Limited Submission Opportunity: Mellon Foundation New Direction Fellowships 2024
URL: https://www.mellon.org/article/new-directions-fellowships
OBJECTIVES:
New Directions Fellowships assist faculty members in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who seek to acquire systematic training outside their own areas of special interest to pursue a cross-disciplinary research agenda. The program 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 candidate must be seeking systematic training in an alternate field of study, which 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 fellows 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.
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. 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.
FUNDING INFORMATION:
Up to $300,000 will be awarded for at minimum 2 years and up to 3 years. 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.
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:
One candidate will be selected. Candidates can be faculty members who were awarded a doctorate in the humanities or humanistic social sciences between 2011 and 2017.
INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS:
Interested investigators should submit the following materials via InfoReady Review by: 9/16/2024
- Questions outlined in InfoReady Review
- A project summary (200 words)
- A proposal of no more than 2,000 words
- A brief budget outline and budget description, including items for salary and standard fringe benefits, projected training costs, and project-related travel
- Up-to-date CV that does not exceed 5 pages
Foundation Relations will work with the nominees to develop and submit the institutional nomination letter and applicant materials by 11/4/2024.
Interested applicants can review past proposals in the Proposal Library and can learn more about the program in a Meet the Funded webinar where past BU recipients discuss their experience.
DEADLINES:
Internal Materials Due: Monday, September 16, 2024 by 11:59 pm EDT
Sponsor Deadline: Monday, November 4, 2024