Mellon Graduate Fellowships

Mellon Foundation Graduate Fellowships at Society for the Humanities 2025-26

The Society for the Humanities at Cornell University, with support from an award by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, invites applications for residential fellowships from Cornell graduate students whose research projects reflect on the 2025-26 theme of Scale. The fellowships include a College of Arts & Sciences graduate tuition waiver, a $33,930 stipend, and health insurance. The two Mellon Graduate Fellows will share an office at the A.D. White House during the academic year.

Fellows include scholars and practitioners from other universities and members of the Cornell faculty released from regular duties. Fellows at the Society for the Humanities are “residential,” and will collaborate with one another and the Taylor Family Director of the Society for the Humanities, Durba Ghosh, professor of history. Mellon Graduate Fellows spend their time in research and writing during the residential fellowship, and are required to participate in a weekly Fellows Seminar workshopping each other’s projects and discussing readings based on the yearly theme. Mellon Graduate Fellows will not teach courses.

Mellon Graduate Fellows are invited and encouraged to attend all Society for the Humanities events. The nature of this fellowship year is social and communal—fellows forge connections outside the classroom and the lecture hall by sharing meals following the weekly seminar and attending post-lecture receptions and other casual events throughout the year. Fellows live and work in Ithaca, NY, and are expected to be in their offices on campus frequently. All applicants for Society Fellowships should share in this commitment to creating a supportive and intellectually stimulating community.

Eligibility

Cornell University graduate students in humanities departments/programs in the College of Arts & Sciences who are working on topics related to the 2025-26 theme of Scale are invited to apply. Applicants must have completed the A exam and all requirements for the degree other than the dissertation before the application deadline of October 31, 2024. Awards will be restricted to students entering their 4th, 5th or 6th year of study at the time the fellowship begins.

Application Procedures

The following application materials must be emailed to humctr@cornell.edu, by October 31, 2024. Please email materials in a single PDF in the order below with the subject line “GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION - Last Name”.

1. A cover page with:
   • Full name and net ID
   • Home department
   • Proposed project title
   • Recommenders’ names and emails
2. A curriculum vitae
3. A one-page dissertation abstract (up to 300 words)
4. A detailed statement of the research project the applicant will pursue during the fellowship year and relevance of the project to the year's focal theme (1,000 – 2,000 words). Applicants may also include an additional one-page bibliography of the most essential materials to the project.
5. A Cornell University etranscript (for instructions, visit http://transcript.cornell.edu/; please add to your pdf file, the "VOID" watermark is expected)
6. A scholarly writing sample (published or unpublished), no more than 35 pages
7. Sent separately: Two letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should include an evaluation of the candidate's research proposal. Please ask referees to send their letters directly to humctr@cornell.edu. Letters must be received on or before October 31, 2024.

Questions may be directed to humctr@cornell.edu. Awards will be announced by the end of December 2024.

Note: Extensions for applications will not be granted. The Society will consider only fully completed applications. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that ALL documentation is complete, and that referees submit their letters of recommendation to the Society before the closing date.