ACLS Fellowships 2026/27 in South America

Applications are open for the ACLS Fellowships 2026-27 competition cycle. The American Council of Learned Societies supports humanities scholars broadly. This program funds full-time research and writing across many disciplines. Fellows explore topics spanning any historical period or world region. Up to sixty fellowships will be awarded this competitive cycle. Roughly half of these awards support early-career scholars specifically.

Program Snapshot

• Host Organization: American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)
• Maximum Award: $60,000 for a twelve-month fellowship
• Award Term: Six to twelve months, full-time research
• Fellowship Dates: Between July 2027 and December 2028
• Application Deadline: September 17, 2026, 5:00 PM ET

Focus Areas

• History, philosophy, and religious studies
• Literature, linguistics, and anthropology
• Political science, economics, and gender studies
• Art history, film studies, and musicology

Additional Fellowships

This Cycle This year, ACLS is also offering ten additional fellowships. These support scholars facing official constraints on their research fields. Applicants affected should describe these barriers within their personal statement. All additional fellowship applications go through the standard review process.

Who Can Apply

Eligible scholars must hold a PhD in humanities or interpretive social sciences. This degree must be conferred before the application deadline arrives. Established scholars without a formal PhD may also qualify. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or hold specific protected statuses. This includes DACA recipients, asylees, refugees, and TPS holders. Foreign nationals residing in the U.S. for three years also qualify.

Financial Benefits

The fellowship stipend scales based on the award duration selected. A full twelve-month term provides the maximum $60,000 stipend. Shorter awards receive prorated funding at $5,000 monthly. Additional supplements support independent scholars and adjunct faculty members. These cover research costs, health insurance, and dependent care expenses. Notably, teaching and administrative duties aren’t permitted during the fellowship term.

Project Restrictions

This program excludes certain project types from consideration. These include fiction, memoirs, textbooks, and primarily pedagogical work. Dissertation research and graphic nonfiction also fall outside eligible categories.

Required Materials

Applicants must submit several required materials online. These include a three-page proposal and a one-page work plan. A bibliography, publications list, and personal statement round out submissions. Notably, this cycle doesn’t accept writing samples or reference letters.

How to Apply

Submit your complete application through ACLS’s official online system.

#339966;">#339966;" href="https://www.acls.org/competitions/acls-fellowships/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click Here to Apply

Conclusion

This fellowship remains one of the most prestigious humanities funding opportunities in the United States, offering substantial financial support and full research flexibility. Its openness to scholars at all career stages, combined with new provisions for those facing research constraints, makes it especially valuable this cycle. Given the competitive nature and detailed formatting requirements, applicants should begin preparing materials well ahead of the September 17 deadline.

#008000;">READ MORE