Eligibility & How to Apply

Eligibility

Who should apply to the MMUF Travel & Research Grants?

• Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program alumni
• Candidate for the Ph.D. degree in fields recognized under the terms of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program
• Candidates must have passed all comprehensive examinations, completed all course work for the degree, and selected a dissertation topic that has been approved by the dissertation advisor.

Application Instructions

Online Applications: Travel & Research Grants

Online Application Form:

• Choose the correct application, “MMUF Travel and Research Grants.”
• Begin the application and remember to click on “save and continue” before leaving a page, or “save application” before logging out in order to save your work. The application can be completed during more than one session.
• To complete an unfinished application simply return to your bookmarked page, log in with your email and password, and continue filling out remaining sections
• Please note that letters of recommendation and supplemental items must be received PRIOR to submitting the application. Submit the application when complete, using the submit button at the left-hand side of the application. If you have missed any required fields, you will receive an error message.  Click on the item(s) listed within parentheses and you will be taken directly to the missed field.  Once all required fields have been completed, click on the submit button.
• Create an account by registering and remember to write down your username and password. After creating an account, you will be taken to your personal account page where you can return at any time to edit your personal information, change your password, start and/or complete your application, and submit and/or verify receipt of your supplemental materials.

Requirements

A complete application for the MMUF Travel & Research Grants will include:

• A completed online application form
• A single PDF file of supplemental materials in the order listed below. Do NOT upload PDF in portfolio format. Label the PDF as follows: “LastNameFirstName_TRAVEL_RESEARCH_SUPPLEMENTAL” with no spaces.
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Personal Statement
  • Research Plan (including your Research Timeline)
  • Budget Form (complete an online application and provide additional detailed information with supplemental materials)
  • Official graduate transcript
• One (1) letter of recommendation requested through the online application system and submitted directly by referees.

All application materials, including the letter of recommendation, must be received by the application deadline: March 1, 2024 at 5:00 pm EST.

Letters of Recommendation

Submit one letter of recommendation from your academic advisor (a maximum of two pages). The letter should be requested through the online application system and submitted directly by your advisor. The letter should endorse your request for funding and briefly discuss your proposed dissertation. It should also comment on your research status and how funding will help to complete the research process. The letter must be written on institutional letterhead, signed and submitted through the online application. It is strongly recommended that you request the letter of recommendation as early as possible.  Do not wait until you have submitted your application.

• Request the Letter of Recommendation by clicking on link #4 “Submit Supplemental Items.”
• Click on the “Start” link and fill in the requested information.
• It is suggested that you make note of the application/recommendation deadline in the area provided for a personal note.
• Click on “Submit Request.”
• Once you have started the process, your recommender will receive an email requesting that they submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf. They have the option to accept or decline this request.  Recommenders who accept the request will be taken to an online form where they will enter some information before uploading and submitting their recommendation letter.  If a recommender declines your request to provide a recommendation, you will be notified by email.  If you receive a “decline” notification, you will need to return to your account page to request a new recommendation from a different recommender.  You can also change a recommender by clicking on “Cancel” and then following the procedures to “Start” a new recommendation process with a different recommender. You can also resend a request to a recommender if necessary.

Supplemental Materials

To upload your supplemental materials, click on  “supplemental items” on the left-hand side of the application. Make sure to upload your supplemental materials as a single PDF file in the order listed below. Label the PDF as follows: “LastNameFirstName_TRAVEL_RESEARCH_SUPPLEMENTAL” with no spaces.

1. Curriculum Vitae: When submitting a C.V., it is best to be precise in describing the state of yet-to-be published work.  The term “forthcoming” may have a variety of meanings.  It is most helpful, therefore, to state specifically the status of your research.  Below are some useful terms for use on a C.V.:

• • In progress (still being written, not yet submitted for publication)
  • Under review (submitted to a journal or press)
  • Revising to resubmit (submitted to a journal or press and returned for revision)
  • Under contract (manuscript has been accepted by a press but may be undergoing revisions before final publication)
  • In press (manuscript finished, submitted to a journal or press and awaiting publication)

It is also a good idea to parenthetically explain the conditions under which an article was published.  It is best to state whether a text has been subject to “peer review,” is an “invited submission” or whatever term best describes its publication.

Refer to the sample below when preparing the Publications portion of the C.V.:

Published Work

Movements in Chicano Poetry: Against Myths, Against Margins,                            Book Cambridge University Press, 1995.

“Chicano Cultural Discourse: Coyotes at the Border,”American                              Article Literature.  67 (Dec): 815-824, 1995.

Unpublished Work

No entries at this time.

Work in Progress

Memories of an East Los Angeles….  Written with John Q. Jones                            Book

2. Personal Statement (two-page maximum, double-spaced, one inch margins, and in 12-pt font): Your personal statement should be a narrative that addresses how your professional and/or personal life influenced you to undertake your research project and graduate degree. Describe how your scholarship or presence/service in the academy speaks to your commitment to eradicating racial disparities and promoting cross-cultural understanding on your campus. Label this document as the Personal Statement.

3. Research Plan (including your Research Timeline). The Research Plan and Research Timeline should together be a maximum of three pages, double-spaced, 1” margins and in 12-pt font. Label this document as the Research Plan and include the following:

• A description of the research project that you are seeking funding for and its relevance to your overall dissertation.
• A description of your expected outcomes of this research. In other words, what will you accomplish with this grant?
• A description of the research methods you will use and why these are appropriate for your project.
• A research timeline: this should be the last page of your plan, and should include a schedule or timeline of travel and/or research activities during the funding period.

Please note that the Research Statement should not be a reiteration of the personal statement.

4. Budget Form . The maximum award is $5000. Funding may include travel to/from research sites, the cost of meals and lodging at research sites, photocopying or microfilming of documents, purchase of access to databases for research, fees for use of research facilities, and other research-related expenses. Funds must only be used for items specific to the research intended for the award period. In addition to completing the Budget Form in the online application, please also include a detailed description of your budget items with your supplemental materials.

Official Graduate Transcript

Submit one official copy of your graduate transcript. Electronic transcripts are preferred; please request it to be sent by your institution or its transcript service to tech-help@citizensandscholars.org.

Mailed transcripts should be sent Attn: MMUF Travel & Research Grants Program; 104 Carnegie Center, Suite 301, Princeton, NJ 08540-6.