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Each of our three options is tailored to help you advance your career and achieve your professional goals. Learn more about eligibility criteria and applications below.
To make the HERS Leadership Institute (HLI) accessible to leaders of all practice areas, fields, and institution types, HERS has established its own Scholarship Fund. This fund is supported and sustained by generous contributions from individuals, many of whom are HLI alums. Contributors to the HERS Scholarship Fund recognize the transformative impact of the HLI on leadership development and are committed to ensuring that institutional financial constraints do not hinder an applicant’s opportunity for growth.
HERS Scholarship Awards of up to the equivalent of 50% of the program fee are available. Awards may be applied to the program fee or to a combination of the program fee and the housing and partial board fee. HERS scholarships cannot be applied to an individual’s travel expenses or to meals not included in the HLI program. It is expected that a participant’s institution will fund the remaining HLI fees and related expenses.
We encourage all of our participants to seek institutional support and funding from several sources at their institution, including individual professional development funds; department or unit-level funding; support from the office of inclusion, diversity and equity; and support from senior-level officers such as the office of a Dean, Vice President, Provost, or President/Chancellor.
Preference will be given to:
Upon acceptance into a HERS Leadership Institute,* you’ll be asked if your participation depends on financial support. If so, select the option indicating you need support, and you will receive a financial support application. If you are not eligible for a HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship or a HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellowship per the criteria described below, please follow the instructions provided for the HERS Scholarship. After submitting the completed form and required documents, the HERS team will notify you by the scholarship notification date whether you were awarded a HERS Scholarship and the amount of the award. Preview the application for financial support here.
*For best consideration, submit your HLI application by the early-decision deadline.
To make the HERS Leadership Institute (HLI) more accessible to leaders from humanities disciplines who are employed at institutions without adequate professional development funds, HERS has partnered with the Mellon Foundation to offer financial support of up to $10,000 to competitive applicants who have been accepted to any one of the HERS Leadership Institutes for 2025, 2026, and 2027 and hold terminal degrees in any of the humanities disciplines listed below:
Fellowship Awards of up to $10,000 will be offered to each HERS-Mellon Leader Fellow. Funds from the fellowship can be applied to the program fee, room and partial board fee, and/or to travel expenses. Mellon Fellowship funds cannot be applied to an individual’s meals not covered by the partial board fee.
Awards will be offered for 8 participants to attend the 2025 Weekend HLI, and 16 participants to attend either the June 2025 or July 2025 HLI, for a total of 24 HERS-Mellon Leader Fellows in the 2025 fiscal year, a total of 24 HERS-Mellon Fellows in the 2026 fiscal year, and a total of 24 HERS-Mellon Fellows in the 2027 fiscal year.
Preference will be given to:
Please Note: HERS-Mellon Fellowship awards are not eligible for transfer to another HERS Leadership Institute cohort nor are they eligible for deferral. Any HERS-Mellon Fellowship funds allocated to travel will be disbursed only after the Fellow has completed the HLI and submitted required receipts and documentation.
Upon acceptance into a HERS Leadership Institute,* you’ll be asked if your participation depends on financial support. If so, select the option indicating you need support, and you will receive a financial support application. If eligible for the HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship, follow the specific instructions provided. After submitting the completed form and required documents, the HERS team will notify you by the scholarship notification date whether you were awarded a HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship and the amount of the award. Preview the application for financial support here.
*We strongly encourage those eligible for a HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship to submit a complete HERS Leadership Institute application by the EARLY-DECISION deadline for best consideration. While fellowship awards may be distributed after this deadline, priority will be given to those who have been accepted into the HERS Leadership Institute during the early-decision application review process. Please note that HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship awards may not be available for prospective HLI participants who submitted their HLI application materials after the early decision deadline.
To make the HERS Leadership Institute (HLI) more accessible to leaders from STEM disciplines who are employed at institutions without adequate professional development funds, HERS has partnered with the Henry Luce Foundation to offer financial support of up to $10,000 to competitive applicants who have been accepted to the June offering of the HLI.* Applicants must either (a) hold a terminal degree in a STEM discipline or (b) hold a professional appointment within a STEM discipline, excluding social sciences or health and medical sciences.
*The HERS-Luce STEM Fellowship is not available to prospective participants who have been accepted into the July HLI or Weekend HLI formats.
Fellowship Awards of up to $10,000 will be offered to each HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellow. Funds from the Fellowship can be applied to the June HLI program fee and to the housing and partial board fees. Luce Fellowship funds cannot be applied to an individual’s travel expenses or to meals not covered by the partial board fee. HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellowship Awards provide an opportunity to attend the HERS Leadership Institute and the ability to be a part of creating the foundation for a national HERS-Luce STEM Leader Community.
Six awards of up to $10,000 each will be offered to cover the program fee and the housing and partial board fee to attend the June 2025 HLI.
The 6 selected HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellows will help to create the STEM Leader Community through these activities:
Two (2) of the HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellows will be selected to serve as Mentors-in-Residence at the June HLI in 2026 to support the onboarding and career support for 6 additional HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellows.
In 2026-2027, the HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellows will have the opportunity to facilitate monthly peer coaching circles with June 2026 HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellows and will receive a stipend of $1,500 to do so.
Preference will be given to:
Please Note: Fellowship awards are not eligible for transfer to another HERS Leadership Institute cohort nor are they eligible for deferral.
Upon acceptance into a HERS Leadership Institute, you’ll be asked if your participation depends on financial support. If so, select the option indicating you need support, and you will receive a financial support application. If eligible for the HERS-Luce Leader Fellowship, follow the specific instructions provided. After submitting the completed form and required documents, the HERS team will notify you by the scholarship notification date whether you were awarded a HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellowship and the amount of the award. Preview the application for financial support here.
*We strongly encourage those eligible for a HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellowship to submit a complete HERS Leadership Institute application by the EARLY-DECISION deadline for best consideration. While fellowship awards may be distributed after this deadline, priority will be given to those who have been accepted into the HERS Leadership Institute during the early-decision application review process. Please note that HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellowship awards may not be available for prospective HLI participants who submitted their HLI application materials after the early decision deadline.
As one of our partners, you can be a leader behind much-needed change in the educational sector. Support for our programs drives leadership equity, enabling institutions to better support an increasingly diverse student body and better prepare their students to create a more equitable society.