As part of the University of Michigan Transfer Bridges to the Humanities@Michigan, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) at the University of Michigan (U-M) is partnering with faculty and academic units at select community colleges to build bridges and opportunities to broaden access and participation in scholarly work related to the Humanities.
The Mellon Research Scholar Fellowship (MRSF) is a 20 week paid opportunity that allows current community college students interested in the humanities and related social sciences to perform part-time research alongside University of Michigan faculty (10 weeks per semester).
The humanities comprise a rich and diverse ecosystem of academic disciplines, each of which focuses on a different facet of the human experience. Fields concerned with the study of language, culture, and society are allowed to flourish indiscriminately; artistic expression is cultivated even as it is analyzed. Equally diverse, humanistic research possesses a strong interdisciplinary element that allows for unique, groundbreaking work to be performed.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, please contact the Mellon Scholar Coordinator for UROP, Julie Catanzarite, at jcatanza@umich.edu.
Application: We are not currently accepting applications for this academic year.
Stipend: Research fellows receive a $1,000-2,500 stipend per semester for their participation in the program, dependent on hours worked per week (between 6 and 12). Maximum stipend amount is $5,000 for the academic year.
The program seeks to attract a diverse student population, including women and historically underrepresented students, first generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, and veterans. Participating in the program will:
- Build a close working student-mentor relationships with UM Faculty and research scholars.
- Connect with representatives from UM Admissions, Financial Aid, and Academic Advising.
- Learn about Transfer Procedures and Strategies.
- Gain access to University of Michigan Campus Resources and Programs.
- Develop students' Professional and Transferable Skills in their field of Study or major.
- Stipend: Research fellows receive a $1,000-2,500 stipend per semester for their participation in the program, dependent on the number of hours worked per week (between 6 and 12). Since there are two semesters, fall and winter, the maximum stipend amount is $5,000.
Applicants must:
- have already graduated from High School (or earned a GED)
- be a currently enrolled student attending Henry Ford Community College, Grand Raoids Community College, or Schoolcraft Community College
- have completed at least 18 credits (or 2 semesters) at the community college level
Please note:
Students who have already received a bachelor's degree will not be eligible to apply.
Students who have already been admitted to UM-Ann Arbor or plan on transferring to UM for Winter 2023 are not eligible to apply.
International Students currently in the U.S.: Because these fellowships come with a stipend, it is important for any F-1 or J-1 status holders to obtain authorization through F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or J-1 Academic Training (AT) to be able to participate. Please consult with your Academic Advisor and International Student Advisor at your home institution to verify CPT/AT eligibility, requirements, and application procedures.
1. Short Video: No more than two minutes in length in which you respond to the prompt: How have you benefited from your interest in the humanities? Feel free to speak generally or focus on a particular lesson, idea, mindset, etc.
You are encouraged to be creative, but be sure that your submission accurately reflects your feelings on the subject. It does not need to be of professional quality; we are looking for consideration and insight into your relationship with the humanities.
Submissions must clearly and exclusively feature the applicant. Submissions in which the applicant is difficult to see or hear will not be accepted.
There is no limit on retakes before submission, but the content should not be read from a script or reproduced in large part from memory.
Submissions may not be edited, except to crop the beginning and/or end for time. Other changes--cuts, on-screen text, adding music, increasing/decreasing feedback, etc.--will result in disqualification.
Submissions must be in MP4 format. Other file types will not be accepted.
Submissions exceeding two minutes will not be accepted, regardless of reasoning.
2. Copy of Unofficial Community College Transcript (upload as a PDF)
3. Current Resume (upload as a PDF)
4. Complete Short Answer Questions
5. Letter of Recommendation from a Community College Faculty Member
2026-2027 UROP Mellon Fellows
I am Zayneb Ardaini and am attending Henry Ford College. I am a member of the LSA Bridges program and completed the HFC Honors program. During High school, I was a member of the NHS as well. I am to complete my associate degree in Liberal Arts and General Education, planning to transfer to LSA at UFM. This past summer, I was part of the CCSFP UROP research program at the University of Michigan where me and my mentor worked on a research project collection the biographical data of over 1600 Kuwaiti Sunni Clerics and compiling our research into a final project for the symposium where I presented my findings regarding politics and religion relationship in the Kuwaiti government. This presentation earned me a blue ribbon award. I plan to continue the research with my mentor until I transfer this winter. As of right now, I hope to study biology at UFM and earn a minor (or double major) in middle eastern studies of literature and history. Furthermore, I hope to earn a master in Education and continue work in the Journalism field as I have at the Mirror News at HFC since the winter semester of 2025.
Ezra Dan is a student at Schoolcraft College. His academic interests center on human development, disease, and the biological mechanisms that shape the musculoskeletal system, with the long-term goal of attending medical school and pursuing a career in medicine.
