Serious interdisciplinary research often requires established scholar-teachers to pursue formal substantive and methodological training in addition to pursuing their PhD. New Directions Fellowships assist faculty members in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who seek to acquire systematic training outside their own areas of special interest.
The Mellon Foundation’s Higher Learning program has invited the University of Minnesota Twin Cities to nominate a candidate for the 2025 New Directions Fellowship competition.
These fellowships provide up to $300,000 for faculty in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who received their doctorates between 2013 and 2019. The goal of the competition is to support the evolution and expansion of humanities disciplines by investing in the intellectual range and productivity of mid-career faculty. Fellows undertake systematic training outside their fields of specialization to acquire the competencies required for advanced cross-disciplinary research—research that goes beyond traditional boundaries and offers innovative and effective ways of bringing humanistic knowledge to bear on societal challenges.
The University of Minnesota may submit only one nominee. The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) will coordinate the University’s internal review, selection, and endorsement process.
Applications are due to the IAS on November 10, 2025 at noon CST.