The newly established program aims to provide support to doctoral students in the humanities and interpretive social sciences who are exploring unconventional and pioneering approaches to dissertation research.
Specifically, the fellowships are intended to aid students in the formative stages of their dissertation development and encourage research methodologies, project formats, and areas of inquiry that push against the conventional norms of doctoral education.
Joy Connolly, the President of ACLS, expressed her excitement about collaborating with the Mellon Foundation to provide assistance to exceptional emerging scholars in their pursuit of groundbreaking research. She believes that by broadening the scope of acceptable research methodologies, formats, and areas of inquiry for dissertations, we can pave the way for a more diverse and inclusive academic community.
The selection process for this year's cohort of fellows involved a rigorous and comprehensive peer review, drawing upon the expertise of 170 scholars from various educational institutions across the United States.
Out of nearly 700 applicants, a diverse group of 45 fellows was chosen. Each fellow will receive a $50,000 award, which includes a $40,000 stipend for the fellowship year, $8,000 allocated for project-related research, training, professional development, and travel expenses, and a $2,000 stipend to support external mentorship and advising.
The 2023 Dissertation Innovation Fellows are committed to pursuing unconventional approaches to their dissertations. These approaches include incorporating trans-disciplinary research, Indigenous methodologies, or community engagement into their scholarship; designing dissertations in non-monographic formats such as digital, audio, and graphic mediums; and utilizing methodologies that aim to amplify voices and perspectives that have historically been marginalized and hidden in society.
The supported research encompasses a wide range of areas of inquiry. For example, one project employs documentary film and creative nonfiction writing to give voice to the families of Vietnamese missing-in-action soldiers from the Vietnam-American War. Another project merges the fields of carceral studies and environmental humanities to deepen our understanding of the impact of environmental degradation on incarcerated individuals.
Chijioke, a Literary Critic, and Cultural Historian graduated with combined honours in History and English Language from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and also holds a master's in Anglophone Literature, Culture and Media from Goethe University, Germany. He is currently studying for his doctoral degree at Cornell University in New York.
Chijioke Onah hails from Iheakpu-Awka, Igbo Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State.
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