Mellon Emerging Faculty Leaders Award
The Mellon Emerging Faculty Leaders are early-career faculty whose research focuses on contemporary American history, politics, culture, and society and who are building campus communities through their teaching, scholarship, and service.
This award is funded by The Mellon Foundation.
INTRODUCTION
About the Award
The Mellon Foundation’s mission is to “build just communities enriched by meaning and guided by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive.” C&S partners with the Mellon Foundation to support aspiring and early-stage college faculty with programs to support their path to becoming college faculty, from the undergraduate level through the early stage of their teaching careers.
The Mellon Emerging Faculty Leaders Award offers a $20,000 stipend—$12,000 to early-career faculty, to be used for summer research support and $8,000 for research assistance during the academic year.
The Challenge
Junior faculty need support and resources to create informed academic communities for the next generation.
The Fellows
96 faculty from ten cohorts have received support, with a tenure rate of 80+% among those eligible to date.
The Impact
Junior faculty gain resources to balance their research, leadership, and mentoring responsibilities while working toward tenure.
WHY APPLY?
Benefits of Fellowship
With 96 fellows across ten cohorts and an 80+% tenure rate among those eligible, the award equips rising faculty leaders to create more informed and engaged school communities for the next generation.
- Advance your scholarship in the humanities or social sciences—especially work that deepens our understanding of democracy, society, or education in the Americas.
- Be recognized for your leadership, not just your research. This award uplifts junior faculty who help create a vibrant, inclusive campus community.
- Showcase your commitment to service. Selectors prioritize candidates who invest deeply in student support, mentorship, and cross-campus collaboration.
- Gain national visibility as an emerging leader who embodies excellence across research, teaching, and community building.
- Join a growing network of rising scholars dedicated to strengthening intellectual and civic life on their campuses.
Award & Selection Details
Award Information
Who can apply?
- Applicants eligible for the Mellon Emerging Faculty Leaders Award will be assistant professors in tenure-track appointments who are pursuing tenure.
- Eligible applicants are typically in the fourth or fifth year of the tenure-track appointment and are still working to complete key items for the tenure dossier, which should not be scheduled for submission prior to the end of the award year (Summer 2027).
- Please note that the award seeks to support progress toward tenure for scholars who are also meaningfully engaged in building campus community; therefore, applicants who are already effectively in a position to go up for tenure—for instance, those who have already submitted the dossier and/or who would be considered for tenure during the award year—will be ineligible.
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States as of December 1, 2025 (please include a copy of your green card with your application supplemental items if a permanent resident).
What we’re looking for
Emerging Faculty Leaders may be working in any field of the humanities or social sciences—including, for example, history, sociology, anthropology, literature, art, gender studies, and related fields—with an emphasis on scholarly topics that relate to or provide context for the study of democracy, society, and education in the Americas.
The Mellon Emerging Faculty Leaders Award will recognize junior faculty candidates who not only balance research, teaching, and service but in fact give great weight to the creation of a campus community for students and scholars. The selectors will focus on and privilege service and leadership activities on campus, and give preference to candidates who embody a high standard of excellence.
Selection:
- Along with the research portfolio, selectors will examine evidence of deep campus service and mentoring commitments early in each candidate’s career, with a focus on creating scholarly communities on campus and in the discipline.
- All applications will first be screened for eligibility by Foundation staff and then be reviewed by a four-member selection panel.
- A group of finalists will be invited for interviews, and panelists will make the final selection of ten Fellows. Interviews will take place in mid-March 2026, with awards announced in early April 2026.
Meet Van Tran
“I create opportunities for the students to be part of the conversation, providing them with a supportive environment to learn from and to be in dialogue with each other, empowering them to find their own voices and draw from their own experiences, and challenging them to listen deeply to others who might hold views different from their own.”
Van Tran
2018 Fellow
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to apply?
Junior faculty working in the humanities or social sciences who demonstrate strong scholarship and a deep commitment to campus leadership and community-building.
What does the award provide?
The award offers financial support and recognition to help emerging faculty balance research, teaching, mentoring, and service as they progress toward tenure.
What makes me a competitive candidate?
Selectors prioritize candidates whose scholarship relates to democracy, society, or education in the Americas—and who actively strengthen their campus community through leadership and service.
Have program or eligibility questions?
We’re here to help. Email us anytime at careerenhance@citizensandscholars.org.
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