Mellon Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship $40,000 Award

In 2004, the American Indian College Fund (the College Fund) and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation established the Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship to increase and retain the number of credentialed, diverse, and underrepresented faculty at the nation's more than thirty tribal colleges and universities (TCUs).

The fellowship provides current TCU faculty who are in the final stages of completing a terminal degree program and are recognized as "All But Dissertation" (ABD) with a one-year award of $40,000 to complete their dissertation and requirements for graduation.

The deadline to apply is Tuesday, May 31, 2022 (for summer fellowship cycle) or Friday, July 1, 2022 (for fall fellowship cycle).

Eligibility

All applicants must meet the following requirements:

- Be a current faculty member teaching at a TCU that is accredited for higher education and a full member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.

- Be actively enrolled in an accredited doctoral degree program. - Have completed course work, been advanced to doctoral candidacy and considered "All But Dissertation" (ABD).

- Have a specific plan to complete all requirements for graduation within one year of being awarded the fellowship.

- Agree to remain as faculty for at least three years at a TCU after completion of degree.

- Designate a senior faculty mentor, such as a dissertation chair, or committee member, to provide academic support throughout the fellowship year.

- Agree to participate in a summer Research Convening and a winter writing retreat (expenses paid).

- Agree to allow AICF access to your student enrollment and degree attainment information through the National Student Clearinghouse Database.

Mellon Fellowship Guidelines

These prestigious and highly competitive awards offer substantial financial and mentoring support to selected Mellon Fellows. All fields of study are eligible, though preference is given to the humanities. Applicants must have approval from their TCU President to take the necessary time to complete their doctorate degree within the oneyear term of the Mellon Fellowship. This requires applicants to negotiate release or flex time from their usual teaching and administrative duties at their TCUs prior to beginning the fellowship program.

Payments are disbursed four times over the one-year term of the Mellon Fellowship. Prior to disbursement, each Mellon Fellow and their advisor/mentor must submit a report detailing activities and satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree program and Mellon Fellowship goals. The final quarter of the $40,000 award is paid upon proof that requirements have been met for graduation and the degree will be conferred. This generally means certification of a successful dissertation defense and filing papers for graduation.

*The Mellon Faculty Enhancement Fellowship may not be renewed or extended beyond a six-month leeway to meet extraordinary circumstances

1. Do you meet the eligibility requirements and agree to commit to the requirements should the grant be awarded to you?YesNoMark only one oval.

Application Checklist

- Completed Application - Personal Statement (maximum 2,000 words)

- Current Curriculum Vitae (including faculty responsibilities at TCU)

- Your signed form committing to continue teaching at a TCU

- Your signed form allowing AICF access to your enrollment and degree attainment data through the National Student Clearinghouse

- Official graduate transcripts, showing courses taken, dates of courses, and grades received

- The release form signed by your TCU president, allowing the necessary time to complete your dissertation and graduation requirements within the one-year fellowship.

- First letter from the TCU President indicating approval of research supporting the necessary release time to complete degree within one-year term of the Mellon Fellowship.

- Second letter from the TCU Academic Dean or Department Chair detailing the value of the applicant's doctoral work and degree will have on the institution.

- Third letter from the dissertation advisor or mentor that speaks to the importance of the applicant's work and ability of the applicant to complete their doctorate degree within one-year term of the Mellon Fellowship.

- If applicable, an additional fourth letter from a separate senior academic mentor indicating their role in the dissertation process.

- Completed dissertation proposal (if available) including research questions, theoretical framework, and methodology, along with certification of approval of proposal by degree granting institution.

- Detailed timeline outlining your plan to complete all requirements for graduation within one year of being awarded the fellowship.

- Documentation of approval, if required, by any and all Institutional Review Boards (graduate institution, tribal nation, and/or TCU)

- Certification of advancement to doctoral candidacy from graduate institution. To be considered, complete applications must include all of the above items

2. I have reviewed the above checklist and have all items completed and ready to submit within this application.YesNoMark only one oval.

Mellon Faculty Enhancement Fellowship Selection Process

Fellowship applications are evaluated and ranked by a committee of senior scholars from a variety of academic disciplines. The committee evaluates applications on the following criteria:

- Academic competence of the applicant

- Capable of completing degree within established one-year time frame

- Potential of applicant’s doctoral achievement and research to strengthen teaching, curriculum, program development, research, and leadership at the TCU.

- Demonstrated commitment of applicant to American Indian higher education and TCU scholarship.

- Demonstrated persistent and respectful engagement with communities served by the TCU.

Application and all required supplemental documentation should be submitted directly to the American Indian College Fund using this portal. Official transcripts that cannot be emailed directly to Heidi Normandin at [email protected] can be mailed to Heidi Normandin, Faculty Development Program Officer, American Indian College Fund, 8333 Greenwood Blvd., Denver, CO 80221.

3. I have reviewed the above selection process and agree to have materials submitted.YesNoMark only one oval.

Contact Information

The information collected in this section will be used for contact purposes - please ensure the information you enter is up-to-date and accurate.

