Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF)

Program Benefits

Benefits:  Undergraduate Fellows

• Faculty Mentor
• MMUF Programming
• Annual Regional Conference for Mellon Fellows
• Mellon Journal
• Term and Summer Stipends

Fellows must enter a graduate program within 39 months following graduation in order to be eligible for continuing benefits as follows.

Graduate Fellows (in PhD programs in Mellon fields)

• Annual Summer Conference (administered by the Social Science Research Council, www.ssrc.org)
• Predoctoral Research Grant – $5,000 over the first 5 years of graduate study (www.ssrc.org)
• Loan Repayment – $5,000 over the first 4 years and an additional $5,000 upon completion of the PhD (administered by your undergraduate institution:  please contact your MMUF coordinator)
• Travel and Research Grant – A competitive award of up to $5,000 for Mellow Fellows to complete research in preparation for dissertation writing (administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (www.woodrow.org)

Mellon PhDs

• Annual Summer Conference (www.ssrc.org)
• Junior Faculty Career Enhancement Program – a competitive grant for Assistant Professors in their third year of teaching.  The program provides a fall retreat, senior mentor, and year long leave to prepare for tenure (www.woodrow.org)

Responsibilities:  Undergraduate fellows

• Develop a knowledge and understanding of the life of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays and why he is an examplar of the program
• Commitment and dedication to the goals of the MMUF program
• Attendance and participation in meetings, program activities and conferences
• Commitment to and full participation in the mentoring relationship
• Annual completion and submission of the Online Survey for the Mellow Foundation (www.mmuf.org/survey)

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Miscellaneous

• Fellows are awarded $1,200 per month, for their second summer of research (2 year program).  First year fellows are eligible for fall/spring scholarships as well as travel for research and money for research supplies
• Travel and/or other approved expenses are compensated additionally as funds allow
• Fellows are expected to maintain consistent communication with faculty mentors, i.e. weekly contact either in person, through e-mail, postal mail, or telephone
• Fellows should also consistently communicate wtih the coordinator, keeping her informed of progress, obstacles, challenges, plan changes, and general motivation levels  The mentor and the coordinator are considered your primary support team in the context of your project, so please keep us informed so that we may guide your progress and encourage your efforts.