MMUF Dissertation Grant

MMUF Dissertation Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Institute for Citizens & Scholars
Amount: Up to US $30,000
Last Updated: October 19, 2025

Summary

The MMUF Dissertation Grant, funded by the Mellon Foundation, supports doctoral candidates who are alumni of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship. This grant aids scholars in completing their dissertations, ensuring diverse perspectives are represented in academia. With up to $30,000 for a 12-month period, the program encourages candidates to secure additional funding from their institutions. The initiative aims to bolster access to education and foster understanding among varied backgrounds, ultimately enhancing the academic landscape.

Overview

NOTE: This Fellowship is funded by the Mellon Foundation and open only to alumni of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship. Fellowships for Faculty Citizens & Scholars offers three Fellowships for Faculty at the college or university level. MMUF Advancement Program Creating and Patching a Faculty Pipeline The MMUF Advancement Program Fellows bring diverse perspectives to their graduate studies and careers in the academy, ensuring their perspectives are shared within their disciplines and with their students. Fellows are alumni of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) program and gather to prepare graduate school applications, receive funding for additional research, and professional support throughout their dissertation research. The MMUF Dissertation Grants support doctoral candidates nearing the completion of their dissertation. This program is funded by the Mellon Foundation. The MMUF Dissertation Grants The MMUF Dissertation Grants provide doctoral candidates at the critical juncture of completing their graduate degrees with support to spend a year finishing the writing of the dissertation. The Challenge: Diverse perspectives have been historically excluded from higher educationThe Fellows: 431 grants have been awarded through the MMUF Advancement Program and 80% of scholars have earned their doctorateThe Impact: Young adults have increased access to a diversity of perspectives and deepen their understanding of people of all backgrounds Award The MMUF Dissertation Grants are available to graduate students who participated in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program. The grants provide graduate students at the critical juncture of completing their graduate degrees with support to spend a year finishing the writing of the dissertation. The dissertation grant offers up to $30,000 for a 12-month period. Fellows are encouraged to apply for dissertation grants from their home institutions. Winners who do not receive dissertation support from their own institutions are eligible to receive the full amount. The grant will be reduced by funding from other sources to ensure that each awardee receives a maximum award from all sources of $30,000. The Institute for Citizens & Scholars will ask graduate schools to waive tuition for winners of the MMUF Dissertation Grant. Candidates must arrange for their own health insurance coverage.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Who should apply to the MMUF Dissertation Grants?Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program alumni Candidate for the Ph.D. degree in fields recognized under the terms of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program Candidates must have completed all pre-dissertation requirements before the application deadline. Specifically, each applicant must have passed all comprehensive examinations, completed all coursework for the degree, received approval of the dissertation topic, and completed most or all of the fieldwork and/or research necessary to begin writing. Eligible Fields:Humanities: American and English Literatures, Foreign Languages and Literatures (including Area/Cultural/Ethnic/Gender Studies), Art History, Classics, Film, Cinema and Media Studies (theoretical focus) History, Linguistics, Musicology and Ethnomusicology, Performance Studies (theoretical focus), Philosophy and Political Theory, Religion and Theology, Theater (non-performance focus) Social Sciences:  Anthropology and Archaeology, Demography, Geography and Population Studies, SociologyPhysical Sciences: Computer Science, Earth/Environmental/Geological Sciences, Ecology, Geology, Mathematics, Oceanographic/Marine/Atmospheric/Planetary Science, Physics and Astronomy