Overview

The Mellon Foundation Programme at the University of Ghana is committed to nurturing the next generation of humanities scholars through robust scholarship and fellowship opportunities. These awards are designed to support exceptional graduate students and early-career researchers whose work advances critical inquiry, interdisciplinary dialogue, and the global relevance of the humanities.

 

Through strategic investment in MPhil and PhD training, the programme fosters academic excellence, research innovation, and inclusive scholarly communities. Beneficiaries receive comprehensive support—including research funding, conference grants, mentorship, and access to collaborative networks—enabling them to pursue rigorous scholarship that contributes meaningfully to local and international discourse.

 

The scholarships and fellowships are awarded competitively, with emphasis on intellectual merit, thematic alignment with the Mellon-supported projects, and potential for long-term impact. By empowering emerging scholars, the programme reinforces the University of Ghana’s leadership in humanities research and its commitment to shaping transformative academic futures.

Our Scholarship in Numbers

 

85+

Over 25 MPhil students have benefited from our scholarship

24+

Over 24 MPhil students have benefited from our scholarship

29+

Fellows

100+

Research topics completed by our scholarship beneficiaries

Who can apply?
 

The programme supports candidates from the following disciplines in the humanities: History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Languages, African Studies, Philosophy and Classics, Linguistics, Theatre Studies, Music and Dance Studies, Study of Religions, and other humanistic social disciplines


 

Fellowships:
  1. Be in a full-time post in the humanities in any of the four collaborating institutions (University of Ghana, American University in Cairo, Stellenbosch University and University of Washinton in St. Louis)
  2. Be an early-career scholar with a record of research and academic publishing
  3. Have a PhD that was obtained within the last ten years (2015 or later)
  4. Have a scholarly record of publications commensurate with career stage or years from degree
Scholarships:
  1. Candidate must have successfully completed a Master's degree (or eligible to be admitted in a PhD programme) in any of the disciplines listed above, or in any related field.
  2. Should have excellent academic credentials and demonstrate motivation and commitment to pursue an academic career.
  3. Has thorough knowledge of the language of instruction (English)
  4. Must be a Ghanaian
  5. Grants are available to third-year students and those in the final stages of their thesis in the field of humanities or humanistic social sciences.*
  6. The grant is available for students who have demonstrated difficulties in completing the thesis and would benefit from assistance to collect data and focus on writing the final thesis.*
  7. Third-year doctoral students should provide chapters of their Introduction and Literature Review*
  8. Fourth-year doctoral students should provide chapters of their Introduction, Literature Review and Methodology.*
  9. Eligibility is limited to those who have the potential for completing the dissertation within the grant period.*

* Applicable to Thesis Completion Grants

How to apply

 

Fellowships:

Eligible candidates should complete the project application form. The completed form must be signed, dated, endorsed and submitted together with the following documents, combined into a single PDF:

  1. A cover letter of not more than one-page in length. The letter should include a brief intellectual autobiography or description of the applicant’s academic career, detailing the experiences that have shaped his or her intellectual work.
  2. A statement of not more than one-page in length outlining research and publication plans for the residency period. Please be specific, including the number and types of publications expected.
  3. A current curriculum vitae
  4. One or two recent writing samples (articles or book chapters)

In addition, the applicant should arrange for a detailed academic letter of reference from a senior colleague familiar with her/his research and career trajectory to be submitted separately.

Scholarships:

Applicants may be nominated by their department or they can self-initiate the application processes. In all cases, the application form (usually a Google Form) must be completed. The completed application form must be submitted along with the following documents:

  1. A maximum of 1-page abstract of what the thesis is about
  2. A copy of your admission letter
  3. Updated CV

Application Schedule

Application Opens On

October 2025

Application Deadline

December 2025

Note

Call for applications are usually announced on this website and the University of Ghana website. Additionally, announcements are are also made the UG email system by Public Affairs.

Sorry, we are not accepting applications at the moment. Kindly check again another time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Calls for applications are announced periodically on the programme website. Applicants are encouraged to check regularly for updates and deadlines.

No. Applicants must choose one stream based on their academic status—scholarships are for graduate students, while fellowships are for postdoctoral or early-career researchers.

Applicants must be enrolled or admitted into relevant graduate programmes at the University of Ghana and demonstrate strong academic potential, research alignment with Mellon themes, and commitment to humanities scholarship.

The programme offers MPhil and PhD scholarships to outstanding students pursuing humanities research, as well as fellowships for early-career scholars engaged in Mellon-supported projects.

Interested candidates must complete the online application form, submit academic transcripts, a research proposal, and letters of recommendation as outlined in the call for applications.