2020-21 Andrew W. Mellon Graduate Research Seminars I
Conceptual/Methodological Frameworks [New]

Mellon I, or the "Andrew W. Mellon Graduate Research Seminar I" is a semester-long, three-credit course intended to reach beyond the objectives of a typical disciplinary graduate seminar in its exploration of conceptual and methodological frameworks that are relevant across a range of Humanities disciplines and research inquiries.

Faculty Applicants to Participate in the Mellon Seminar:
Mellon I may be taught by a single faculty member or co-taught by faculty members from two different departments. Faculty from non-PhD granting departments may apply to teach the Mellon Seminars. The course should count as part of the faculty members’ (or member’s) regular teaching load for that semester. The expectation of a co-taught course is that it is not generally less work than a singularly taught course, which presumes an intellectual collaboration underlying the course as a whole and each individual session, and that each of the two professors will at least partially prepare new material in areas beyond their own fields of expertise.

Role of Department Chairs:
Each interested faculty member should procure the endorsement of the Department Chair for the proposal to teach or co-teach the Mellon Graduate Seminar. The Dean of Humanities Office will also be involved in reviewing Mellon Graduate Seminar proposals. Department chairs may additionally request up to $7500 for replacement teaching (ideally to hire a graduate student to teach an undergraduate course). The Mellon seminar carries a budget of $ 3,500 to invite seminar speakers.

Student Application Process and Selection:
The seminar leader(s), in consultation with the Dean’s Office, will select up to 12 doctoral students who have completed their first year in a Humanities PhD program, to enroll in the seminar. The Mellon seminar must include students from a range of Humanities departments. Now that the seminar has a new structure and format, it will not provide a stipend to participants but Humanities graduate students are eligible for up to $ 1500 in research funds for travel to archives, libraries, conferences, or workshops that are pertinent to their doctoral training, which can be disbursed through August 31, 2021. Eligibility for these funds are contingent upon successful completion of the Mellon course.

Eligibility:
Tenured or tenure-track faculty in the humanities are eligible to propose a seminar.

Application Materials:

• Seminar abstract of no more than 200 words
• Seminar description and syllabus (Applicants should Indicate if they would like to conduct their seminar in fall semester 2020 or spring semester 2021 and can alternatively indicate whether scheduling is flexible)
• Department Chair Endorsement

[Please compile the above items into a single pdf document and upload below]

Deadline: Friday, March 6, 2020

Contact: Jeffrey Kripal (jjkripal@rice.edu)