MMUF Travel & Research Grants

The MMUF Travel & Research Grants provide eligible graduate students with the financial means to complete their research prior to the start of dissertation writing. Funding is for one summer or one semester of travel and/or research support.Grant Details• Up to $5,000 for one summer or one semester• Funds can be used for dissertation research, travel to/from research sites, photocopying documents, or purchasing access to research databases• Funds cannot be used for purchasing computer software or hardware or for general living expenses• Awards are based on the scholarly merit of the applicationsEligibility Criteria• Must be a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program alumnus• Must be a candidate for a Ph.D. in fields recognized under the terms of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program• Must have passed all comprehensive examinations• Must have completed all coursework for the Ph.D. degree• Must have selected and received approval for a dissertation topic from the dissertation advisorApplication Process1. Confirm your eligibility as a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program alumnus pursuing a Ph.D.2. Prepare documentation of your academic progress, including comprehensive exam results, completed coursework, and dissertation topic approval3. Submit the grant application form with a detailed description of your research plan and funding needs4. Await notification of grant decisions based on the scholarly merit of your applicationThe MMUF Travel & Research Grants provide a valuable opportunity for graduate students to advance their research and prepare for dissertation writing. If you meet the eligibility criteria, we encourage you to apply and take the next step in your academic journey. The application for the MMUF Travel & Research Grant is closed for 2026. Eligible Fields: Humanities (American and English Literatures, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Area/Cultural/Ethnic/Gender Studies, Art History, Classics, Film, Cinema and Media Studies (theoretical focus), History, Linguistics, Musicology and Ethnomusicology, Performance Studies (theoretical focus), Philosophy and Political Theory, Religion and Theology, Theater (non-performance focus)); Social Sciences (Anthropology and Archaeology, Demography, Geography and Population Studies, Sociology); and Physical Sciences (Computer Science, Earth/Environmental/Geological Sciences, Ecology, Geology, Mathematics, Oceanographic/Marine/Atmospheric/Planetary Science, Physics and Astronomy) for applicants who received the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship before 2016, when these were approved fields. You must be a Ph.D. candidate to be eligible for this grant.