The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Fellowship for 2025–2026 offers up to $60,000 to support scholars in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. The program aims to advance significant research by providing six to twelve months of protected time for full-time writing and research.
Fellowship overview
- Purpose: The fellowship funds major scholarly projects that contribute to the field, such as books, articles, publicly engaged humanities projects, or digital research.
- Number of awards: Up to 60 fellowships will be awarded in the 2025–2026 cycle. Approximately half are designated for early-career scholars.
- Project scope: The program invites proposals from scholars working in any time period, world region, or using any humanistic methodology.
- Ineligible projects: The fellowship does not fund works of fiction, textbooks, basic translation projects, or projects that are primarily pedagogical.
Award details
- Stipend:
- Maximum award: $60,000 for a 12-month tenure.
- Minimum award: $30,000 for a 6-month tenure, with prorated amounts for shorter periods at $5,000 per month.
- Award supplements: Independent scholars, adjunct faculty, and those in teaching-intensive roles can receive an additional $3,000 to $6,000. This funding can cover research support, manuscript development workshops, conference attendance, or healthcare costs.
- Concurrent funding: The ACLS fellowship can be held at the same time as other grants and institutional support, provided the total support for fellows with full-time academic positions does not exceed their academic year salary.
- Portable award: The fellowship is portable, meaning it can be held at any research site
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants generally need a Ph.D. in the humanities or interpretive social sciences, or be an established scholar without a Ph.D.. Eligibility is open to various statuses, including U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and foreign nationals who have resided in the U.S. for at least three years, provided they don’t establish permanent residence outside the U.S. during the fellowship period. Tenure-track scholars must have completed any previous supported research leave at least two years before September 1, 2026. A commitment to full-time research and writing between July 1, 2026, and December 31, 2027, for six to twelve months is required.
Application process and timeline
The application opens in July 2025 and closes on September 25, 2025. The online application requires materials like a project proposal, work plan, bibliography, and a writing sample. Reference letters are not required for this cycle. Notification will be sent by email in late March 2026.
Partner opportunities
Applicants are automatically considered for opportunities, including ACLS/NYPL Fellowships (requires a separate application to the Cullman Center) and ACLS Project Development Grants for faculty at teaching-intensive institutions. More information on named awards and potential residency at a CHCI member institution is available.
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