UNCF/MELLON PROGRAMS PARTNERS

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

The Foundation’s grantmaking philosophy is to build, strengthen and sustain institutions and their core capacities, rather than be a source for narrowly defined projects. As such, they develop thoughtful, long-term collaborations with grant recipients and invest sufficient funds for an extended period to accomplish the purpose at hand and achieve meaningful results.

Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship

The fundamental objectives of MMUF are to reduce, over time, the serious underrepresentation on faculties of individuals from minority groups, as well as to address the consequences of these racial disparities for the educational system itself and for the larger society that it serves. These goals can be achieved both by increasing the number of students from underrepresented minority groups who pursue PhDs and by supporting the pursuit of PhDs by students who may not come from underrepresented minority groups but have demonstrated a commitment to the goals of MMUF. The MMUF program is designed to encourage fellows to enter PhD programs that prepare students for professorial careers; it is not intended to support students who intend to go to medical school, law school, or other professional schools.

United Negro College Fund

UNCF envisions a nation where all Americans have equal access to a college education that prepares them for rich intellectual lives, competitive and fulfilling careers, engaged citizenship and service to our nation
UNCF's mission is to build a robust and nationally-recognized pipeline of under-represented students who, because of UNCF support, become highly-qualified college graduates and to ensure that our network of member institutions is a respected model of best practice in moving students to and through college.

Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

The Phillips Academy Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) addresses the lack of diversity in the nation's teaching faculties by recruiting outstanding students of color and other scholars committed to diversity, counseling them through the graduate school application process, and advocating for sufficient funding for advanced study. Since 1990, the IRT has built a national consortium of colleges and universities that are eager to enroll IRT students to diversify their graduate student bodies and to expand the pipeline of educators to teach, counsel, and administrate in American schools, colleges, and universities. IRT urges its students to earn their advanced degrees and teaching credentials before they launch their educational careers.

Social Science Research Council – Mellon Mays Graduate Initiatives Program

Funded by grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Graduate Initiatives Program aims to transform the academy by eradicating racial disparities on the faculties at colleges and universities in the United States and South Africa. To that end, the Program provides support for scholars from all backgrounds with a demonstrated commitment to this goal through a predoctoral research grant opportunity and an integrated cycle of program activities intended to enhance the success of Mellon Mays Fellows at key moments in their careers. 350 fellows have completed a doctoral degree and over 500 are in progress.

James Weldon Johnson Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies

Established in 2007 to honor the memory and achievements of James Weldon Johnson, the mission of the James Weldon Johnson Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies is to foster new scholarship, teaching, and public dialogue that focuses upon the origins, evolution, and legacy of the modern civil rights movement from 1905 to the present. The Johnson Institute is also committed to the investigation of the impact of the modern civil rights movement upon other social movements in the United States and abroad.

The Leadership Alliance

The Leadership Alliance started as a partnership of 23 institutions that came together in 1992 to develop underrepresented students into outstanding leaders and role models in academia, business and the public sector. Today, this consortium has grown to more than 30 institutions and private industry who have provided research and networking experiences to over 4,000 young scholars.