Apply – Mellon Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence

We are not currently accepting applications for Mellon Initiative Fellowships.

For future updates on Fellowship opportunities, sign up for our email list and follow us on social media:

Mellon Initiative Faculty Fellowship

DEADLINE: February 23rd, 2024
Application Open: December 4th, 2023
Expected Start Date: September 3rd, 2024

The New School invites applications for five, one-year Mellon Faculty Fellowships in conjunction with its Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence. The fellowships carry a nine-month appointment beginning September 3rd, 2024.

The application is open to both full- and part-time faculty. Full-time faculty will each receive one course release from teaching requirements to be taken in the academic year 2024-25, subject to agreement with their home department and division; part-time faculty will receive equivalent compensation. Additionally, if you are already receiving a course release, you may not apply to the fellowship, as you can only be offered one course release per academic year.

Faculty applicants are invited to propose projects in the humanities, social sciences, or public policy concerned with the ways structural inequality – intersecting structures of social, political, and economic power -shape social relations of race, ethnicity, marginalization, inequality, gender, and indigeneity. The Mellon Initiative will foster intersectional intellectual projects unfolding within a transdisciplinary framework to build a university-wide community and conversation that centers the significance of race, ethnicity, and indigeneity to our understandings of the world as it is and informs our pragmatic imaginations toward a world with more just arrangements of power. The Mellon Initiative seeks to nurture the development of myriad projects helmed by academics and activist practitioners. Fellows are expected to complete a substantial portion of the proposed project during the fellowship period.

The Faculty Fellows will be required to be in residence for the 2024-2025 academic year, contingent on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rules of the University. The fellows are expected to be active participants in the Mellon Transformative Seminar, a biweekly meeting that will take place throughout the academic year with other fellows who are also working in the areas of interest listed above. Primary responsibilities will be to make substantial progress in their proposed research topic related to the Mellon; to attend and participate in the biweekly meetings and other activities; and to present their research at one of the sessions of the seminar. Faculty from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and indigenous groups are especially encouraged to apply.

In addition to the quality of the proposal and its relevance to the Initiative’s mission, selection of faculty fellows will take into account the openness of the proposed project to engagement with community-based activists and organizers, diversity of discipline, approach, and rank of the incoming cohort of fellows. Faculty from any division of The New School may apply. Preference will be given to faculty whose work will benefit from and contribute to the Transformative Seminar’s emphasis on intersectional and transdisciplinary scholarship.

The Faculty Fellows will be required to be in residence for the 2024-2025 academic year, contingent on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rules of the University. Selected fellows cannot accept multiple fellowships and are expected to be active participants in the Mellon Transformative Seminar, a biweekly meeting that will take place throughout the academic year with other fellows who are also working in the areas of interest listed above.

For questions about the Mellon Initiative Faculty Fellowship, please contact melloninitiative@newschool.edu. For more information about the Mellon Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence, visit mellon.newschool.org.

Mellon Initiative Dissertation Fellowship

DEADLINE: February 23rd, 2024
Application Open: December 4th, 2023
Expected Start Date: September 3rd, 2024

The New School invites applications for six, one-year Mellon Dissertation Fellowships in conjunction with its Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence. The fellowships carry a nine-month appointment beginning September 3rd, 2024 and a stipend of $30,000, subject to any relevant tax withholding. Applicants must be ABD in the final writing phase of their dissertation (“All-but-dissertation”) and in good standing.

We invite proposals from scholars in the humanities, social sciences, and public policy whose projects center the ways structural inequality – intersecting structures of social, political, and economic power – shape social relations of race, ethnicity, marginalization, inequality, gender, and indigeneity. The Mellon Initiative will foster intersectional intellectual projects unfolding within a transdisciplinary framework to build a university wide intellectual community and conversation that will center the significance of race, ethnicity, and indigeneity to our understandings of the world as it is and inform our pragmatic imaginations of a world with more just arrangements of power. The Mellon Initiative seeks to nurture the development of myriad projects helmed by academics and activist practitioners that expand our knowledge and diversify our approach to understanding these topics and their impacts and implications. Scholars from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and indigenous groups are especially encouraged to apply.

