The Merritt Writing Fellowship honors an undergraduate who has demonstrated analytical skills, creativity, and research promise in first-year writing. This fellowship recognizes that first-year writers are early scholars -- as analytical thinkers and creative communicators who write to meaningfully connect with readers, bring visibility to important topics, and inspire positive change.
Qualified students will have completed WRI 1 by Spring 2024, with WRI 10 completion as a preferred but not required expectation. First and second year UCM students, with a minimum GPA of 2.8, are all eligible to apply. The application includes an endorsement from a WRI instructor (no more than 250 words), along with a final draft of a major research-based writing project completed at UC Merced that demonstrates a blend of analytical and creative writing approaches.
The award amount for this fellowship is $1000. The award will be announced by or before April 30th, 2024, and the Merritt Writing Program / School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts will host a luncheon for the fellowship recipient with Karen Merritt in early May.
Students who wish to be considered for this award must fill out a self-nomination application no later than Friday, April 5 April 12. As part of the self-nomination process, students will need to secure the endorsement of one of their current or past UCM writing instructors.
You can find the link to the self-nomination form here: 2024 Merritt Writing Fellowship self-nomination form
