completion of doctoral studies.

The Graduate Initiatives Program offers three predoctoral grant opportunities: the Graduate Studies Enhancement Grant (GSE), the Predoctoral Research Development Grant (PRD), and the Dissertation Completion Grant (DCG).
These grants are only open to Ph.D. students who were selected as Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows.

Eligibility

The following guidelines refer to all three predoctoral grant opportunities:Fellows may apply for one grant per yearApplicants must be Mellon undergraduate fellows enrolled in a doctoral program in an eligible field of study.Each fellow may receive a maximum of $6,500 in GSE and PRD funds; DCG funds do not apply toward this totalGraduate Studies Enhancement (GSE) GrantFellows must be in their second to fifth years of graduate school; students at South African universities are eligible to apply in the first year of their Master’s programsAvailable for up to $2,000 per academic yearMay be received up to four timesFunds travel, equipment, books, journal subscriptions, and softwarePredoctoral Research Development (PRD) GrantFellows must be in their second to fifth years of graduate school; students at South African universities are eligible to apply in the first year of their Master’s programsAvailable for up to $3,000 once during a fellow's graduate school careerFunds small-scale, preliminary research and other activitiesRequires a letter of support from an adviser or committee memberDissertation Completion Grant (DCG)Fellows must be in their seventh year or beyond and must provide a feasible timeline for completion of the dissertation within 12 months Available for up to $2,500 once during a fellow’s graduate school careerFunds travel, equipment, books, journal subscriptions, and software that support the completion of the dissertationRequires a summary report six months after receipt of the grantA competitive award based on the feasibility of timely completionFellows may not have participated in the Preparing for the Professoriate Seminar

Ineligibility

The grants cannot be used for tuition and fees or living expenses.Fellows that have begun the sixth year of graduate study are not eligible