Through the University of Michigan’s Community College Summer Fellowship Program (CCSFP) and Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), he conducted research in the Mishina Lab investigating the effects of a human-derived EVC2/LIMBIN genetic variant on mandibular morphology in a mouse model. His work involved analyzing microCT images and craniofacial measurements to better understand how genetic variation may influence skeletal development. He presented this research as part of his summer fellowship and will continue developing his research experience through the Mellon Research Scholar Fellowship. Looking ahead, he plans to transfer to the University of Michigan to continue studying the biomedical sciences while expanding his experience in undergraduate research. His long-term goal is to attend medical school and pursue a career as a physician, with a particular interest in orthopedics and the relationship between biological development, injury, and musculoskeletal health. Through continued research and clinical preparation, he hopes to develop a deeper understanding of how scientific discovery can be translated into meaningful improvements in patient care.
My name is Ahmed Hajj and I'm a sophomore at Henry Ford College and a member of the Henry Ford II Honors Program. I'll be graduating from Henry Ford College this upcoming Spring and will hopefully be attending the University of Michigan: Ann Arbor Fall of 2027 studying a BS in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. I'm an advocate for neurodivergent accessibility because I believe everybody deserves a place on this planet regardless of how our brain works. This previous Summer, I was a researcher through the Community College Summer Fellowship Program (CCSFP) and worked in the School of Kinesiology's MVD Lab. The lab studies the differences in motor coordination between neurodivergent and neurotypical populations. My project focused on postural control of neurodivergent populations in a single-leg stance with and without visual input. I had so much fun in my lab, and because of the Mellon Grant's help, I'll be returning in the Fall and Winter to continue my project and present it during the Spring 2027 Symposium. If I'm not at school or in the lab, you can catch me doing work for The Perception Foundation, a non-profit focused on neurodivergent accessibility, or messing around with computers (and possibly breaking hundreds of dollars worth of hardware). After I get my BS, I plan on continuing my journey into graduate school where I hope to one day run my own lab!
Namith Kennedy is a Marine Technology student at Northwestern Michigan College with a strong interest in marine robotics, electronics, and autonomous systems. He plans to continue his education at the University of Michigan, where he hopes to pursue Robotics Engineering and develop technologies that advance marine science and exploration. Through the Community College Summer Fellowship Program (CCSFP) with the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), Namith worked with the Marine Renewable Energy Lab on the VIVACE (Vortex Induced Vibration Aquatic Clean Energy) converter, a fish-friendly technology designed to harvest energy from water currents. As part of the project, he worked on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to help evaluate and improve the system’s energy output and efficiency. Alongside his research, Namith is the President of the Northwestern Michigan College Robotics Club and has gained hands-on experience in marine technology through technical work and an internship aboard the University of Delaware’s research vessel R/V Hugh R. Sharp. These experiences have strengthened his interest in combining mechanical, electrical, and software systems to solve challenges in the marine environment. His long-term goal is to contribute to the development of marine robotics, autonomous systems, and other technologies that expand what is possible in ocean exploration and research.
My name is Carly Asariel Luna-Baez and I'm a sophomore at Grand Rapids Community College. My academic interest is to work with mathematics and AI systems specifically on designing constraint and alignment systems. I founded and currently serve as president of the mathematics club at GRCC to pursue mathematical competitions after placing among the top scorers at GRCC in the AMATYC Student Mathematics League. Through the University of Michigan’s Community College Summer Fellowship Program (CCSFP) and Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), I conducted research on combinatorics with AI, specifically restricted partition mathematics. Using constraints and logic, I was able to create interactions with the AI to derive mathematical forms. During this research I was mentored by Tian An Wong to further my mathematical knowledge and construct proofs. I was also taught a process to test derivations and theorems through Lean and Python code. The methods I used were a mix of my own mathematics and AI constraint and alignment methods. Through a process of alignment, I was able to perform interactions with the AI that led to derivations, theorems, and conjectures discovered within the restricted partition mathematics. These derivations and theorems were tested against Lean code and Python code to prove their formalizations and test computations, patterns, and identities. The discoveries made were several. Prefix-identities collapsed floor-sums into closed-floor forms. These prefix-identities were used to derive closed-floor forms for N(j,4,n) and N(j,5,n). Then two general-k conjectures were found for the restricted-partition form N(j,k,n). My long-term goal is to become a mathematician and engineer in robotics while continuing research in mathematics and AI to further develop mathematics and AI systems to yield better interactions for research.
My name is Sedra Mourad, and I am an Honors biology student at Henry Ford College pursuing a pre-medical pathway. I am preparing to transfer to the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor to study neuroscience. At Henry Ford College, I serve as President of the Alpha Xi Mu Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and as a staff writer for the college’s student-run newspaper, The Mirror News. Through the University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program’s Community College Summer Fellowship Program (CCSFP), I conducted research in the Department of Pathology at Michigan Medicine investigating the molecular basis of the neuroendocrine to non-neuroendocrine transition in small cell lung cancer. My research explored the role of glucocorticoid receptor signaling in tumor cell growth and immune interactions. I am continuing this work as a Mellon Scholar, which has allowed me to further develop my interests and skills in biomedical research. My experiences in research, medicine, and student leadership have strengthened my interest in understanding human disease and how scientific discoveries can improve patient care. My long-term goal is to become a physician while remaining involved in scientific research, particularly in areas related to neuroscience and human disease. I hope to build a career that allows me to combine my interests in science, medicine, research, and caring for patients.
Contact Information:
If you have any questions about the Mellon Research Scholar Fellowship, please email mrsf.info@umich.edu
GRCC students have been previously funded.
