Kohala Center establishes Native Hawaiian fellowships

The Kohala Center of Kamuela, Hawai‘i, on Jan. 29 announced it will establish a doctoral and postdoctoral fellowship program for Native Hawaiian scholars. The Center received a $500,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support the program.

The fellowships will underwrite Native Hawaiian scholars who are early in their academic careers and others committed to scholarship on Hawaiian cultural and natural environments, Hawaiian history, politics and society. Up to two postdoctoral fellowship awards of $50,000 and up to three doctoral fellowship awards  of $40,000 will go to successful candidates in the next academic year, beginning in July.

Native Hawaiian scholars, who are candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy or who have earned a Ph.D. in any field in the arts and sciences are eligible. However, preference will be given to those:

• who demonstrate scholarly and leadership promise;
• whose research involves the Hawaiian natural or cultural environment, Hawaiian history, politics, and society;
• who have had a history of service to the Hawaiian community and to society as a whole; and
• who reside in Hawai‘i or whose research requires extended periods of time in Hawai‘i.

Native Hawaiian scholars in any residential or external degree program of a fully accredited U.S.-based institution, or institutions abroad, such as the native university system in Aotearoa (New Zealand), are eligible.

Through the Mellon-Hawai‘i Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowship program, doctoral fellows will get an opportunity to complete their dissertations before accepting their first academic posts. Postdoctoral fellows will be able to publish original research early in their academic careers.

Applications must be postmarked by Friday, March 28. Those selected will be notified on Friday, April 25. For more information, contact The Kohala Center at info@kohalacenter.org or  (808) 887-6411.