Mellon/SAR Academic Freedom Workshop & Fellowships

The fellowship program, made possible by the generous support of and partnership with the Mellon Foundation, is intended to provide support for a professional community of researchers who wish to develop and share related work leading to the completion of a formal written publication, a new course offering, workshop, webinar or other significant end product.

Over the course of the 8-month program from November 2023 to June 2024, fellows will complete their proposed project and participate in monthly remote, online workshop sessions during which they will be asked to present the progress of their work and to offer feedback on the work of other fellows.

During the latter part of the program, fellows will be expected to prepare and deliver an online talk or presentation of their work for SAR staff, network members, and/or guests (with appropriate security accommodations, as necessary).

Benefits

• Fellows will receive a stipend of USD ~$8000 intended to cover research expenses, publication, or other costs, as the fellow may decide. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to gain exposure to SAR’s programming and to network with SAR partner-experts on academic freedom issues.

Eligibility Criteria

• PhD degree received less than 8 years ago; in limited cases, doctoral candidates in the final stages of dissertation completion may be considered.
• Current research or teaching affiliation with a higher education institution, association, or research organization.
• Demonstrated interest in teaching, researching, or publishing about issues of academic freedom or related higher education values.
• Preference for projects involving comparative, international, or collaborative work (fellowship awards may be split across two researchers).
• Commitment to participate in 8-10 remote, online workshops and/or public webinars with co-recipients, SAR staff, network members, and guests (with proper security accommodations).
• Ability to lawfully receive stipend funds and complete program requirements in the country of current location, assuming responsibility for tax or reporting requirements, if any.
• Personal experiences with risk or threat are not a consideration for selection, but current or formerly at-risk researchers are encouraged to apply.
• Candidates in or from the Global South and from marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit Scholars at Risk Network.