Funder: American Council of Learned Societies
Due Dates: October 15, 2026, 2–3 PM ET (Office hours) | October 28, 2026, 5 PM ET (Application) | June 30, 2027 (Feedback requests) | September 30, 2028 (First report)
Funding Amounts: $42,000 stipend plus up to $8,000 in project support and a separate $2,000 mentor stipend; 9–12 months
Summary: Supports early-stage doctoral research that expands dissertation methods, formats, and collaborations in the humanities and interpretive social sciences.
Key Information: Applicants must not have advanced to candidacy before January 1, 2026, and must plan dissertation completion after May 31, 2029.
Description
The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), with support from the Mellon Foundation, offers this fellowship to doctoral students at the formative stage of dissertation development. It supports projects that expand traditional research boundaries through new methodologies, innovative dissertation formats, and collaborations within and beyond the academy. The program is not intended for advanced dissertation research or completion.
Supported activities may include interdisciplinary research, methodological or digital training, new modes of scholarly communication, equitable community partnerships, and short-term practica with non-academic organizations. External mentorship broadens fellows’ expertise, perspectives, and networks beyond existing advising relationships. ACLS encourages thoughtful engagement with historically underrepresented or under-studied communities and topics, welcoming research grounded in any historical period, community, or region of the world.
