Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship

Name: Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF)

Award Amount: Varies (typically includes annual stipends, research funding, mentorship, and repayment of undergraduate loans up to a set limit)

Information And Eligibility:
The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) is one of the most prestigious national programs supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds who aspire to become scholars, researchers, and college professors in the humanities and humanistic social sciences. Established by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the fellowship aims to diversify academia by helping promising undergraduates prepare for Ph.D. studies and academic careers. MMUF provides multi-year mentoring, academic support, research opportunities, conference participation, and substantial financial assistance that can follow fellows through graduate school.

Fellows receive structured research training, faculty mentorship, summer research stipends, and funding to attend academic conferences. Many institutions also offer GRE preparation, workshops, and professional development tailored to preparing students for doctoral-level scholarship. A signature benefit of the program is undergraduate loan repayment (up to a certain amount) for fellows who complete the program and enroll in a Ph.D. program in an approved field.

MMUF is available only at partner institutions, including select universities, liberal arts colleges, and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Fields of study typically supported include anthropology, art history, classics, English, history, philosophy, linguistics, religion, and certain areas of ethnic studies, gender studies, sociology, and political theory. STEM, business, law, medicine, and professional programs are not eligible unless a student’s focus is grounded firmly in humanistic inquiry.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at a participating MMUF institution.
• Must belong to an underrepresented group in the humanities or demonstrate a commitment to diversifying academia.
• Must intend to pursue a Ph.D. in an MMUF-eligible field in the humanities or humanistic social sciences.
• Must demonstrate strong academic performance, intellectual curiosity, and the potential for original scholarly research.
• Must be recommended by faculty and selected through a competitive institutional review process.

Application Requirements:

• Complete the institutional MMUF application (requirements vary by campus).
• Submit academic transcripts demonstrating strong performance in relevant coursework.
• Provide one or more faculty recommendations attesting to academic promise and research potential.
• Write a personal statement outlining scholarly interests, long-term academic goals, and commitment to pursuing a Ph.D.
• Submit a preliminary research proposal or writing sample that reflects potential for advanced scholarship.
• Participate in an interview with the campus MMUF selection committee if required.

Deadline: February

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