In 1983 Trinity College offered to endow a new Fellowship at Selwyn for young researchers and they asked for it to be named in honour of one of their members. So the name Trevelyan was chosen after GM Trevelyan which was accepted by Selwyn since the then Master, Owen Chadwick, had been one of his student-admirers.

In about 2018 the funds previously used for the Trevelyan Research Fellowship were redirected to non-stipendiary associateships, still in the sciences, for a number of people for three years and these were called the Trevelyan Research Associates. Names are recorrded in the Calendar every year.