ACLS 101: Programs and Tips
Nike Nivar Ortiz, PhD Program Officer, US Programs
March 10, 2026
Our Mission ACLS is dedicated to advancing the creation and circulation of knowledge about humanity and human endeavors, past and present.
• We advocate for the right to pursue knowledge freely
• We fund outstanding scholars and scholarship in the humanities and social sciences
• We build and support communities that transcend boundaries and borders of all kinds
• We promote conditions and policies that help scholars thrive
Who We Are Learned
Societies
ACLS is a federation of over 80 professional academic societies--national and international organizations in the humanities and social sciences.
Each is concerned with a distinct field of study, but all are involved in the promotion of research, scholarly publication, and education.
These societies play a critical role in setting standards of excellence in their disciplines.
Who We Are
Member Institutions
• ACLS Research University Consortium – 40+ of the top humanities and social sciences research universities in the US.
• Associate Members – more than 200 colleges, universities, research libraries, and other scholarly organizations that form the backbone of American higher education.
• Affiliate Members - organizations and institutions whose goals and purposes closely align with those of ACLS.
Fellowship and Grant Competitions 2024-25 By the Numbers
440+ Scholars Supported by ACLS Fellowships and Grants
$25+ million Awarded Across Programs
250+
256 Academic Institutions Represented in the Applicant Pool
600+ Scholars Who Contributed to the ACLS Peer Review Process
Humanities & “Interpretive Social Sciences”
For many ACLS fellowship and grant competitions, eligible projects may include sociology, linguistics, anthropology, and other fields in the social sciences as long as they provide a theoretical framework for exploring the complexities of human experience, emphasizing the importance of context and historical interpretation in understanding social phenomena.
Please be sure to review the eligibility requirements and FAQs for individual competitions to confirm qualification.
When in doubt, ask program staff before applying!
Choose a program (Summer) Watch webinars Attend office hours
The Application Process
Submit a proposal (Fall) Eligibility check
Peer Review (Winter)
Selection Committee Notifications (Spring) Award payment (Summer)
Phase 1
Eligibility and Prescreening
• ACLS screens applications for eligibility
• Eligible applications proceed to first round of review conducted by subject experts
• A group of finalists are chosen
REVIEW PROCESS
Phase 2
Finalist Review and Selection
• Finalist applications proceed to a committee of experts
• Committee meets virtually or in person to select the provisional awardees
Phase 3
Fellowship Award Confirmation
• ACLS notifies provisional awardees
• Scholars accept or decline the award
• ACLS confirms eligibility and formally announces awardees.
ACLS PROGRAMS
ACLS Fellowships
The oldest and most competitive program, ACLS Fellowships embody our core belief that inclusive excellence enhances the scholarly enterprise.
• What: Awards support major piece of scholarly work. Recognizes academic excellence across the broad spectrum of humanities and social sciences.
• Fellowships Per Year: 60
• Maximum Award: $60,000
• Tenure: 6-12 months devoted to full-time research and/or writing
• Deadline: September
• Who Should Apply:
• PhDs earned in the humanities or interpretive social sciences by the application deadline
• Scholars at all postdoctoral career stages
• Scholars working on or off the tenure track
Additional ACLS Fellowship Opportunities
• ACLS Project Development Grants
• ACLS Carl and Betty Pforzheimer Fellowships in English and American Literature
• ACLS Morton N. Cohen and Richard N. Swift Fellowships
• ACLS Oscar Handlin Fellowships in American History
• ACLS Frederic E. Wakeman, Jr. Fellowships in Chinese History
• ACLS H. and T. King Fellowships in Ancient American Art and Culture
• ACLS Pauline Yu Fellowships in Chinese or Comparative Literature
• ACLS Susan McClary and Robert Walser Fellowships in Music Studies
• ACLS Marwan M. and Ute Kraidy Fellowships in the Arab World and Latin America
• ACLS/New York Public Library Fellowships
ACLS Digital Justice Grants
Supports projects that diversify the digital domain, advance justice and equity in digital scholarly practice, and/or contribute to public understanding of racial and social justice issues.
• What: Supporting digital projects that critically engage with the interests and histories of people of color and other historically marginalized communities through the ethical use of digital tools and methods
• Tenure: 12-18 months
• Deadline: November
• Maximum Awards: $25,000 for Seed Grants and $100,000 for Development Grants
• Who Should Apply:
• Collaborative teams where Principal Investigator holds a PhD in the humanities or social sciences
Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation
Fellowships Supporting innovative approaches to dissertation research in the humanities and social sciences.
• What: Expands the range of research methodologies, formats, and areas of inquiry traditionally considered suitable for the dissertation
• Maximum Award: $50,000
• Tenure: 9-12 months
• Who Should Apply:
• PhD students in a humanities or social science department
• Students in residence at a university in the United States
• Deadline: October
• Minimum two years and all required coursework completed in PhD program
Luce/ACLS Dissertation Fellowships in American Art
Supporting doctoral research on the history of the visual arts of the US, including all facets of Native American art.
• What : Recognizes academic excellence in American art history
• Fellowships Per Year: 7
• Maximum Award: $39,000 plus $4,500 travel allowance
• Deadline: October
• Who Should Apply:
• Doctoral candidates in art history or a related field
• Tenure: 9-12 months
• Students in residence at a university in the United States
Graduate Internships on the Spiritual Infrastructure of the Future (GISI)
Summer internships exploring the changing American religious landscape.
