The Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship is now accepting applications from doctoral students developing innovative approaches to dissertation research in the humanities and interpretive social sciences.
Supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation, the fellowship is designed for early-stage PhD students whose dissertation projects seek to move beyond conventional research methods, formats, disciplines or approaches. The program provides financial support, research and professional development funding, and external mentorship to help doctoral researchers develop ambitious and potentially field-changing projects.
Up to 45 fellowships will be awarded for the 2027–28 academic year. Each fellowship lasts approximately nine to twelve months, beginning between July 1 and September 1, 2027.
Fellowship Benefits
The Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship provides substantial financial and professional support.
The award includes:
- $42,000 base stipend for the fellowship year.
- Up to $3,000 for research and travel expenses.
- Up to $5,000 in professional development funding for skills acquisition or additional research.
- An additional $2,000 stipend for the external mentor.
- A one-year fellowship period covering the 2027–28 academic year.
- The possibility of undertaking the fellowship at the fellow’s home institution or another appropriate research location.
The fellowship is intended to give doctoral students dedicated time away from normal coursework, teaching and assistantship responsibilities so they can concentrate on specialized research, training and dissertation development.
What Is the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship?
The fellowship is specifically designed to support dissertation projects that expand the traditional boundaries of doctoral research.
Rather than primarily supporting dissertations that are already well underway or approaching completion, ACLS seeks to support students at a formative stage of their doctoral research. The program allows fellows to reconsider how their research questions are investigated, how evidence is collected and analyzed, how scholarly knowledge is communicated, and even what form the final dissertation might take.
Innovation can take many forms. A project could introduce:
- New research methodologies.
- Interdisciplinary approaches.
- Digital research methods.
- Collaborative research.
- Community-engaged research.
- Alternative dissertation formats.
- New modes of scholarly communication.
- Critical or unconventional approaches to established fields.
- Partnerships with organizations outside academia.
ACLS is particularly interested in applicants who can demonstrate that their proposed approach has the potential to move their field in an important new direction.
Who Is the Fellowship Designed For?
The program is intended for early-stage doctoral researchers rather than students whose dissertations are already substantially complete.
ACLS describes the fellowship as an intervention at the formative stage of dissertation development. This means applicants should be at a point where the fellowship can meaningfully influence the direction, methodology, format or development of their dissertation.
Because doctoral programs differ considerably, ACLS provides a flexible eligibility window. Some eligible applicants may be applying shortly before achieving candidacy or ABD status, while others may already have achieved candidacy but only after the specified eligibility date.
However, the program requires applicants to have completed all required coursework by the time the fellowship begins.
Examples of Innovative Research Activities
The fellowship can support a wide range of activities depending on the needs of the proposed dissertation.
Examples include:
Interdisciplinary Research and Training
A fellow may undertake directed interdisciplinary research or methodological training with scholars within their university or at another institution.
This could allow a doctoral researcher to acquire expertise that is not traditionally part of their primary discipline.
New Dissertation Formats
Applicants may explore alternative ways of presenting scholarly research rather than relying exclusively on the conventional dissertation format.
This could include innovative forms of scholarly communication and dissertation design.
Digital Methods
The fellowship can support intensive training in digital research methods where these methods are necessary for the project.
Community Collaboration
Applicants may develop equitable collaborations with community partners, particularly where community knowledge and participation are central to the research.
Non-Academic Practicum
A fellow may undertake a short-term practicum with a non-academic organization, such as a cultural, policy or social justice organization.
This can provide experience with applied research, community-engaged research or site-based collaborative approaches.
These examples are not exhaustive. ACLS emphasizes that innovation may be transdisciplinary, interdisciplinary, digital, collaborative, critical, methodological or related to publication and scholarly communication.
External Mentorship Opportunity
One distinctive feature of the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship is the provision for external mentorship.
The purpose of the external mentor is to expand the fellow’s advisory network beyond their existing doctoral supervision structure.
