Established by Warren & Chris Hellman and their children in 1994, the purpose of the Hellman Fellows Program is to support the research of promising assistant professors who show capacity for great distinction in their chosen fields of endeavor.

The impetus for the Program came when Hellman family members, who were junior faculty themselves, observed young faculty were well-funded when first hired, but challenges would arise after start-up funding is exhausted and before their research qualifies for other external support. The Hellman Fellows Program was designed to assist promising young faculty at this point in their career.