What is the Mellon Mays Fellowship?

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program is the centerpiece of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's initiatives to support demographic transformation in higher education and to promote the value of multivocality in the humanities and related disciplines. The program operates “with the objective of amplifying perspectives and contributions that have been marginalized within the conventional scholarly record, and that promote the realization of a more socially just world. We call this objective multivocality, and this commitment is at the core of MMUF.” (“MMUF Eligibility Requirements.” Mellon Foundation). The MMUF program is designed to encourage fellows to enter PhD programs that prepare students for professorial careers; it is not intended to support students who intend to go on to medical school, law school, or other professional schools.

Who should apply?

Sophomores, who are:

• genuinely considering graduate study in an MMUF-eligible field, and
• committed to the goals of MMUF.

Student applicants should be passionate about research, service, teaching, and mentorship, genuinely open to a career in higher education, and committed to the MMUF mission of “supporting demographic transformation in higher education and [...] promoting the value of multivocality in the humanities and related disciplines” (“MMUF Eligibility Requirements.” Mellon Foundation). We are particularly excited to work with applicants who have a profound intellectual curiosity, a genuine interest in learning about careers in the professoriate, and a commitment to showing up as positive members of a community. The Selection Committee will be looking for applications that articulate focused research questions, present a plausible project design, demonstrate an understanding of the features of the MMUF program at Princeton, and provide evidence of a commitment to increasing educational opportunities for all students.

What are the eligible majors for MMUF at Princeton?

The MMUF program provides support for students with a wide range of disciplinary interests in the humanities and humanistic social sciences. In order to be eligible for the fellowship, applicants must be planning to declare one of the following majors at Princeton: African American Studies, Anthropology, Art and Archaeology, Classics, Comparative Literature, East Asian Studies, English, French and Italian, German, History, Music (Musicology, Ethnomusicology, and Music Theory only), Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Politics (Political Theory only), Religion, Slavic Languages and Literatures, Sociology, Spanish and Portuguese. For students who are planning to declare an Independent Major, please contact Administrative Director Dr. Afia Ofori-Mensa. 

Eligible fields are established by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and not by the staff at Princeton. Students who are planning on pursuing an MD or a JD are not eligible for MMUF.

What are the program benefits?

The MMUF program supports Fellows in their academic and personal journey toward the PhD by providing them with the following:

• a strong, supportive community of fellow researchers, writers, and thinkers;
• two credit-bearing courses, one in the fall semester of the junior year and a second one in the spring semester of the senior year; 
• financial resources in the form of research and living stipends during the summer and winter breaks when not in term; 
• faculty and staff mentorship;
• professional development opportunities, including academic conference attendance and participation, GRE preparation, training in research and writing strategies, graduate application mentorship, etc.; and
• eligibility for repayment of up to $10,000 of undergraduate or PhD educational loans (contingent upon successful completion of an MMUF-eligible PhD program).

What is the time commitment for participation in MMUF?

The time commitment varies as your time in the program progresses. Typically, MMUF students should anticipate a full-time commitment (36.25 hours per week) in the rising-junior summer and rising-senior PhD and Fellowship Application Intensive and approximately 10 hours per week every fall and spring semester and the remainder of the senior summer. During the academic year, responsibilities include attending Mellon workshops, class sessions, and other activities and working on their independent projects. All MMUF students meet weekly at Mellon workshops or class sessions. In addition, Fellows are expected to have regular mentoring meetings with their Mellon faculty mentor. Fellows should keep in mind that, between scheduled meetings, they should be making active progress on their coursework, research, committee participation, and preparation for PhD programs. 

Does the MMUF require that I complete a separate independent project in addition to my JP or Senior Thesis?

Not necessarily. We recognize that each Mellon fellow at Princeton will be pursuing independent work through their junior paper (JP) and senior thesis. Because MMUF is designed to facilitate your Princeton independent work, the research that you conduct for your Mellon project and for your JP or senior thesis can be the same. The MMUF program cannot, however, replicate structures that already exist in your home department for completing your independent work. This means that oftentimes assignments completed for Mellon will encourage you to think of ways to develop and share your research beyond the structures of the JP or senior thesis. Some Fellows do choose to pursue a separate independent project that allows them to do work outside of their chosen thesis topic or major. Students intending to do must note that they are doing so voluntarily and plan realistically for taking on the additional work this will require beyond the time commitment detailed above.

How do I apply?

Please visit our “Apply” page to check this year’s application dates and access the application.

Application components include the following:

• personal data form;
• research proposal;
• personal statement describing relevant past academic experiences, presenting a vision of future career plans, and explaining what features of MMUF make it an appropriate pathway to that vision;
• résumé or CV;
• writing sample of an academic argument;
• unofficial Princeton transcript and other college-level transcripts (if applicable); and
• two faculty letters of recommendation.

How do you select fellows?

A Selection Committee comprising MMUF Fellows and program alumni, faculty, and administrators will review applications and select semi-finalists for interviews. Applications are typically due in mid-February and decisions made in mid-to-late March. Typically, five students are selected as new Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows each year.

We weigh the following criteria in selecting Fellows:

• academic promise, passion for scholarship, and love of intellectual exchange;
• interest in pursuing an academ­ic career in a Mellon-designated area of study;
• potential for serving as a mentor and teacher for a wide variety of students;
• demonstrated commitment to the goals of MMUF – to support the demographic transformation in higher education and to promote the value of multivocality in the humanities and related disciplines; and
• availability for, and commitment to, full and enthusiastic participation in all aspects of the MMUF program, including attendance at conferences and meetings.

All students are welcome to apply for MMUF if they meet the program's eligibility criteria.

What is the social aspect of the program?  

Upon acceptance to the MMUF program, the new cohort will join junior Fellows in a team-building activity to get to know one another and begin to build a community of care. During their time in MMUF, Fellows will meet once a week for meetings or class sessions. Some of the class sessions and meetings may include dinner so Fellows have the opportunity to connect during this time. Every year the MMUF staff holds a Mellon Mixer at the end of the fall semester and End-of-Year Banquet at the end of the spring semester. Additionally, members of the Community Committee have the opportunity to design and execute programming that brings together undergraduate Fellows with MMUF program alumni that are graduate students, postdoctoral students, faculty and staff members at Princeton.

Is there any component of the summer institute that can be done remotely?

The Postgraduate Pathway Summer Institute (PPSI) takes place in the rising-junior summer and is a residential, in-person professional development program. No elements of PPSI are accessible remotely. Because we anticipate that many rising seniors may be traveling to conduct thesis research, the GRE prep course and PhD & Fellowship Application Intensive that make up the rising-senior summer institute take place remotely via Zoom. 

Does the relationship between MMUF Fellows and Aspiring Scholars and Professionals (ASAP) interns who are in PPSI together during the summer continue during the academic year and beyond? 

Currently, there is no formal structure set by the program staff by which MMUF Fellows and ASAP interns may connect during the academic year and beyond. As both programs aim to develop future higher education professionals, we encourage students to continue nurturing the friendships that began during the summer.  

Any questions?

Contact the Princeton MMUF program staff at [email protected].