Limited Submission Funding Opportunity: The Mellon Foundation New Directions Fellowship
The Mellon Foundation’s New Directions Fellowship is intended to enable scholars in the humanities to work on problems that interest them most, at an appropriately advanced level of sophistication. In addition to facilitating the work of individual faculty members, these awards should benefit scholarship in the humanities more generally by encouraging the highest standards in cross-disciplinary research.
The principal criteria for selection are:
- the overall significance of the research,
- the case for the importance of extra-disciplinary training for furthering the research,
- the likely ability of the candidate to derive satisfactory results from the training program proposed, and
- a well‑developed plan for acquiring the necessary training within a reasonable period of time.
Priority will be given to applications that manifest 1) a strong focus on questions of social justice as they pertain to minoritized populations, or 2) a focus on filling in the gaps left by more traditional narratives in the history of the Americas.
The second field of study must be a foray into a new area of intellectual inquiry/subject and not just an enhancement of skills to go further in the primary field. Language study, technical training, or skills acquisition such as GIS mapping do not, by themselves, constitute a new direction.
In recognition of the uncertain course of the COVID-19 pandemic, all applicants should include a concise plan of no more than two paragraphs outlining alternative arrangements should research activities be constrained by a resurgence of COVD-19 or the emergence of another global health emergency.
FUNDING INFORMATION:
Awarded fellows will receive:
- the equivalent of one academic year’s salary,
- two summers of additional support, each at the equivalent two-ninths of the previous academic year salary, and
- tuition or course fees or equivalent direct costs associated with the fellows’ training programs.
To permit flexibility in meeting individual scholars’ needs, these funds may be expended over a period not to exceed three full academic years following the date of the award. The award normally can be delayed for a maximum of one year if circumstances require it. The Foundation also expects the fellow’s home institution to use budgetary relief resulting from the award for academic purposes, preferably in the fellow’s department.
ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS:
Eligible candidates will be faculty members who were awarded a doctorate in the humanities or humanistic social sciences within the last six to twelve years and whose research interests call for formal training in a discipline other than the one in which they are expert. Such training may consist of coursework or other programs of organized study. It may take place either at fellows’ home institutions or elsewhere, as appropriate. Although it is anticipated that many people will seek to acquire deeper knowledge of other fields within the broadly defined sphere of the humanities and humanistic social sciences, proposals to study disciplines farther afield are eligible.
This fellowship does not aim to facilitate short-term outcomes, such as completion of a book. Rather, it is a longer-term investment in the scholar’s intellectual range and productivity.
INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS:
Interested investigators should submit the following materials via InfoReady Review by DATE: 9/15/2023
- Questions outlined in InfoReady Review application;
- A project summary of no more than 300 words (2,000 characters with spaces);
- A proposal of no more than 2,000 words (13,000 characters, with spaces), providing an explanation of the overall significance of the research being undertaken and how the proposed new direction will assist in the development of the field;
- A brief budget outline and budget description for the proposal. The budget should include items for salary and standard fringe benefits.
- Final budgets commonly range from $175,000 to $250,000; the maximum is $300,000
- Up-to-date and concise CV or biosketch (not to exceed 5 pages).
A faculty committee drawn from both campuses will review internal proposals and select nominees. Foundation Relations will work with the nominees to develop and submit the institutional nomination letter and applicant materials by 11/3/2023.
DEADLINES:
Internal Materials Due: Friday, September 15, 2023
Sponsor Deadline: Friday, November 3, 2023
Sources and Additional Information: