Graduate Funding

Barbara Frey Human Rights Fellowship

The Barbara Frey Fellowship, established in 2022, promotes the legacy of Founder and former executive director of the Human Rights Program, Barbara Frey. The fellowship assists in the development of human rights leaders, and supports a year of paid, full-time employment in the field of human rights for an exceptional graduating student from a professional or PhD level program of the University of Minnesota. The annual fellowship supports active engagement in the work of a nongovernmental or intergovernmental organization dedicated to the advancement of human rights domestically and/or internationally. The fellowship gives priority to graduating Master of Human Rights students who have demonstrated an interdisciplinary commitment to pursuing a career in international human rights and who have an invitation to work at a host organization. Support such as this is essential in providing a bridge to a graduating student as they begin their professional journey as a human rights advocate. 

Past recipients of the Frey Fellowship have worked for The Advocates for Human Rights, of which Frey was a co-founder, and the International Service for Human Rights. Information on how to apply will be available in early spring. The fellowship will be valued at $50,000 with the 2024 host organization, the International Service for Human Rights.

For more information, please contact Amelia Shindelar [email protected].

Year Name Location
2023 Hortense Minishi International Service for Human Rights
2023 Socorro Topete UN Anti-Racism Coalition
2022 Verónica Cadavid González The Advocates for Human Rights

Sharon Grimes Human Rights Fellowship

Funded by a generous gift from Sharon Grimes, the Sharon Grimes Human Rights Fellowship recognizes a Master of Human Rights (MHR) student who demonstrates a commitment to human rights and the environment. The student will receive an award amount of $1,000. Students may demonstrate their dedication to human rights and the environment through work, internships, advocacy, or academic experiences. 

Learn more about the Sharon Grimes Human Rights Fellowship here. 

Mass Violence and Human Rights (MVHR) Interdisciplinary Graduate Group Travel Funding

We are pleased to offer participating MVHR graduate students opportunities to apply for travel funding to support their presentation of research at academic conferences:

  • CHGS/HRP travel awards funded by the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Human Rights Program
  • Library Archives travel awards funded by the Kautz Family YMCA Archives and the IHRC Archives

Topics must be relevant to the Holocaust, genocide, mass violence, and/or other systemic human rights violations. Applications accepted on a rolling basis, first consideration will be given to those students who have presented or are scheduled to present their work in the HGMV workshop. The Archives award will be awarded for meaningful use of archival collections, so some early research is necessary before application.

More information is available on the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies website.

Application Requirements

  • Brief cover letter (addressed to CHGS/HRP and UMN Library Archives as appropriate)
  • Date and title of conference/symposium/workshop/meeting
  • Title of presentation and abstract presentation (500 words)
  • Funds required (up to $500 US)
  • Date and title of MVHR Workshop presentation (for CHGS/HRP travel awards)
  • Date of consultation with archivist and collection(s) utilized (for Library Archives funding)
  • Appropriately and accurately cite Archives collections in future presentations/papers (for Library Archives funding)

Email materials to [email protected] and [email protected].