Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Grant

Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Harvard University
Last Updated: January 02, 2026

Summary

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program at Harvard College fosters a supportive research community for undergraduate scholars in the humanities and social sciences. It emphasizes mentorship, independent research, and preparing students for doctoral studies. Committed to diversity, the program amplifies marginalized voices and perspectives, encouraging all eligible sophomores to apply. Participants gain valuable skills through workshops and networking opportunities, cultivating future leaders in academia and contributing to a socially just world.

Overview

Overview Established in the 1988-1989 academic year by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) is committed to broadening the range of scholarly perspectives in the US academy, with a focus on the humanities and the humanistic social sciences. Its name symbolically connects the mission to the achievements of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, educator, college president, and civil rights activist. The program is hosted at 47 U.S. colleges and universities and three consortia. Harvard College has been a host institution since 1989, with its first class of fellows graduating in 1991. The MMUF program is a community of undergraduate scholars in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who conduct independent research in collaboration with a faculty mentor and who are interested in graduate study in humanities & related fields. The program that spans a student’s junior and senior years provides mentoring, research support, cohort building, resource and skill building in preparation for entry to PhD programs and lives as scholars and academics in the humanities and related fields. All undergraduate fellows receive: Mentoring towards research goals and graduate school preparationGuidance on mentors and mentoring relationships, building research skills, applying to graduate school and moreAccess to a cohort of scholars doing research in humanities and humanistic social sciences Opportunities to network and present research at the regional MMUF conferencesFellowship support:Term-time stipend (for two academic years)Summer stipend (for two summers – summer before junior year, summer before senior year) Additional financial support for graduate school (PhD) application preparation and other scholarly development, as needed and requested Program Expectations Fellows Must onduct independent research in the humanities and social sciences under the guidance of a Harvard faculty member. It is expected that undergraduate research culminates in a thesis or capstone paper. Participate enthusiastically in weekly cohort meetings (~1.5 hours long) on topics such as: faculty research, research communication, graduate school admissions, the life of a graduate student and professor, and more. Attend and participate one Northeast MMUF conference per fellowship year (MMUF conferences are typically scheduled for one weekend (Friday and Saturday) every Fall semester. Meet with the campus program coordinator each semester for a check-in advising meeting. Submit program deliverables: research progress reports, draft statements of purpose, research abstracts, and final capstone papers/theses. Present their research, as seniors, at the annual Harvard MMUF Research Symposium. Being a Mellon Mays program fellow is a serious time commitment. We recommend students deeply consider their academic and co-curricular commitments, personal and academic goals, and weigh whether enthusiastic commitment to the program's requirements can be achieved before applying and committing to this program. Selection Criteria In the spring of their sophomore year, applicants will be evaluated on the following criteria: Academic achievement and scholarly promise Commitment to independent research and scholarly work in humanities and related fields as an undergraduate and in the future Well-articulated research proposal/plan Commitment to the goals of MMUF Interest in pursuing graduate study, particularly the PhD in humanities/humanistic social sciences and a professorial (research and teaching) career Strong letters of recommendation that validate the candidate's capabilities, scholarly promise, and potential contributions and growth through participation in MMUF

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Eligible to apply are Harvard College sophomores, who:Are in good standing with the College Are concentrating in the humanities and humanistic social sciences. Are committed to conducting an independent research project within their concentrations with guidance from Harvard faculty Have serious interest in pursuing graduate study, particularly the PhD in a humanities or humanistic social sciences fields Demonstrate a commitment to the program’s goals Are U.S. Citizens, U.S. permanent residents or DACA/undocumented students. To be eligible for selection as an MMUF fellow, students must be planning to study in one or more of the below fields:Anthropology and Archaeology Area/Cultural/Ethnic/Gender Studies Art History Classics Geography and Population Studies English Film, Cinema and Media Studies (theoretical focus) Musicology, Ethnomusicology and Music Theory Foreign Languages and Literatures History Linguistics Literature Performance Studies (theoretical focus) Philosophy and Political Theory Religion and Theology Sociology Theater (theoretical focus) You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. Students must formally apply to their campus MMUF program to be considered for selection as fellows. The application process generally includes a written statement of purpose, a reflection on the ways the applicant’s life experiences and academic aspirations would contribute to furthering the goal of a diverse academy, one or more recommendations from faculty members, an academic transcript, an interview with the selection committee, and other requirements according to each institution’s procedures.

Ineligibility

The fellowship is not intended for students who wish to pursue law school, medical school or other professional education.