An external mentor may be:
- From another department at the fellow’s university.
- From another academic institution.
- From outside academia.
The mentor should bring expertise, perspectives or networks that can strengthen the dissertation project.
Importantly, the external mentor must be outside the fellow’s existing advising relationships within their program or department.
The fellowship provides a separate $2,000 stipend for the external mentor.
Support for Underrepresented Research and Perspectives
ACLS places considerable emphasis on broadening the range of voices, subjects, perspectives and methodologies represented within academic research.
Projects that thoughtfully engage with communities or topics that have historically been underrepresented or understudied in higher education are encouraged.
The program welcomes research addressing different historical periods, communities and regions of the world, provided the research falls within an eligible field.
ACLS also encourages institutional diversity by welcoming applications from doctoral students in eligible departments at all accredited institutions of higher education in the United States.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must satisfy several important requirements.
Applicants Must:
- Be a PhD student in a humanities or social science department in the United States.
- Be able to undertake a full year of sustained specialized research and training.
- Be released from normal coursework, teaching and research assistantship responsibilities during the fellowship.
- Have completed at least two years of the PhD program.
- Have completed all required doctoral coursework by the start of the fellowship.
- Not have advanced to PhD candidacy/ABD status before January 1, 2026.
- Have applied for this fellowship no more than once previously.
- Intend to complete their dissertation after May 31, 2029.
Applicants must also be prepared to devote the fellowship period to the proposed research and training.
They cannot accept teaching or research assistantships, other major fellowships, internships or similar internal or external awards during the fellowship tenure.
Fields and Degrees That Are Not Eligible
The program has a specific disciplinary focus.
It does not accept applications from students pursuing professional or applied PhDs, terminal degrees that are not PhDs, or doctoral programs outside the humanities and interpretive social sciences.
The source specifically excludes programs and fields including:
- Business.
- Clinical or counseling psychology.
- Creative or performing arts.
- Education.
- Engineering.
- Filmmaking.
- Law.
- Library and information sciences.
- Life and physical sciences.
- Public administration.
- Public health.
- Medicine.
- Public policy.
- Social work.
- Social welfare.
Applicants who are uncertain about whether their department or interdisciplinary program qualifies are encouraged to contact ACLS before applying.
Race, Nationality and Geographic Eligibility
The competition welcomes eligible doctoral students regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, age or other aspects of identity.
The important geographic requirement is that applicants must be enrolled in an eligible PhD program at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States.
Therefore, the fellowship is not restricted to a particular racial, ethnic or national group. International students may potentially be eligible if they are doctoral students in an eligible U.S.-based PhD program and satisfy all other requirements.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be assessed according to several major criteria.
1. Contribution to Knowledge
Reviewers will consider whether the proposed project has the potential to advance the applicant’s field and make an original and significant contribution to knowledge.
2. Innovation
The project should demonstrate the potential to challenge scholarly conventions or expand prevailing ideas about what constitutes important scholarship.
Innovation may come through:
- Research format.
- Methodology.
- Subject matter.
- Theoretical framework.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Community partnerships.
3. Feasibility
Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed work can realistically be completed within the fellowship period and the broader doctoral timeline.
An innovative idea must therefore be accompanied by a credible plan for implementation.
4. Engagement With Underrepresented Communities
Reviewers will consider how thoughtfully the project engages with communities historically underrepresented in higher education and how those experiences may influence the applicant’s research and scholarly practice.
5. Applicant Preparedness
The review process will also consider whether the applicant is adequately prepared to complete the proposed research, taking into account the resources and constraints surrounding their academic journey and project.
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit their applications online through the ACLS fellowship administration system.
The application package must include several components.
Completed Application Form
Applicants must complete the official online fellowship application form.
Research Proposal
The proposal must be no more than seven pages, double-spaced, with one-inch margins and written in Arial or Helvetica 11-point font.
