The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) HBCU Faculty Fellowship and Grant Program aims to support faculty at Historically Black College or University. (Please consult this list to determine whether your institution is eligible.) in their research endeavors by providing grants and fellowships tailored to the needs of these institutions.
There are two types of awards available through the program:
- Grants of up to $10,000 for research project development, with a grant term of 12 to 15 months.
- Fellowships of up to $50,000 to support sustained time and engagement with a significant research project, with an award term of 15 to 27 months.
Details:
- ACLS will award up to 12 grants and up to eight fellowships.
- Applicants are encouraged to choose the award type that best aligns with their research goals and professional commitments.
- The funds can be used for anything necessary to advance the project.
- In addition to the stipend, awardees will have access to networking and mentorship opportunities that support their scholarly goals.
- Each award also includes an institutional grant of $2,500 to the recipient’s home institution to enhance humanities programming or infrastructure.
- ACLS offers support for applicants through informational webinars, office hours, and feedback on draft applications.
ACLS HBCU Faculty Fellowship Program:
- Stipend: $30,000 to $50,000 fellowships to be used for semester or year-long research leaves, summer salary, or course releases, and any other activities that advance the proposed project, including (but not limited to) travel to collections or conferences, research and editorial support, and child- or eldercare costs.
- The award term runs from June 1, 2025, to August 31, 2027
- The deadline for submitting through the ACLS online fellowship administration system (ofa.acls.org) is no later than 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, November 6, 2024.
Eligibility:
- Applicants must be employed primarily as instructors at an institution designated as an Historically Black College or University. Applicants do not need to be appointed full-time and do not need to be on the tenure-track. Part-time and adjunct instructors are welcome to apply. All awardees must remain employed at an accredited HBCU for the duration of the award term.
- Have an MA or PhD in the humanities or related social sciences that was conferred by the application deadline.
- Projects should focus on humanities or social science topics in higher education settings and incorporate original research.
- We especially welcome applications from faculty whose perspectives have been historically underrepresented in the academy, including (but not limited to) Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous scholars from around the world; people with disabilities; queer, trans, and gender nonconforming people; and people of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
- We encourage applications from all types of institutions represented among HBCUs, including both two-year and four-year degree-granting institutions.
Application should include:
- Completed application form (this includes basic biographical information, as well as short-answer questions describing your project, teaching and service responsibilities, and institutional context).
- A brief personal statement describing your journey as a scholar and how personal experience, scholarly influences, and broader research interests inform your proposed project (one page, double spaced).
- Proposal detailing project context and goals, work already undertaken, and resources needed to complete project (no more than five pages, double spaced, including any footnotes or endnotes, and any images).
- A bibliography of up to two pages (single spaced, with separate sections detailing primary sources – if applicable – and secondary literature).
- A one-page workplan detailing work to be conducted during award tenure. (Please review the suggested guidelines for this application component.)
- A basic budget. (ACLS provides a sample template for reference.)
Apply and read more information about the FELLOWSHIP Program
ACLS Project Grants for HBCU Faculty:
- Up to $10,000 stipend for project activities
- 12-15 months tenure starting June 1, 2025
- Additional $2,500 grant to home institution
- $500 grant for finalists
- Applications due November 6, 2024
- Notifications in late March 2025
Use of Grant Funds:
- Research, teaching, and professional development support
- Course releases, travel, publications, collaborations, community engagement
Eligibility:
- Instructors at Historically Black College or University with MA or PhD in humanities or related social sciences
- Must participate in networking events
- Projects must address humanities or social sciences topics in higher education
Evaluation Criteria:
- Engaging with field of study
- Quality of proposal
- Feasibility of project
- Appropriateness for funding type
- Contribution to inclusive excellence
Application should include:
- Completed application form (this includes basic biographical information, as well as short-answer questions regarding your journey as a scholar, research interests, teaching responsibilities, and institutional context).
- Proposal detailing the project’s research base and goals; work already undertaken (if any); and resources needed to complete the project (no more than two pages double spaced including any footnotes or endnotes).
- Optional: Up to one page of images or figures, if needed.
- A brief personal statement describing your journey as a scholar and how personal experience, scholarly influences, and broader research interests inform your proposed project (one page, double spaced).
- A bibliography (one page, single spaced, with separate sections detailing primary sources – if applicable – and secondary literature).
- A one-page workplan detailing work to be conducted during award tenure. (Review the suggested guidelines for this application component.)
- A basic budget. (ACLS provides a sample template for reference.)
Apply and read more information about the GRANT Program
