Apply for the ACLS Fellowships Program (US)

The ACLS Fellowships program provides up to $60,000 to support outstanding full-time research and writing projects in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. Open to eligible scholars with a PhD or equivalent scholarly achievement, the fellowship funds projects that produce major scholarly works such as books, journal articles, digital humanities projects, and critical editions.

ACLS Fellowships

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Fellowships program supports scholars conducting innovative research in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. The fellowship enables researchers to dedicate uninterrupted time to full-time research and writing while advancing scholarship across a broad range of disciplines, historical periods, and world regions.

The program welcomes projects at any stage of development—from early research through final manuscript preparation—and encourages work that contributes significantly to humanistic knowledge.

Program Overview

Program Name: ACLS Fellowships

Administered By: American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)

Program Type: Research Fellowship

Maximum Funding: Up to $60,000

Award Duration: 6–12 months

Funding Rate: $5,000 per month

Research Fields: Humanities and Interpretive Social Sciences

Fellowship Objectives

The fellowship aims to:

Support outstanding scholarship in the humanities.
Advance research in interpretive social sciences.
Provide dedicated time for full-time research and writing.
Encourage innovative humanistic inquiry.
Support the creation of major scholarly publications and resources.
Strengthen scholarship across diverse disciplines, methodologies, and world regions.

Funding Details

The fellowship provides funding based on the length of the award period.

12-month fellowship: Up to $60,000
6-month fellowship: $30,000
Awards between 6 and 12 months: $5,000 per month

The award is intended to support full-time research and writing during the fellowship period.

Additional Award Supplements

Certain applicants may receive additional financial support.

Eligible independent scholars, adjunct faculty, and faculty with teaching-intensive appointments may receive supplements ranging from:

$3,000 to $6,000

These supplements help cover eligible fellowship-related expenses incurred during the award period.

Research Areas Supported

The fellowship supports projects across all disciplines within the humanities and interpretive social sciences.

Applications may focus on:

History.
Literature.
Philosophy.
Religious studies.
Art history.
Cultural studies.
Anthropology (humanistic approaches).
Area studies.
Linguistics.
Archaeology.
Classics.
Ethnic studies.
Gender studies.
Indigenous studies.
Digital humanities.
Other interpretive social science disciplines.

Projects may address any historical period, geographic region, or humanistic methodology.

Eligible Project Types

The fellowship supports projects expected to produce major scholarly outputs, including:

Scholarly monographs.
Peer-reviewed journal articles.
Public humanities projects.
Digital humanities research.
Critical editions.
Scholarly databases or research resources.
Other significant scholarly publications.

Projects may be in early, middle, or late stages of development.

Projects Not Supported

The fellowship does not support:

Fiction.
Creative writing.
Memoirs.
Autobiographies.
Creative nonfiction.
Graphic novels.
Historical fiction.
Documentary film production.
Performing arts productions.
Textbook preparation or revision.
Primarily pedagogical projects.
Translation without substantial scholarly interpretation.
Dissertation research.
Projects by doctoral students.
Children’s or young adult books.
Collection inventories.
Guidebooks.
How-to books.
Self-help books.
Projects outside the humanities or interpretive social sciences.
Social science research without humanistic questions or methods.
Policy studies.

Applicants should ensure that their proposed project aligns closely with the fellowship’s scholarly mission.

Who Is Eligible?

Applicants must:

Meet the citizenship or residency requirements.
Hold an eligible PhD or equivalent scholarly qualification.
Conduct research in the humanities or interpretive social sciences.
Propose a qualifying scholarly research project.
Commit to full-time research and writing during the fellowship period.

Citizenship and Residency Requirements

Eligible applicants include:

U.S. citizens.
U.S. permanent residents.
Indigenous individuals residing in the United States through rights associated with the Jay Treaty of 1794.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
Asylees.
Refugees.
Individuals granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States.
Foreign nationals who have lived in the United States or its territories for the three years immediately preceding the application deadline and who will not establish permanent residence outside the United States during the fellowship period.

Academic Eligibility

Applicants must have:

A PhD in the humanities or social sciences awarded before the application deadline.

Additional eligibility includes:

Applicants holding a PhD in Education are eligible.
Applicants holding a Doctor of Education (EdD) degree are not eligible.
Established scholars without a PhD may qualify if they demonstrate scholarly achievement equivalent to a doctoral degree through publications and professional experience.

Who Is Not Eligible?

Applicants are generally not eligible if they:

Are doctoral students.
Propose dissertation research.
Hold only an EdD degree.
Submit projects outside the humanities or interpretive social sciences.
Propose creative or non-scholarly works listed among the excluded project types.

Why This Fellowship Matters

The ACLS Fellowships are among the leading research fellowships supporting scholarship in the humanities. By providing flexible funding for scholars at different career stages, the program enables researchers to produce influential publications, advance humanistic knowledge, and contribute to public understanding of history, culture, society, and the human experience.

The fellowship also strengthens the humanities by supporting interdisciplinary research, digital scholarship, and publicly engaged projects with long-term scholarly value.

How to Apply

Applicants should follow these steps:

Confirm that you meet all eligibility requirements.
Develop a full-time research and writing project in the humanities or interpretive social sciences.
Determine the appropriate fellowship duration (6–12 months).
Prepare a detailed research proposal outlining objectives, methodology, significance, and expected scholarly outcomes.
Gather all required supporting documents.
Complete the ACLS online fellowship application.
Submit the application before the published deadline.

Tips for a Strong Application

To improve your application:

Clearly define your research question.
Explain the project’s contribution to scholarship.
Demonstrate originality and significance.
Present a strong humanistic methodology.
Show that the project is feasible within the fellowship period.
Describe the expected scholarly outputs.
Write for reviewers from multiple humanities disciplines.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these common application errors:

Proposing projects outside the humanities.
Submitting creative writing instead of scholarly research.
Applying with dissertation research.
Failing to demonstrate scholarly significance.
Choosing an unrealistic project scope.
Ignoring eligibility requirements.
Submitting incomplete application materials.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the ACLS Fellowships program?

The ACLS Fellowships program supports full-time research and writing projects in the humanities and interpretive social sciences through competitive fellowship awards.

How much funding is available?

Funding ranges from $30,000 for a six-month fellowship to $60,000 for a twelve-month fellowship, with awards calculated at $5,000 per month.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants include qualified scholars with a PhD (or equivalent scholarly achievement) who meet ACLS citizenship or residency requirements and conduct research in the humanities or interpretive social sciences.

What kinds of projects are supported?

The fellowship supports scholarly projects such as monographs, journal articles, digital humanities initiatives, critical editions, and publicly engaged humanities projects.

Are doctoral students eligible?

No. Dissertation research and applications from doctoral students are not eligible for this fellowship.

Can independent scholars apply?

Yes. Independent scholars, adjunct faculty, and faculty with teaching-intensive appointments are eligible and may also qualify for supplemental funding of $3,000–$6,000.

What types of projects are excluded?

Creative writing, fiction, memoirs, documentary films, performing arts productions, textbooks, dissertation research, policy studies, and projects outside the humanities or interpretive social sciences are not eligible.

Conclusion

The ACLS Fellowships provide an outstanding opportunity for scholars to pursue full-time research and writing in the humanities and interpretive social sciences with funding of up to $60,000. By supporting innovative scholarship across diverse disciplines and methodologies, the fellowship enables researchers to produce influential scholarly works that deepen understanding of history, culture, society, and the human experience while advancing the broader humanities community.