The proposal should explain:
- The aims of the research.
- What the applicant plans to accomplish during the fellowship.
- The innovative approach being taken.
- Why the fellowship is important at this particular stage of the doctoral project.
- Training or workshops that will be required.
- Research travel.
- Research permissions.
- Other resources necessary to advance the project.
- How the applicant plans to secure necessary research permissions.
- The role of an external mentor, if already identified.
- The qualities and expertise sought in an external mentor if one has not yet been selected.
- How success will be measured during the fellowship year.
- The full scholarly output of the dissertation.
Optional Supporting Materials
Applicants may submit up to two additional pages containing images, musical scores or similar supporting non-text materials.
These materials must be unannotated.
Project Timeline
Applicants must provide a one-page timeline using the ACLS-provided template.
The timeline should outline:
- Activities during the fellowship year.
- The expected trajectory after the fellowship.
- The period leading toward completion of the dissertation.
The timeline must use Arial or Helvetica 11-point font.
Bibliography
Applicants must provide a bibliography of key primary and secondary sources.
The bibliography must be:
- No more than two pages.
- Single-spaced.
- Unannotated.
- In Arial or Helvetica 11-point font.
- Prepared with one-inch margins.
Personal Statement
A personal statement of no more than two pages is required.
The statement should describe the applicant’s journey as a scholar and explain how their personal experience, research interests and desire to transform academic research methods and formats come together in their work.
Work Sample
Applicants must submit a brief work sample of no more than 15 pages total.
The sample should include a brief explanation of its context and its relationship to the proposed project.
The formatting requirements include double spacing, one-inch margins and Arial or Helvetica 11-point font, with citations included within the page limit.
Recommendation Letter
Applicants must provide one letter of recommendation.
The letter must come from:
- The applicant’s dissertation advisor; or
- A faculty member who is eligible to serve as the applicant’s dissertation advisor.
Institutional Statement
The applicant’s institution must also provide a statement, preferably from the department chair, director of graduate studies or dean.
The institution must confirm several important matters, including that:
- Existing institutional financial support will be paused during the fellowship and that the fellow will be allowed to retain and resume the remaining support afterward.
- The institution will allow the fellow to remain enrolled during the fellowship.
- Tuition and fees will be waived or covered.
- The institution can accommodate the student’s exploration of non-traditional approaches to scholarly research and dissertation development.
Transcripts Are Not Required
An important application detail is that transcripts are not required for this fellowship application.
Applicants should nevertheless ensure that all other required components are complete and properly formatted before submission.
AI Use in the Application
The fellowship’s guidelines explicitly allow applicants to use AI tools such as ChatGPT or Claude when preparing their applications.
However, the responsibility remains entirely with the named applicant to ensure that the application is accurate and properly sourced.
Applicants are responsible for:
- Factual accuracy.
- Proper acknowledgement of sources.
- Correct referencing.
- Avoiding plagiarism.
- Checking for errors or omissions.
- Ensuring that any AI-generated material accurately represents their research.
ACLS also encourages applicants to disclose where and how AI assistance was used in the application for transparency.
Additional Opportunity Through CHCI
Fellows may have an additional opportunity through a partnership between ACLS and the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes (CHCI).
Through this partnership, fellows may have the opportunity to spend all or part of their fellowship period in residence at selected CHCI member organizations.
CHCI is an international membership organization of interdisciplinary research centers with more than 170 members and affiliates across 23 countries.
This is an optional enhancement to the fellowship and does not require a separate application.
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Application Support and Applicant Resources
ACLS provides resources to help prospective applicants understand the competition and prepare their applications.
Applicants can access:
- Application office hours.
- Webinars explaining the application process.
- Live Zoom sessions with program staff.
- Frequently Asked Questions.
- Guidance relating to research permissions.
- Information about requesting reviewer feedback.
The listed office-hour sessions include dates in August, September and October 2026, giving prospective applicants several opportunities to ask questions before the application deadline.
Application Deadline
The deadline for the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship 2026–27 competition is:
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (ET).
Completed applications must be submitted through the ACLS online fellowship administration system by the stated deadline.
Applicants should not wait until the final hours to submit, particularly because the application contains several components, including a research proposal, timeline, bibliography, personal statement, work sample, recommendation letter and institutional statement.
Fellowship Timeline
The fellowship will cover the 2027–28 academic year.
Key dates and stages include:
- Application deadline: October 28, 2026, at 5 PM ET.
- Notification: Late April 2027.
- Fellowship start: Between July 1 and September 1, 2027.
- Fellowship duration: Nine to twelve months.
- Fellowship year: 2027–28 academic year.
Up to 45 fellowships will be awarded.
Who Should Consider Applying?
This fellowship may be particularly suitable for doctoral students who believe their dissertation could benefit from moving beyond traditional disciplinary or methodological approaches.
It may be a strong fit for a student who wants to:
- Introduce digital methods into a humanities project.
- Develop interdisciplinary research.
- Work with community partners.
- Experiment with alternative dissertation formats.
- Develop new forms of scholarly communication.
- Undertake specialized methodological training.
- Build relationships with researchers outside their home institution.
- Work with organizations outside academia.
- Explore research topics involving historically underrepresented communities.
- Develop a dissertation that combines multiple disciplines or methodologies.
The strongest applicants will need to demonstrate not simply that their project is interesting, but why innovation is necessary and how the proposed innovation will strengthen the dissertation and contribute to the field.
Important Things Applicants Should Know
Before applying, prospective candidates should carefully consider several key conditions.
First, this is not primarily a fellowship for doctoral students who are already close to completing their dissertations. The program is designed to support research at a formative stage.
Second, applicants must have completed their required coursework by the time the fellowship begins.
Third, applicants must not have advanced to PhD candidacy/ABD status before January 1, 2026.
Fourth, the fellowship requires a significant commitment of time. Fellows cannot simultaneously hold teaching or research assistantships, other major fellowships, internships or similar awards during the fellowship period.
Finally, the proposed research should demonstrate genuine innovation rather than simply presenting a conventional dissertation project with minor modifications.
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How to Prepare a Strong Application
A competitive application should clearly connect the research problem, innovative approach, fellowship timing and expected outcomes.
Applicants should make it easy for reviewers to understand:
- What the dissertation is about.
- What is innovative about the proposed research.
- Why conventional approaches are insufficient for the project.
- What new methods, formats or collaborations will be introduced.
- Why the fellowship year is the right time to pursue these innovations.
- What training and resources are required.
- How the proposed work will contribute to the broader field.
- How the project can realistically be completed within the proposed timeline.
- How the research engages with communities, particularly those historically underrepresented in higher education, where relevant.
- What the final scholarly outputs will look like.
The proposal should therefore demonstrate both intellectual ambition and practical feasibility.
Conclusion
The Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship 2026–27 is a major funding opportunity for early-stage PhD researchers in the humanities and interpretive social sciences who want to develop innovative, interdisciplinary, digital, collaborative, critical or otherwise unconventional approaches to dissertation research.
With a $42,000 base stipend, up to $8,000 in combined research, travel and professional development funding, a separate $2,000 external mentor stipend, and a nine-to-twelve-month fellowship period, the program provides doctoral researchers with both financial support and the time needed to substantially develop their projects.
The fellowship is open to eligible doctoral students regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, national origin or other identity, but applicants must be pursuing an eligible PhD in the humanities or interpretive social sciences at an accredited U.S. institution.
For applicants whose dissertation research challenges traditional academic boundaries, this fellowship offers an opportunity to rethink not only what they research, but how doctoral research can be conducted, communicated and shared.
The application deadline is October 28, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Prospective applicants should begin preparing early, particularly because the application requires multiple documents and institutional support.
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