2025–26 Mellon/SAR Academic Freedom Workshop & Fellowships

If you’re an early-career researcher passionate about academic freedom and higher education values, the 2025–26 Mellon/SAR Academic Freedom Workshop & Fellowships offer an exceptional opportunity to develop impactful work, connect with a professional community, and receive financial support to bring your ideas to fruition. Read on for details.

🎓 Fellowship Summary

• Location: Remote (open to domestic and international candidates)

• Sponsor: Scholars at Risk (SAR), in partnership with the Mellon Foundation

• Level: Early-career researchers (PhDs earned within last 8 years; advanced doctoral candidates may also be eligible)

• Target Group: Researchers working on academic freedom or higher education values; candidates from the Global South and marginalized communities strongly encouraged; those currently or formerly at risk welcome

• Fields of Focus: All disciplines, especially comparative, international, or collaborative projects

• Value & Coverage: Approx. USD 8,000 stipend for research, publication, or other related costs

• Duration: 10 months—December 2025 to September 2026

• Application Deadline: August 29, 2025

• Decision Announcement: November 2025

• Eligible To: Early-career academics affiliated with higher education institutions or research organizations, meeting criteria above

📚 Fellowship Overview

The Mellon/SAR Workshop & Fellowship is a remote, collaborative development program designed for researchers investigating issues related to academic freedom and higher education values. Over the 10-month program, fellows will:

• Work toward a significant end-product, such as a publication, course, workshop, webinar, or similar output.

• Participate in regular online workshops, including an orientation in December 2025 and subsequent sessions through September 2026, to present work-in-progress and receive peer feedback.

• Gain exposure to SAR programming and engage with experts in academic freedom, expanding their professional network.

🎁 Fellowship Benefits

• Financial Support: A stipend of about USD 8,000 to help cover research-related costs (publication, travel, materials, etc.)

• Professional Growth: Interactive workshop sessions offer structured feedback and exposure to global peer researchers.

• Visibility & Networking: Integration into SAR’s supportive network and connection with academic freedom advocates.

• Inclusive Opportunity: The program welcomes a global applicant pool and emphasizes equity by encouraging applicants from marginalized communities and the Global South.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

To apply, you must meet all of the following:

1. PhD earned less than 8 years ago—or be in very late-stage doctoral candidacy.

2. Affiliation: Current research or teaching position with a university, association, or research institution.

3. Academic Freedom Focus: Proven interest in exploring academic freedom or related higher education values.

4. Project Orientation: Preference for comparative, international, or co-led research efforts.

5. Remote Participation: Full availability to engage in virtual workshops/webinars across the fellowship timeline.

6. Stipend Reception: Legal ability to receive stipend payments and fulfill tax/reporting responsibilities in your country.

7. Diversity Encouraged: Applications from marginalized or Global South regions, as well as those with at-risk backgrounds, are particularly welcome—but risk history is not mandatory.

📝 Application Procedure

Submit your application by August 29, 2025, via the SAR application portal. Required materials—combined in a single PDF titled “LAST NAME – Project Title”—include:

• Abstract (500–1000 words):

  • Key research questions and their significance

  • Connection to academic freedom and related values

  • Methodology and evidence plan

  • Contribution of findings to protecting academic freedom

• Research Plan & Timeline: Detailed outline covering the 10-month fellowship (December 2025 – September 2026).

• CV and two professional references (names and contact information). If still completing your PhD, include expected completion date.

• Online short-answer form addressing:

  • Intended objectives of your end product

  • Format of deliverable(s) (e.g., publication, webinar, curriculum)

  • Dissemination strategy and target audience

  • Assessment plans for project success

ℹ️ Applications missing any components will not be considered.

💡 Final Thoughts

The 2025–26 Mellon/SAR Academic Freedom Workshop & Fellowships represent a fantastic opportunity to advance scholarly work on academic freedom—and to do so within a collegial, transnational setting. With thoughtful preparation and attention to the application guidelines, this remote fellowship can help you produce meaningful outcomes, expand your professional circle, and gain exposure as a scholar committed to upholding higher education values.