Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral

Apply Now (CLOSED)

Applications must be submitted via Interfolio. 

Fill out the five required forms in Interfolio:
1. Applicant Profile & Education
2. Applicant Research
3. Proposed Course Description
4. Equal Employment Opportunity
5. Where did you hear about this position?

Upload the three required documents:
1. Research Plan (1000 words max, not incl. bibliography/citations)
2. C.V.
3. Writing Sample (~20-25 pp.)

Submit requests for 3 confidential letters of recommendation

For more details, to acccess the required forms, and to upload your materials, please visit the Interfolio portal. All forms, documents, and letters must be uploaded and submitted in Interfolio by end of day November 3, 2024. Note that Interfolio is overwhelmed by large numbers of uploads and submissions in the last minutes before an application deadline; please plan accordingly. 

 

Image: Hanabusa, Itchō, 1652-1724. Library of Congress, LC-USZC4-8725. Depiction from the story of the blind men and an elephant.

Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities

The Wolf Humanities Center awards five (5) one-year Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships each academic year to scholars in the humanities who are no more than five years out of their doctorate. Preference will be given to candidates not yet in tenure track positions whose proposals are interdisciplinary, who have not previously enjoyed use of the resources of the University of Pennsylvania, and who would particularly benefit from and contribute to Penn's intellectual life.

The programs of the Wolf Humanities Center are conceived through yearly topics that invite broad interdisciplinary collaboration. For the 2025–2026 academic year, our topic will be Truth.

During their appointment, Wolf Humanities Center's Postdoctoral Fellows are required to teach one course rostered in one or more of the humanities departments or programs in Penn's College of Arts & Sciences (not the Wolf Humanities Center) and must participate in the Center's weekly Mellon Research Seminar (Tuesdays, 12:00–1:30). Fellows also collaborate on the planning of a public symposium on the Center's annual topic, participate in professional development workshops, and are appointed a faculty mentor.

Call for Applications, 2025–2026 (CLOSED)

Topic: Truth
Application Deadline: Sunday, November 3, 2024 (11:59pm Eastern time). Decisions will be announced in February 2025.

The 2025–2026 Fellowship appointment is twelve months (July 1, 2025—June 30, 2026) and carries a minimum stipend of $66,300, a $3000 research fund, and discounted single-coverage health insurance. 

  • The PhD (and its international equivalent, such as the DPhil) is the only eligible terminal degree, and applicants must be humanists or those in such allied fields as anthropology or history of science. Ineligible categories include an MFA or any other doctorate such as EdD, social scientists, scholars in educational curriculum building, and performing artists (note: scholars of performance are eligible).
  • Scholars who received or will receive their PhD (or DPhil) between May 2020 and September 2025 are eligible to apply.
  • Scholars who received or will receive their PhD from the University of Pennsylvania during our noted window of eligibility are welcome to apply.
  • The fellowship is open to all scholars, national and international, who meet eligibility requirements. International scholars outside of North America are appointed under a J-1 visa (Research Scholar status). The Wolf Humanities Center reserves the right to revoke the offer if the recipient is unable to meet this condition. 
  • Upon receiving the award, finalists who have not received their PhD must provide a letter from their department confirming that they have completed, or will complete, all requirements (i.e. dissertation defense) by June 30, 2025. A finalist’s failure to meet this deadline will result in the offer being withdrawn.
  • Fellows are required to be in residence for the term of the fellowship.

We are no longer accepting applications for 2025–2026.

Apply Now (CLOSED)

Applications must be submitted via Interfolio. 

Fill out the five required forms in Interfolio:
1. Applicant Profile & Education
2. Applicant Research
3. Proposed Course Description
4. Equal Employment Opportunity
5. Where did you hear about this position?

Upload the three required documents:
1. Research Plan (1000 words max, not incl. bibliography/citations)
2. C.V.
3. Writing Sample (~20-25 pp.)

Submit requests for 3 confidential letters of recommendation

For more details, to acccess the required forms, and to upload your materials, please visit the Interfolio portal. All forms, documents, and letters must be uploaded and submitted in Interfolio by end of day November 3, 2024. Note that Interfolio is overwhelmed by large numbers of uploads and submissions in the last minutes before an application deadline; please plan accordingly. 

 

Image: Hanabusa, Itchō, 1652-1724. Library of Congress, LC-USZC4-8725. Depiction from the story of the blind men and an elephant.

Questions? Please email Sara Varney, Associate Director.

For general information on postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania, please see the postdoc portal hosted by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.

 Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows

The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds. The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected class. Questions or concerns about this should be directed to the Executive Director of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs, University of Pennsylvania, 421 Franklin Building, 3451 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6205; or (215)898-6993 (Voice) or (215)898-7803 (TDD).