Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program

Applications for the 2024-2025 Cohort will be live on January 16th, 2024.

Please click here to apply.

Please note all letters of recommendation must be sent to mahendro@usc.edu by the application deadline.

Deadline: 2/20/24 at 11:59pm

Please register here to attend our Informational Networking Reception and Dinner. This will be an opportunity to engage with the current cohort, alum, and faculty mentors involved with this prestigious program.

Fellowships are awarded to USC sophomores and juniors during the spring semester. Participation in the program is limited to students considering graduate study towards a Ph.D. in Mellon-supported fields.

Participation is not limited by a student’s undergraduate field of concentration.

**The program is not intended for students interested in attending business school, law school, or medical school.**

The following factors are considered in the selection of fellows:

• Academic promise;
• Interest in pursuing graduate education, especially a PhD, in an eligible discipline of the humanities or humanistic social sciences (a list of eligible fields can be viewed here);
• Potential for serving as a mentor and teacher to a wide variety of students;
• Activities and leadership that reflect an interest in social justice issues and the promotion of multivocality;
• Availability for, and commitment to, full and enthusiastic participation in all aspects of the MMUF program, including attendance at conferences and regular meetings;
• Response to a short essay prompt about how the applicant’s life experiences and academic goals would contribute to furthering the goal of a diverse academy; and
• Status as a US citizen or permanent resident. Students who are undocumented or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients may apply if it is consistent with their institution’s policies.

Majors:

Minors:

Research Stipends

Fellows receive a stipend of $2000 for the fall and spring semesters to support their research efforts. Additionally, during the summer months, each fellow receives a $4000 stipend.

Loan Repayment

The Mellon Mays Fellowship offers a loan forgiveness program to help students overcome disincentives to pursue an academic career caused by undergraduate loan indebtedness. Fellows who enroll in a Mellon approved Ph.D. program within 39 months of receiving their undergraduate degrees are eligible for up to $10,000 in undergraduate loan payments. The program repays guaranteed student loans in installments. The first $5,000 is disbursed in yearly increments of up to $1,250 for four years. The second $5,000 is paid upon receipt of the Ph.D., provided the degree is completed within six years.

Information regarding loan repayment is available at MMUF Loan Repayment.

Annual Western Regional Conference 

The USC, Stanford University, Heritage University, Whittier College, University of California at Berkeley, University of California at Los Angeles, and Cal Tech Mellon programs collaborate to host an annual regional conference. The conference provides an opportunity for fellows to meet each other, discuss research ideas, and motivate each other to succeed in their academic and personal lives. It is typically held near the end of the fall semester (early to mid November or early December), at one of the seven campuses.

Workshops, Meetings, and Other Activities may include:

• Mellon Fellows Mandatory Monthly Meetings
• Research Course for fellows
• Graduate School Workshops on various topics
• Attendance at national conferences with mentors

Mentor-Fellow Interaction

Fellows work with their mentors to develop their scholarly interests into research projects. The interaction that occurs between mentors and fellows typically includes:

• development of a plan for working together and a timeline for completion of the project
• regular communication (meetings, emails, phone calls, reviews of report drafts, etc.)
• exchange of articles or suggested readings about research or topics of interest

Research

Fellows are expected to present their research through scholarly articles, oral reports, workshops, conferences, multimedia displays, and at USC ‘s annual Undergraduate Symposium for Scholarly and Creative Work. 

Senior fellows also have the opportunity to publish their research in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Journal.

USC Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows presented their research at the 2021 West Coast Regional Conference

The 2021 West Coast Regional Conference hosted in collaboration between USC Dornsife Office of Diversity and CalTech was held on November 5th & 6th, virtually.

Click here to access the playlist of recorded Zoom sessions from the conference.

Predoctoral Grants

The Pre-doctoral Research Grant, administered by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), is available to graduate students during the earlier stages of their program.  The grant is dispersed in five progress related installments, totaling $5,000. It may be used to cover research related expenses such as books, data collection, computer usage and hardware, travel associated with research, printing, and reproduction costs.

For more information, please visit the SSRC Pre-doctoral Research Grantpage.

Annual Graduate Student Summer Conference

The SSRC-Mellon Summer Conference provides:

• a venue for interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration

• assistance in the transition from undergraduate to graduate school
• opportunities for graduate students to come together from disparate campuses to develop ideas and networking
• a forum for MMUF students to share their scholarship

• an opportunity for participants to address critical issues in higher education

For more information, please visit the SSRC Conferences and Workshops page.

Travel, Research, and Dissertation Grants

Graduate students who have completed all coursework and passed their qualifying exams are eligible to apply for Travel & Research Grants, administered through the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (WWNFF). Travel and Research Grants provide graduate students with financial support to complete research at the dissertation writing stage.  Funding is for one summer or one semester of travel and/or research support.  These competitive grants carry a maximum of $5,000 per student.

Dissertation grants provide graduate students, ready to complete the PhD, with up to $20,000 for one year to finish the dissertation.  Awards are competitive.

For more information, please visit:

• MMUF Travel and Research and Dissertation Grants

There are many opportunities for graduate student participants outside of USC. Please visit our Support Programs page for more information.

Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowships

The Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship is administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (WWNFF).  Its purpose is to support the research and promotion of former MMUF Fellows during their third year of a tenure track position. This competitive award includes a $30,000 stipend, a $1,500 research, travel or publication stipend, and an annual retreat.

For more information, please see the MMUF site.

United Negro College Fund (UNCF)/Mellon Faculty Career Enhancement Program

Funds are available to ABD faculty members teaching at UNCF member institutions.  The funds may be used to complete research for the PhD or to participate in summer workshops and/or seminars that will enhance their academic careers.  Applications must be submitted to the UNCF/Mellon Director.

For more information about this program, please visit the UNCF site.

Other Opportunities

• There are many opportunities for Postdoctoral program participants outside of USC. Please visit our Support Programs page for more information.