Purpose: The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) Program is the centerpiece of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s initiatives to increase representation of underrepresented minorities in the faculty ranks of institutions of higher learning. The goal of the MMUF is to bring greater diversity to scholarship and learning by making intellectual culture truly reflective of the American experience. The program aims to achieve its goal by identifying minority students of great promise and encouraging them to become scholars of the highest distinction.

Funding: The grant provides fellows with four forms of support:

• faculty mentoring
• modest term-time compensation for research activities
• stipend support for summer research activities
• repayment of undergraduate loans of up to $10,000 if they pursue doctoral study in a Mellon-designated field (see below)

Once in graduate school, fellows may apply for continuing support through various programs.

MMUF Supported Fields of Study:

• Core Humanities: American and English Literature, Area Studies, Foreign Languages and Literatures, History, Philosophy, Classics, Religion, Art History, Ethnomusicology, and Musicology
• Social Sciences: Anthropology, Sociology, Demography, Political Theory
• Physical Sciences: Mathematics, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Ecology, Geology, Physics

Selection Criteria: Under the program's structure, students are usually identified in their sophomore year and are chosen on the basis of demonstrated intellectual achievement, commitment to pursuing advanced study in their chosen field, demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the program's goal of diversifying the professoriate in the United States, and the quality of their project proposal. Please see the application instructions in the MMUF flyer in the upper right-hand corner.

Deadline: Friday, April 4, 2008 by 5:00. All materials (including recommendations) should be sent to Kristen Askeland at the Office of Intercultural Life

Fellowship Coordinators:
William North, Asst. Professor of History, 507-222-4202, Leighton 203A;
Joy Kluttz, director, Office of Intercultural Life, 507-222-4013, lower Scoville

Official Website: http://www.mmuf.org