Life As A Summer Scholar



Expectations and Requirements

The UChicago MMUF Summer Research Training Program (SRTP) is a robust program. We expect participants to engage fully in the program’s courses, workshops, and weekly U.S. Social History outings. If you commit to joining us, know that you will work hard, but you will also have a lot of fun living and learning with many talented, like-minded Mellon Mays Fellows.

We assume that carrying out well-developed research takes time. That is, researchers must first acquaint themselves with the scholarship of others, hone their research questions, read and read some more, and eventually situate their research questions in conversation with other scholars’ work. You will build upon the work you do at UChicago, by bringing it to your next academic year and expanding it under the guidance of your faculty mentors.

During the SRTP, we guide students in developing their research projects through close mentoring, and coursework. Students conduct library research, learn how to write persuasive essays demonstrating interpretative complexity, and assemble critically annotated bibliographies. Fellows also read various critical theories exploring the social constructions of race, gender, and class.

When you join us, you enter a community of people who will become your future colleagues and collaborators. It is crucial to the program’s success that you commit to working consistently throughout the summer and that your behavior and self-expression support the overall vision and goals of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship.



See the Apply page for more information.

Workshops & US Histories

Workshops are designed to give students insight into the multiple stages of academic life, such as:

  • Reading and Note-Taking Strategies
  • The Myth of “Taking Time Off:” Making the most of your years between undergrad and grad school
  • Graduate Student Panel: Graduate students discuss everything from funding, networks, politics, mentorship, and intellectual development
  • The Rewards & Challenges of a Life in the Academy
  • Start to Finish: From the Modest Beginnings to Publication of a Research Project
  • How to Successfully Apply to Graduate School