Andrew W. Mellon Foundation bolsters humanities research at McGill

Gift of $1,495,000 to create postdoctoral fellowships

McGill University’s Faculty of Arts has received a grant of $1,495,000 from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to establish a postdoctoral fellowship program in the humanities. This program will strengthen McGill’s ability to attract and retain the most promising humanities scholars and provide them with the means and support necessary as they embark on careers of intellectual exploration and accomplishment. This generous gift contributes to Campaign McGill: History in the Making , the most ambitious fundraising drive ever launched by a Canadian university.

“It gives me great pleasure to announce this gift from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation,” Christopher P. Manfredi, Dean of Arts, said. “The humanities are central to the University’s responsibility to cultivate the knowledge that gives meaning and substance to our lives. These fellowships will greatly enhance our ability to support postdoctoral scholars in conducting research that is both transformative and at the forefront of creativity.”

The Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in the humanities will offer a total of 13 two-year post-doctoral fellowships valued at $55,000 each. Funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is complemented by an initial six-year commitment of $156,000 from the Faculty of Arts to support fellows’ activities and seminars. The first Fellows will take up their positions by Aug. 1, 2009.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, a private, not-for-profit corporation under the laws of the State of New York, was formed in 1969. It currently offers grants in six core areas: Higher Education and Scholarship, Scholarly Communications, Research in Information Technology, Museums and Art Conservation, Performing Arts, and Conservation and the Environment.

Campaign McGill: History in the Making was launched in October, 2007 with a starting goal of $750-million. This landmark initiative will help ensure that McGill remains one of the world’s foremost academic and research institutions.

McGill, Canada’s leading university, has two campuses, 11 faculties, 10 professional schools, 300 programs of study and more than 33,000 students. McGill’s Faculty of Arts is the oldest, largest, and most diverse faculty in the University. It includes approximately 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 270 tenured and tenure-track faculty, 18 academic departments, 20 interdisciplinary programs and a School of Social Work.