The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is one of ten faculties at Stellenbosch University, which offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in Arts (Drama; Music and Visual Arts), Languages (African Languages; Afrikaans and Dutch; Ancient Studies; English; General Linguistics and Modern Foreign Languages), and Social Sciences (Geography and Environmental Studies; History; Information Science; Journalism; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Social Work; and Sociology and Social Anthropology).
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation was formed in 1969 when 2 foundations, namely: the Avalon Foundation and the Old Dominion Foundation consolidated.
The Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation and is the biggest supporter of the arts and humanities in the USA. The Foundation awards grants and funding in 4 main program areas: Higher Learning; Arts and Culture; Public Knowledge; and Humanities in Place.
ABOUT THE SU ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME – FIELDS COVERED
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University, partnered with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is inviting students to apply for the “Turning the Tide” scholarships, for the 2024 academic year.
Scholarships will be awarded for MA or PhD studies at Stellenbosch University, in disciplines that form part of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, restricted to research topics in these themes:
- African Cultural Studies
- Identity, Gender and/or Queer Studies
- The Anthropocene and Ecocriticism
MORE ABOUT THE SU ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME – COVERAGE VALUE
Scholarship values vary depending on the level of study, and will be awarded to the following values:
PhD studies: R357 500 for 3 years of study (the scholarship will cover: study fees and an allowance, it may also cover research activities together with your supervisor [writing retreat, conference attendance and publication costs valued at R52 500, dependent on application made for these funds during study period])
MA studies: maximum of R160 000 for between 18 months and 2 years of study (the scholarship will cover: study fees and an allowance, it may also cover research activities together with your supervisor [writing retreat, conference attendance and publication costs valued at R20 375, dependent on application made for these funds during study period])
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SU ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):
- You must be a South African citizen or an international student
- You must be able to start your studies in February 2024
- You must intend on studying towards a Masters (full thesis) or PhD qualification, at the Graduate School of the Arts and Social Science Faculty, in 2024
- You must apply to study at Stellenbosch University (you do NOT have to be registered or to have a supervisor, but you must confirm the availability of a supervisor in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in your field of research when applying)
- You must be undertaking research in one of the areas listed above
- You must have an excellent academic record
- Master’s scholarship applicants: you must be 30 years or younger when applying
- Master’s scholarship applicants: you must have achieved a minimum result of 75% for Honours (if your results are available)
- PhD scholarship applicants: you must be 35 years or younger when applying
- PhD scholarship applicants: you must have achieved a minimum result of 75% (first class distinction) for the final year of your most recent completed degree
- PhD scholarship applicants: you must have completed a full Masters research thesis
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE SU ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
Download and complete the Stellenbosch University Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Scholarship Application Form (.docx)
Submit clear copies of the following supporting documentation along with your completed application form (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):
- ID document, if an South African citizen (certified copy)
- Passport, if an international student (certified copy)
- Full academic transcript (certified copy)
- Honours or MA degree certificate or foreign equivalent (certified copy) (or official proof from your institution that the degree will be delivered before March 2024, if the certificate is not available)
- Motivational letter to support your application (maximum 600 words) (read our article about writing a motivational letter)
- Pre-proposal or research idea explaining your proposed research question and conceptualization on one of the three project themes (more details can be found on the application form) (maximum 500 words)
- Sample of your writing: MA thesis for PhD applicants, Honours research essay for MA applicants, any published academic articles related to your application
Applications must be submitted via email to: [email protected]
(Insert the words “Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Scholarship Application” in the email subject line).
Note: the application form must be saved and sent in pdf format.
NOTES ABOUT THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
Please take notes of these points when applying:
- The application form must be completed in English only.
- Applicants must have preferably been in contact with the Department in the Faculty of Arts and Socials Sciences (recommended but not a strict requirement).
- Applicants must inform themselves regarding the availability of suitable supervisors in their field of research, within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences before applying.
- Scholarships will not be awarded for Honours studies or for coursework Masters programmes where the thesis component is less than 180 credits.
CLOSING DATE FOR THE SU ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
31 July.
(Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)
CONTACT THE SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDER
For any queries related to this scholarship programme, please contact the Graduate School of the Arts and Social Science Faculty at Stellenbosch University directly:
Contact person: Dr Candice Steele
Email: [email protected]