The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) announced today that it will redirect the funding focus of the ACLS Fellowship Program to support early career, non-tenured scholars exclusively.
 
The decision comes in the wake of the disproportionate effect the current economic downturn has had on emerging independent scholars and those without tenured positions, as well as on academic programs in the humanities and social sciences more broadly.
 
Starting with the 2020-2021 competition and continuing through the 2021-2022 round, the ACLS Fellowship will limit eligibility to non-tenured scholars who have earned their PhD within the past eight years (October 2012 onward). This includes faculty on the tenure track and scholars without faculty appointments, as well as scholars serving as adjuncts, contingent faculty, and in other non-tenured roles.

In the 2020-2021 competition year, the program will award 50 fellowships of up to $60,000 each to support research with strong potential to advance its field of study and make an original and significant contribution to knowledge. Fellows who are independent or adjunct scholars also will receive an additional $3,000 in research support.