The fellow will be required to be in residence for the 2024-2025 academic year, contingent on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rules of the University. The fellows are expected to be active participants in the Mellon Transformative Seminar, a biweekly meeting that will take place throughout the academic year with other fellows who are also working in the areas of interest listed above. Primary responsibilities will be to make substantial progress in working towards the completion of their dissertation research and/or writing on a topic related to the Mellon Initiative; to attend and participate in the biweekly meetings and other activities; and to present their research at one of the sessions of the Seminar.

For questions about the Mellon Initiative Dissertation Fellowship, please contact melloninitiative@newschool.edu. For more information about the Mellon Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence, visit mellon.newschool.org.

Mellon Initiative Community Fellowship

DEADLINE: March 15th, 2024
Application Open: December 4th, 2023
Expected Start Date: September 3rd, 2024

The New School invites applications for two community fellowships in conjunction with its Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence. These fellowships are meant to sponsor two non-academic community-based activists or organizers who seek to make an intellectual contribution by developing a project of their choice that centers the impacts or race and or indigeneity on their work in the world. This fellowship is not a Postdoc and is not designed for those already involved in graduate study. Ideal candidates should be based in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania. One Fellow will be chosen whose work is concentrated in an urban area and one whose primary sites of work are in rural areas. The fellowships carry a nine-month appointment beginning September 3rd, 2024 and a salary of $37,500, with full benefits, subject to any relevant tax withholding.

Fellows are required to attend seminar biweekly with other members of the Fellows community which will include graduate students, postdoctoral students, and faculty whose work is concerned with the ways structural inequality – intersecting structures of social, political, and economic power – shape social relations of race, ethnicity, marginalization, inequality, gender, and indigeneity. In the seminar, works-in-progress will be workshopped and guest speakers (selected by participating fellows) invited. Fellows are also required to present their in-progress work once during the academic year.

This fellowship aims to bridge the gap between practice-based justice work in communities and the research that takes place at university because we believe that the pursuit of more just power relations is a complex endeavor and will require diverse knowledge resources – both those based in practice and those based in scholarship.

If your activism and organizing centers racial justice and intersects with areas of gender justice, economic justice, environmental justice, disability justice, or other related fields and you would like the time and space to reflect on your work in the world and start or complete ongoing intellectual or creative projects, you are qualified to apply! Folks from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and indigenous groups – particularly those who are not academics by training – are especially encouraged to apply.

For questions about the Mellon Initiative Community Fellowship, please contact melloninitiative@newschool.edu. For more information about the Mellon Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence, visit mellon.newschool.org.

Mellon Initiative & Tishman Joint Creative Fellowship

DEADLINE: March 15th, 2024
Application Open: December 15th, 2023
Expected Start Date: September 3rd, 2024

The Tishman Environment and Design Center and the Mellon Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence are pleased to invite master’s candidates at TEDC and at Parsons to apply for a fellowship to support their capstone or thesis project (or the equivalent) during the 2024-2025 academic year. The selected candidate will receive an award of $15,000. During the period of their fellowship, recipients will:
• be in residence in New York
• participate in the biweekly Friday seminars of the Mellon Initiative, presenting their work in progress once
• present their project once to students and faculty at the TEDC institute

Successful applications will propose projects that use artistic and design strategies to visualize, document, engage, analyze, interpret, and address real world problems at the intersection of climate justice and race and/or Indigeneity.

Proposals of no more than 2 double-spaced pages should include:
• a narrative description of the project which explains the project’s engagement with climate justice + race and/or Indigeneity as major structuring forces
• a timeline that identifies the work to be completed during the fellowship period
• a resume (no more than 1 additional page) with links to relevant art/design work which identifies the names and contact information of your thesis advisor and committee members and the amount of any other awards or fellowships received for the 2022-2023 academic year.

To apply for the Mellon Initiative & Tishman Joint Creative Fellowship, please submit through this form by March 15th, 2024. For questions about the Mellon Initiative & Tishman Joint Creative Fellowship, please contact melloninitiative@newschool.edu. For more information about the Mellon Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence, visit mellon.newschool.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you don’t find the answer to your question on this page, please email melloninitiative@newschool.edu.

Where can I find the application form/s?

