To most recipients, the news comes as a shock. Potential fellows do not apply but are suggested by a network of hundreds of anonymous nominators across the country, and then selected by an anonymous committee of about a dozen. So, when the fellows get the call, they’re not always prepared for it.

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For Natalia Molina, 49, a historian and an American studies professor at the University of Southern California, the grant gives her a bigger megaphone that she can use to promote her scholarship, which revolves around uncovering connections among different racial groups across history. For example, she said, the way Americans talk about undocumented Latino immigrants today can be compared with attitudes toward Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century.

“There is a lot to be learned from each other’s experiences,” Ms. Molina said. “What I try to do is make those connections more visible.”