The Mills Institute invites applications for a year-long funded research collaboration with the Mills College Art Museum. The proposed collaboration should result in an article-length publication (or comparable public work), highlight one or more items in the museum collection, and engage The Mills Institute’s 2025-2026 research theme, Solidarities. Applicants are eligible for a $1000 stipend to support their research and domestic travel expenses for one visit to the collection in Oakland.
The Institute was formed in 2022, when Mills College merged with Northeastern University, to honor and advance Mills’ legacy as a historic women’s college. The Mills Institute advances gender and racial justice through programs and partnerships that support transformative teaching and learning, research, and career development. This fellowship is part of a larger initiative aimed at supporting innovative research at The Mills Institute and growing our collaborative relationships with others whose work aligns with our mission.
Founded in 1925, the Mills College Art Museum (MCAM) is an innovative center of creativity that enriches Northeastern University’s Global Network by offering unique on-the-ground and digital experiences, leveraging technology to erase boundaries and centering creative voices from across the globe. Exhibitions are focused primarily on contemporary artistic practices, with an emphasis on commissioning artists to create and exhibit new work that engages visitors in critical and creative thinking about the worlds we inhabit. MCAM’s collection can be accessed at collection.mcam.northeastern.edu. MCAM’s exhibition history can be accessed here and more information on the museum’s history is available on our collections blog.
As MCAM celebrates its Centennial, we are interested in using our collection and exhibition archives to generate new scholarship on the roles artists and the Oakland campus have played in embracing experimentation and community engagement. The Mills Institute 2025-2026 research theme, Solidarities, invites applicants to consider the rich relationships among the museum, the campus, and partners in the Oakland community.
Northeastern faculty and graduate students from any discipline are eligible to apply. Preference given to scholars working in the collections for the first time and/or working in digital humanities. Residency is not required; no additional travel or housing support will be provided.
The fellowship recipient will be part of a larger community of researchers and scholars at The Mills Institute and will be required to participate in a hybrid, public-facing research presentation in either the fall or spring semester.
The grant deadline for 2024-2025 has passed.