Program Overview

Established in the 1988/1989 academic year, the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) is committed to broadening the range of scholarly perspectives in the US academy, with a focus on the humanities and the humanistic social sciences. Its name honors Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, the noted African American educator, statesman, minister, former president of Morehouse College, and mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Founded with an initial cohort of eight member institutions, the program has grown to include 47 member schools and three consortia, including the UNCF consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

To date, the program has produced more than 1,200 PhDs, more than 800 of whom are currently college professors. Numerous others have taken their valuable humanities training into venues ranging from museums and nonprofit organizations to publishing houses and government positions. At any given time, about 800 MMUF fellows are enrolled in PhD programs, while the fellowship supports approximately 500 undergraduate students each year.

Through programs that emphasize mentoring, research support, and student cohort building, Mellon partners with member colleges and universities to identify and support students of great promise and to help them become scholars and professionals of the highest distinction.

MMUF is proud of its legacy of leading scholars whose perspectives greatly enrich research and teaching in their fields.

Each spring, five Bowdoin sophomores are selected as Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows. Starting in the summer after their sophomore year, students are involved in faculty-mentored research and participate in other activities as part of a community of scholars.

Specific elements of the program at Bowdoin include:

• Faculty mentor who will serve as a role model and research advisor to help fellows discover an intellectual identity as they prepare for their Ph.D. programs and academic careers. 
• Research while participating in the Summer Research Training Program during the first summer as a rising junior; research support for two academic years; guided research or enrollment in an off-campus research program the second summer as a rising senior.
• Stipends so that research and fellowship activities can replace summer and campus jobs. For two summers ($4,500 per summer) and four semesters ($2,000 per semester) of research.
• Funding for GRE preparation and modest travel assistance.
• Undergraduate loan repayment for fellows who enroll in an eligible Ph.D. program within three years of graduating from Bowdoin.
• Ongoing support and programming for fellows throughout undergraduate, graduate school and beyond. Fellows are expected to work closely with the MMUF Director and to participate enthusiastically in all aspects of the program.