American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)

About

Overview

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) supports the creation and circulation of knowledge that advances understanding of humanity and human endeavors in the past, present, and future, with a view toward improving human experience. Over the past century, ACLS has supported individual scholars and scholarly teams around the world in their pursuit of research with the potential to advance knowledge in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. ACLS is committed to ensuring that our fellowship and grant opportunities are accessible to excellent scholars working across the diverse landscape of higher education and beyond the academy.

Current Focus

ACLS focuses on providing more pathways for those who have traditionally had less access to external research support and scholarly resources, including first-generation scholars, people from historically marginalized communities, and non-tenure track faculty.

Funding Categories

Funding categories include Fellowships and Grants.

Current Fellowship and Grant Programs

ACLS Fellowship Program
ACLS Digital Justice Grants
ACLS Graduate Internships on the Spiritual Infrastructure of the Future
ACLS HBCU Faculty Fellowships and Grants
ACLS Leading Edge Fellowships
Luce/ACLS Civic Education for Democratic Life Program (CEDLife) Grants
Luce/ACLS Dissertation Fellowships in American Art
Luce/ACLS Program in China Studies
Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowships
Open Access Book Prizes
Summer Institute for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe
The Arnold L. and Lois S. Graves Awards in the Humanities
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies

Awards By the Numbers (2024-25)

440+ Scholars Supported by ACLS Fellowship and Grants
256 Academic Institutions Represented
$25+ million Awarded Across Programs
600+ Scholars Who Contribute to the ACLS Peer Review Process Each Year

Eligibility

Each program has specific eligibility criteria designed to advance program goals. Please read the descriptions for each competition carefully and review their specific FAQs for more information on what types of applications are or are not eligible. ACLS supports individual scholars and scholarly teams around the world.

Support for Scholars

ACLS offers “office hours” for many programs where applicants can gain answers to questions about our competitions and the review process directly from our team of program officers. We also host webinars on the latest opportunities and application best practices throughout the year. ACLS continues to provide valuable professional development resources for both applicants and awardees beyond the award period.

Submission Requirements

For programs that require a budget and are submitted through the institution (rather than awarded as a fellowship stipend), you must work with Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) for application review and submission.

Media accepted

landscape

Award: $25+ million Awarded Across Programs
Theme: The American Council of Learned Societies supports the creation and circulation of knowledge that advances understanding of humanity and human endeavors in the past, present, and future, with a view toward improving human experience.
Eligibility: Each program has specific eligibility criteria designed to advance program goals. Open to individual scholars and scholarly teams around the world.
Priority given to: Priority for first-generation scholars, historically marginalized communities, and non-tenure track faculty
Audience: First-generation scholars, people from historically marginalized communities, and non-tenure track faculty, as well as early-career, independent, and established educators, and those working within administrative ranks or in public-facing research.