CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: The Mellon Engaged Scholar Initiative Undergraduate Fellowship Program 2021-22

The Mellon Engaged Scholar Initiative at UT Austin is pleased to invite applications for our 2021-22 undergraduate fellowship. The ESI program provides specialized training, mentorship, and financial support to exceptional undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts. We seek to recruit students whose research involves meaningful community engagement and/or centrally engages with social issues, broadly defined.

 

During the fellowship year, ESI Undergraduate Fellows receive training in designing and conducting community-engaged research projects. In the fall, they take part in seminars, skill-building workshops, and speaker events with current ESI Fellows as well as faculty and community leaders. They also receive guidance on applying to professional or graduate programs, if applicable.

 

In the late fall and throughout the spring semester, each Undergraduate Fellow designs and implements a Capstone project connected to their research interests and personal commitments. Most Capstone projects involve working collaboratively with campus or community partners, either to conduct research or to implement the project itself. For more information (and for examples of past Capstone projects), we encourage prospective students to visit our website and our Twitter. 

 

We strongly encourage prospective applicants to attend part of our 2021 ESI Public Symposium, "Thinking in Community," which will be held virtually this Friday May 14 and Saturday May 15. Registration info can be found here; program and flyer attached. 

 

Fellowship Stipend:

• $4,500 stipend for the academic year 
• Up to $2,000 in research funds, which can be used to cover conference or research travel, books and materials related to the scholar's research, Capstone project expenses, and professional development opportunities. 

Eligibility:

• Minimum of a 3.2 G.P.A.
• Senior class standing by Fall 2021
• Preference will be given to College of Liberal Arts students majoring in humanities and humanistic social science disciplines 
• Preference will be given to applicants without other concurrent major research fellowships
• Must be able to commit to the ESI Fellowship expectations (see our website for additional details)

Please note that all Undergraduate Fellows are expected to attend the weekly ESI meeting, a non-credit seminar/workshop series that is designed to introduce students to key questions, challenges, and best practices in community-engaged scholarship. We expect ESI Fellows to be actively involved in our scholarly community and to take full advantage of the individualized and peer mentorship opportunities the program offers. Prospective applicants should carefully assess their workload to determine if they can make this commitment.

 

Application Requirements: Application materials and submission form can be found here. Please note that a faculty letter of recommendation is required. 

 

Application Deadline: Tuesday, June 1, 2021 @ 11:59pm. Finalists will be invited for Zoom interviews in mid to late June, with decisions released in July. 

 

Questions: Dr. Jesi Egan (jesi.egan@utexas.edu)

 

Website: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/research/mellon-esi. You can alsovisit us on Twitter @UTMellonESI for more information about the program and for testimonials from current and past Undergraduat