Funder: American Council of Learned Societies
Due Dates: August 31, 2026 (Optional draft feedback) | November 11, 2026, 5 PM ET (Application)
Funding Amounts: Up to $10,000 for 12–15 months, plus $2,500 for the awardee’s home institution
Summary: Supports HBCU faculty developing research-grounded projects in the humanities, interpretive social sciences, and postsecondary teaching and learning.
Key Information: Awardees must remain employed at an accredited HBCU throughout the award term.
Description
The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) supports early-stage project design and smaller-scale research development by HBCU faculty. Grants can fund exploratory research, move established projects to their next stage, or provide a formative step toward future funding. The goal is to pilot or substantially develop a research-grounded project during the award term.
Possible outcomes include scholarly publications, pedagogical tools connecting research and teaching, works bridging scholarly and creative practice, and community-engaged projects for public audiences. Digital, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and publicly engaged scholarship is welcome, including partnerships beyond academia. ACLS values engagement with historically underrepresented communities and topics, diverse scholarly perspectives, and innovative publication formats. Awardees also receive access to networking and mentorship opportunities.
