Andrew W. Mellon
Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
***The next application cycle will reopen during fall semester 2025 with a deadline of January 8, 2026***
Next fellowship period: 2026-2027
Scholars who have received their Ph.D. degree after June 2022 in any field of inquiry in the humanities or humanistic social sciences - broadly conceived - are invited to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship, made possible through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to Wesleyan University. Candidates do not need to have been awarded their Ph.D. at the time of application, but will need to have received it by June 2026. The purpose of this Fellowship is to provide scholars who have recently completed their Ph.D. with time and resources to develop their program of research and teaching in an interdisciplinary setting, and to associate them with a distinguished faculty.
Two Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows will be appointed to Wesleyan’s Center for the Humanities for the academic year 2026-2027 with the possibility of reappointment for 2027-2028 based on performance. Each fellow will be awarded an annual stipend of $65,000 and $3,000 of research funding per year. The Fellows will teach a one-semester undergraduate course, give one public lecture, and participate in the collegial life of the Center for the Humanities, which sponsors conferences, lectures, and colloquia. Fellows will be provided with an office at the Center for the Humanities, and will be expected to work there on weekdays while the university is in session, and to reside locally. Scholars whose interests bear upon one of the chosen themes are encouraged to apply for the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship. Please see our “Future Themes” page for descriptions of next year’s themes.
We regret that we cannot reply to individual inquiries concerning the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at Wesleyan's Center for the Humanities. All information that applicants may need is available at this website.
Online applications (see link below) should include:
- a) a letter from the applicant with a statement of current research interests and a brief proposal for a one-semester undergraduate course, indicating how they relate to one or both of the Center for the Humanities themes for 2026-2027;
b) a full curriculum vitae;
c) three letters of recommendation;
d) a writing sample of published work, extracts from the dissertation, or drafts of work in progress (not to exceed 25 pages).
Materials should be submitted here. Interviews will be held via Zoom during February or March of 2026. Faxed or emailed applications will not be accepted.
PLEASE DO NOT HAVE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION SENT DIRECTLY TO THE CENTER STAFF. THE ONLINE APPLICATION PROVIDES INSTRUCTIONS ON SUBMITTING LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION.