The latest national uprisings in response to racial inequality, anti-Black state violence, and the failures of the criminal-justice system have made clear the urgent need for BIPOC voices to lead the ongoing conversations about the future of our democracy. At the same time, the racial inequalities present in institutions of higher education often prevent faculty of color from having the time or freedom to undertake the vital work of making their scholarship accessible beyond the academy. Indeed, faculty of color often contend with extraordinary institutional demands on their energy, such as service responsibilities to diversity initiatives that inhibit their ability to pursue the research necessary for their promotion and professional advancement, let alone public transformation.
The Mellon Faculty of Color Fellowship program seeks to relieve scholars of these institutional hindrances by providing resources to reduce many of the barriers that make it difficult for faculty of color to research, think, and engage in their transformative work at their home institutions. These fellowships will provide resources that will allow them the time and space to focus on their scholarship away from the typical demands levied on their own campuses. Fellows will spend their fellowship year at a NEHC host institution with opportunities to interact with a broad and relevant intellectual community.
The Mellon Faculty Fellows will receive a stipend of $40,000 and a $2,500 moving expense if needed. The award funds will be remitted to the successful applicant’s home institution (the institution that formally employs them as faculty), who will use the funds to offset the fellow's salary and benefits. Fellows will be in residence at a host institution (the institution at which the fellow spends the fellowship year). Both institutions must be NEHC members. While the host institution does not pay salary or benefits to the Fellow while they are in residence, they are expected to provide the professional amenities to the visiting Fellow typically granted to visiting faculty and scholars.
Application
Each application must include a:
- Completed cover sheet form (on Interfolio), including contact information for two references
- A proposal narrative (3 pages max.)
- A short CV (3 pages max.)
- A letter from a NEHC member institute or center director indicating support for hosting the fellow during the fellowship year.
To receive full consideration applications should conform to our application guidelines. Please see the call for applications for more details.
All documents must be submitted to Interfolio by March 15, 2022 at 11:59 pm (EST).