Mellon Initiative Faculty Fellowship (DEADLINE: February 23rd, 2024)
Mellon Initiative Dissertation Fellowship (DEADLINE: February 23rd, 2024)
Mellon Initiative Community Fellowship (DEADLINE: March 15th, 2024)
Mellon Initiative & Tishman Joint Creative Fellowship (DEADLINE: March 15th, 2024)

Which Fellowship am I eligible to apply for?

The Faculty, Dissertation, and Joint Creative Fellowships are open to New School applicants only. Faculty Fellowships are open to all TNS faculty, including part-time faculty. Accepted fellows can not hold multiple fellowships and will be required to be in residence for the 2024-2025 academic year, contingent on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rules of the University.

The Community Fellowship is meant to sponsor non-academic community-based activists or organizers who seek to make an intellectual contribution by developing a project of their choice that centers the impacts of race and or indigeneity on their work in the world. This fellowship is not a Postdoc and is not designed for those already involved in graduate study. Ideal candidates should be based in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania.

All fellows are expected to be active participants in the Mellon Transformative Seminar, a biweekly meeting that will take place throughout the academic year with other fellows who are also working in the areas of interest listed above. Primary responsibilities will be to make substantial progress in working towards the completion of their proposed project; to attend and participate in the biweekly meetings and other activities; and to present their in-progress work once during the academic year.

We require that selected fellows commit their time and efforts to the Mellon project, attend the seminars and work towards an engaging presentation of their work. If you have questions regarding multiple and competing fellowships, please contact melloninitiative@newschool.edu

More information on eligibility can be found directly on our Application home page.

What does the ABD requirement mean in the Dissertation Fellowship application?

Dissertation Fellowship applicants must be “All-but-dissertation” (ABD) in the final writing phase of their dissertation and in good standing. This means that the applicant has otherwise completed all required preparatory coursework and examinations for their PHD program.

Is it possible for me to see an example of past project proposals?

Unfortunately, we are unable to share previous proposals with anyone outside of the current Mellon cohort due to privacy and the in-progress nature of the work. Information about what projects our current and previous fellows are working on can be found on the Fellows page on our website.

Is the Fellowship application only open to projects that produce papers?

No, our Faculty, Community, and Tishman Joint Creative Fellowship applications are open to projects in a variety of media, so long as the project aligns with the Mellon Initiative’s mission and application guidelines. Though many Fellows have worked on research papers and monographs, others have also proposed creative projects including documentary films, artworks, and other media. The Dissertation Fellowship does require that the applicant is working on their written dissertation however.

What are you looking for in the project proposal? / How should I format my project proposal?

Faculty Fellowship: Application materials for all Faculty Fellowships should be sent in a single PDF document with the following sections: (1) A two-page research proposal that states the aims, conceptual basis, methodology, and significance of the proposed project that clearly articulates its connections to the mission of the Mellon Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence; (2) A one-page project bibliography; (3) A curriculum vitae.

Dissertation Fellowship: Application materials for all Dissertation Fellowships should be sent in a single PDF document with the following sections: (1) A two-page research proposal that states the aims, conceptual basis, methodology, and significance of the proposed project that clearly articulates its connections to the mission of the Mellon Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence; (2) A one-page project bibliography; (3) A curriculum vitae; (4) current New School transcript (unofficial transcripts accepted)

Community Fellowship: Application materials for all Community Fellowships should be sent in a single PDF document with the following sections: (1) A two-page project proposal that states the aims, conceptual basis, and significance of the proposed project. In addition, please clearly articulate the project’s connection to the goals of the Mellon Initiative; the proposal should also outline a plan for the completion of the project during academic year 2022 – 2023; (2) A two to four-page portfolio of community-based work; (3) Resume.

Tishman Joint Creative Fellowship: Proposals should be sent in a single PDF document of no more than 2 double-spaced pages should include: (1) a narrative description of the project which explains the project’s engagement with climate justice + race and/or indigeneity as major structuring forces, (2) a timeline that identifies the work to be completed during the fellowship period, (3) a resume (no more than 1 additional page) with links to relevant art/design work which identifies the names and contact information of your thesis advisor and committee members and the amount of any other awards or fellowships received for the 2022-2023 academic year.

All applications should be submitted through the linked Google forms.