Mellon Foundation- Higher Learning 2026 Open Call for Concepts

UCR- Internal Competition 

The Mellon Foundation’s Higher Learning Open Call for Concepts invites projects that explore significant social, cultural, or historical issues. Proposals should involve collaboration among scholars and/or students and demonstrate a lasting institutional impact. 

Link to Complete Call for Concepts

Mellon

Institutions of higher education are encouraged to submit ideas for research and/or curricular projects focused on either of the following areas:

Unruly Intelligences

Normalization and Its Discontents

Full description of these grant areas

Projects should engage teams of scholars and/or students, and have visible enduring impact at the institution. Awards will range from $250,000 to $500,000 for a duration of up to four years. 

UCR Eligibility:

1. The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a faculty member and/or dean in a program or department in the humanities or humanistic social sciences at the applicant institution.

2. Registration in the Mellon portal must be completed in order to participate in the UCR limited call. The deadline to register is Dec 1, 2025 by 12:00pm Pacific (No Exceptions)

1. Please use this document for full registration details and instructions:

1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FaEMDk7EZpu0DpatK0ETwiffcbddmJ07/view?ts=690d40ff

2. Include a copy of the registration confirmation with limited submission application.

3. Three PIs will be submitted via UCR’s limited submission process (details below).

Contact Information

For any questions or inquiries regarding this process, please contact Kelly Kraus-Lee Senior Director, Foundation Development at kelly.krauslee@ucr.edu or Jasmine Hill Director, Foundation Development
at jasmine.hill@ucr.edu.

Limited Submission Instructions

After registering on the Mellon portal, please submit the limited submission cover sheet, concept paper and budget as outlined below, your CV, and proof of Mellon portal registration to limitedsubmissions@ucr.edu by December 1, 2025 at 12:00 Noon Pacific.

Project Concept

First, identify your project topic: Normalization and Its Discontents OR  

Unruly Intelligences

In approximately 1,000 words, please describe your ideas for a potential project, including specific activities it might involve. The note should clearly state the project’s goals, its potential impact, and the fitness of the institution and/or network for the proposed work.

Budget Details

Please provide a budget estimate for your project. The maximum budget allowed for this call is $500,000:

Should be a number value $XXX,XXX

In approximately 100 words, please provide a list of expense categories. For example, stipends, course releases,fellowships, on-campus or community programming, workshops, etc.