Program Structure
The MMUF program began with eight participating members in 1988 and has grown to its current membership of 42 colleges and universities, plus the 39 UNCF member institutions.
Faculty members and/or academic administrators coordinate the campus-based programs. A director administers the UNCF project with the assistance of a five-person advisory board. Undergraduates are typically identified in the sophomore year and funded through the junior and senior years. Fellows with demonstrated academic ability and aspiration to pursue a doctorate degree are selected according to their research interest in specified fields, with recommendations from faculty, staff, and administrators. The fellowship provides students with many forms of support, including structured programming, faculty mentoring, term-time stipends for research activities, support for summer research, and repayment of undergraduate loans of up to $10,000 provided that the student pursues doctoral study in specified fields.
Although program structures vary from institution to institution, they follow a common set of general guidelines. It is expected that fellows will meet together regularly with scheduled forums, colloquia, and social opportunities for students and mentors to mix and mingle. Activities that help students to understand the academic environment and culture, and provide opportunities for them to develop their intellectual and social skills are important for success in higher education careers. Cohort development in the form of occasions for students to share their aspirations and scholarship with each other and wider communities is one of the key factors of MMUF’s success. The Foundation strongly encourages regional meetings for undergraduate fellows and institutional reunions for MMUF alumni as ways to keep students connected, motivated, and on track. MMUF’s success is a synergy of commitment and effort among students, faculty, mentors, and coordinators working together to change and diversify teaching and scholarship in higher education.
Moreover, the Foundation supports post-collegiate programs that complement and sustain the undergraduate initiative, and aid in the retention and persistence of graduate fellows. Graduate Initiatives administered by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) include Conferences, Program Seminars, and Pre-doctoral Grants; those hosted by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (WWNFF) consist of Dissertation, Travel and Research Grants. Post-doctoral opportunities include a PhD Retreat and a Program Seminar hosted by the SSRC, as well as a Junior Faculty Enhancement Fellowship Program administered by WWNFF.
