The mission of the ACLS (American Council of Learned Societies) is to promote inclusion, equity, and diversity in the scholarly enterprise. They aim to enhance the scholarly enterprise by being broadly inclusive and welcoming of different backgrounds, cultures, and identities. This reflects in their fellowship programs which encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, recognizing the value that such diversity brings to scholarship.
The ACLS Fellowship program is designed to support untenured scholars who have earned their PhD within the last eight years, with a particular emphasis on those adversely affected by the pandemic's social and economic disruptions. This includes scholars without faculty appointments and those off the tenure track. The program encourages applications for research on any topic, time period, region, or methodology within the humanities and related social sciences. The goal is for fellows to produce a significant piece of scholarly work, such as a monograph, articles, digital publications, critical editions, or other scholarly resources, excluding works of fiction, textbooks, translations, or pedagogical projects. Grants aim to enable scholars to spend six to twelve months on full-time research and writing, offering a stipend of $60,000 for a 12-month period, prorated for shorter durations, with additional support for independent scholars and adjunct faculty.