Minority Fellowship Program

Deadline: January 31st

About the ASA Minority Fellowship Program

Through its Minority Fellowship Program (MFP), the American Sociological Association (ASA) supports the development and training of sociologists of color in mental health and drug abuse research. Funded by a training grant sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and co-funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), MFP seeks to attract talented doctoral students to ensure a diverse and highly trained workforce is available to assume leadership roles in research related to the nation’s mental health and drug abuse research agendas.

Sociological research and research training focusing on the causes, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders and drug abuse are important areas of emphasis within NIMH and NIDA, which are both part of the National Institute of Health (NIH). Research on core areas of the research missions of NIMH and NIDA include schizophrenia, depression, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, drug abuse and addiction across the life course. In addition, research focusing on stigma associated with mental disorders and drug abuse, compliance to treatment; disparities in access, treatment, and service delivery; assessments of risk and protective factors of mental disorders; and abuse are all relevant to the missions and priorities of the NIMH and NIDA. Sociologists have much to contribute to these research agendas, including basic research on health disparities, the characteristics of service delivery systems that work, and the characteristics of strategies for their successful wide spread implementation. For additional information regarding the research and research training priorities of NIMH and NIDA please visit: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/ and http://www.nida.nih.gov/.

Additionally, the ASA annually funds at least one General Fellowship supported by generous contributions and donations from ASA members and aligned sociological associations (e.g., Alpha Kappa Delta, the Midwest Sociological Society, Sociologists for Women in Society, the Association of Black Sociologists, and the Southwestern Sociological Association). This fellowship is open to graduate students pursuing a Ph.D. in any area of sociology.