• What: Builds new institutional partnerships to create a pipeline of new leaders knowledgeable about the rapidly changing American religious landscape
• Maximum Award: Stipend and relocation funding if applicable
• Deadline: January
• Who Should Apply:
• Entrepreneurial PhD students in the humanities or social sciences
• Dissertation topic relates to the study of religion.
• Tenure: 9 weeks (summer)
ACLS Leading Edge Fellowships
Demonstrating the potential of humanistic knowledge and methods to solve problems, build capacity, and advance justice and equity.
• What: Places recent PhDs with nonprofit organizations advancing justice and equity in their communities. Fellows take on substantive roles that draw on the skills and capacities learned in graduate school
• Tenure: 24 months
• Deadline: Spring
• Who Should Apply:
• Recent PhDs (within last 5 years)
• Maximum Award: $146,000 over two years
• Eligible to work in the United States
Luce/ACLS Program in China Studies
Broadening the field of China Studies by amplifying diverse scholars and perspectives on Chinese and Sinophone cultures, societies, and histories, and developing resources to advance public understanding.
• Early Career Fellowships in China Studies – Flexible and Long-Term
• Luce/ACLS Travel Grants in China Studies
• Luce/ACLS Collaborative Grant in China Studies
• Public Engagement Workshop Series
• China Studies Digital Mapping Project
• https://www.acls.org/programs/luce-acls-program-in-china-studies/
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program
in Buddhist Studies
Promotes the academic study of Buddhism, strengthens international networks of Buddhist Studies scholars, and increases the visibility of new knowledge and research on Buddhist traditions through fellowships, grants, convenings, workshops, and special initiatives.
• Dissertation Fellowships in Buddhist Studies
• Early Career Research Fellowships in Buddhist Studies
• Global Buddhism Series
• Public Impact Grants in Buddhist Studies
• Buddhism Public Scholars
• New Professorships in Buddhist Studies
• https://www.acls.org/programs/robert-h-n-ho-family-foundation-in-buddhist-studies/
Summer Institute for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe (SISECSE) Two-week residency in Bulgaria for scholars of East Central and Southeastern Europe.
• What: Allows scholars to research and write in a collaborative and interdisciplinary setting in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
• Tenure: 2 weeks
• Who Should Apply:
• PhDs in the humanities or social sciences
• Postdoctoral or advanced research on East Central and Southeastern Europe
• Deadline: December
• Institutional affiliation in North America or East Central and Southeastern Europe
ACLS Open Access Book Prize and Arcadia Open Access Publishing Award Celebrating the authors and publishers of exceptional, innovative, and open access humanities scholarship.
• What: 2026 prizes for titles in Anthropology, Environmental Humanities, History, Literary/ Media Studies, Political Science, and Multimodal in any humanistic discipline
• Maximum Awards: $20,000 for authors and $30,000 for publishers to support new OA titles
• Deadline: September
• Who Should Apply:
• Publishers representing titles that are peer-reviewed, open access monographs.
• All submissions must be published in English with copyright dates from 2019 through 2024
Tips for Applying to ACLS Fellowships and Grants
Tips for Applicants
Prepare & Plan
1. Start Early: sign up for program updates at acls.org/stay-in-touch, talk to folks on campus: past ACLS fellows, sponsored research office, etc.
2. Review Application Guidelines and Program Criteria: Detailed Competition and FAQ pages associated with each program are available on the ACLS website.
3. Tap Into ACLS Resources: Join free office hours, watch webinars with ACLS program officers, and review sample projects on the ACLS website.
4. Draft early and solicit feedback.
5. Don’t Delay: Don’t wait to submit your application.
Tips for Applicants
Volunteer to read applications
• An excellent way to understand the application and review process is to serve as a peer reviewer.
-ACLS offers modest honoraria.
-Graduate students are not eligible to serve as reviewers.
• Email us at reviewers@acls.org and make sure to indicate which program(s) you are interested in.
Tips for Applicants
Work plan and bibliography
• Develop a clear and realistic work plan balancing scholarly ambition AND feasibility.
• What will you do with the funds and other resources provided? Can you do the work described? How?
• Demonstrate your expertise and knowledge and capacity to do the work
• Check your bibliography: does it show your key interlocutors? Does it include current literature?
Tips for Applicants
Think About the Audience(s)
• You are not writing a book proposal nor an essay, think about the specific grant writing genre and how all the application components come together to make your case for funding.
• Your ideas matter; how you present them matters too.
• Write for specialists and generalists, avoiding jargon.
• You must convince your readers that your proposed outcome matters, even if they do not have a personal or scholarly connection to your work.
Tips for Applicants
Make Your Case
• Start with the review criteria
• Demonstrate your project’s significance. Ask yourself: What makes it significant to a broader audience?
• Provide context and use concrete examples
• Anticipate and answer possible concerns
• Results: What does the end product look like?
Tips for Applicants
• ACLS staff will respond to emailed questions sent to program inboxes
• We provide applicants with reviewer comments on request in relevant programs
• Sample funded projects are available on our website
• Join live office hours and watch ACLS application webinars