5. First Name

6. Last Name

7. Date of BirthExample: January 7, 2019

8. Job Title

9. Tribal Affiliation (If Applicable)

11. Academic Department

12. Courses Taught

Appointment Type

13. Administrative or Other Duties

14. Applicant's Address

15. Applicant's City

17. Applicant Zip/Postal

18. Applicant's Email Address

19. Applicant Mobile Number

20. Applicant Work Phone Number

Academic Information

21. List other grants or fellowships previously received, total amounts and the years during which you received funding.

22. List previous publications; Please include title, publisher, and year published.

23. List other grants or fellowships for which you are currently applying.

24. List academic honors and awards previously received.

Doctoral Degree Program Information

25. Degree Granting Institution

26. Degree Sought

27. Degree Academic Department

28. Proposed Dissertation Title

List the Dates You Completed or Expect to Complete Degree Requirements

29. Course RequirementsExample: January 7, 2019

30. Foreign Language Requirements (if any)Example: January 7, 2019

31. Oral Exams or Qualifying ExamsExample: January 7, 2019

32. Official approval of research proposal by dissertation committee

Approval by applicable institutional review boards (if applicable)

33. UniversityExample: January 7, 2019

34. TribalExample: January 7, 2019

35. TCUExample: January 7, 2019

36. List the date by which you expect to complete your dissertation.Example: January 7, 2019

37. List the date by which you will be conferred a terminal degree.Example: January 7, 2019

38. Reference #1: Tribal College President Name

39. Reference #1: Title

40. Reference #1: Institution/Employer

41. Reference #1: Mailing Address

42. Reference #1: City

43. Reference #1: State/Province

44. Reference #1: Zip/Postal

45. Reference #1: Telephone

46. Reference #1: Email

47. Reference #2: TCU Academic Dean or TCU Department Chair Name

48. Reference #2: Title

49. Reference #2: Institution/Employer

50. Reference #2: Mailing Address

51. Reference #2: City

52. Reference #2: State/Province

53. Reference #2: Zip/Postal

54. Reference #2: Telephone

55. Reference #2: Email

56. Reference #3: Dissertation Advisor or Chair Name

57. Reference #3: Title

58. Reference #3: Institution/Employer

59. Reference #3: Mailing Address

60. Reference #3: Mailing Address

61. Reference #3: City

62. Reference #3: State/Province

63. Reference #3: Zip/Postal

64. Reference #3: Telephone

65. Reference #3: Email

66. Reference #4: (Optional) Other Dissertation Mentor Name

67. Reference #4: Title

68. Reference #4: Institution/Employer

69. Reference #4: Mailing Address

70. Reference #4: City

71. Reference #4: State/Province

72. Reference #4: Zip/Postal

73. Reference #4: Telephone

74. Reference #4: Email

Personal Statement Instructions

Your personal statement provides critical information about who you are, your academic work, your enthusiasm for and commitment to tribal college teaching and scholarship, and your plan for using the support provided by the Mellon Faculty Enhancement Fellowship. Attach to your application a statement of up to 2,000 words addressing the following:

- Provide a brief introduction of your background and a summary of the work you are currently engaged in (i.e. research, teaching and service) at your institution.

- Explain how you will use the knowledge and skills gained through the Mellon Fellowship to improve your teaching, research, and other contributions to the TCU community.

- How has your teaching experience at a tribal college influenced your growth as a scholar and as a member of your TCU community?

- Detail your plan for either a sabbatical or reducing your teaching and administrative duties during the term of the Mellon Faculty Enhancement Fellowship.

- How will your dissertation study contribute to scholarship in your chosen field of study? Specifically highlight the ways in which this research will benefit Native people and research at your tribal college?

- What is your philosophy of doing research with American Indian people, your understanding of the issues related to protection of human subjects (if applicable) and your plan for assuring such protection in your dissertation work?

FILE NAMING CONVENTIONS

In order to best serve our applicants, we are requesting that you use the following naming convention for all of your files:

FIRSTNAME_LASTNAME_FILENAME

Example - John_Doe_CurrentUnofficialTranscripts

If you have any issues with uploading documents to this form, please contact us:

Phone - 303.430.5325

Email - [email protected]

Permission Signatures

Applicant’s Commitment to Teach at a Tribal College/University The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supports the American Indian College Fund’s goal to increase and enrich intellectual capacity at tribal colleges. Therefore the Fund requests your digital signature of commitment to teach at a TCU for a minimum of three years following the completion of your doctorate. If selected as a recipient of the Mellon Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship, by typing your name below:

75. I hereby commit myself to continue serving as a tribal college faculty member for a minimum of three years after completion of my doctoral degree.

Signature

76. Applicant’s Permission for AICF to access National Student Clearinghouse Data By entering my name below, I give the American Indian College Fund permission to access my student enrollment and degree attainment information through the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) Database. The types of information accessed in NSC pertains to the semesters/years you were enrolled, the types of degrees earned, the institutions awarding degrees and years degrees were attained.

Signature

Document Uploads

If you have any issues with uploading documents to this form, please contact us:

Phone - 303.430.5325

Email - [email protected]

FILE NAMING CONVENTIONS

In order to best serve our applicants, we are requesting that you use the following naming convention for all of your files:

FIRSTNAME_LASTNAME_FILENAME

Example - John_Doe_CurrentUnofficialTranscripts

77. Personal Statement

No file chosen

78.Curriculum Vitae

No file chosen

79.Official Graduate Transcripts

No file chosen

80.Completed Dissertation Proposal

No file chosen

81. Certification of Approval of Proposal by Degree Granting Institution

No file chosen

82. Detailed timeline outlining your plan to complete all requirements for graduation within one year of being awarded the fellowship. If available, including research questions, theoretical framework, and methodology

No file chosen

83. Documentation of Approval. If required, by any and all Institutional Review Boards (graduate institution, tribal nation, and/or TCU)

No file chosen

84. Certification of advancement to doctoral candidacy from graduate institution.

No file chosen

Mellon Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship $40,000 Award

Eligibility

Mellon Fellowship Guidelines

Application Checklist

Mellon Faculty Enhancement Fellowship Selection Process

Contact Information

Personal Statement Instructions

Permission Signatures

Document Uploads

Our Mission

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