The American Council of Learned Societies is pleased to announce the fifth competition of the Leading Edge Fellowship program, which demonstrates the potential of humanistic knowledge and methods to solve problems, build capacity, and advance justice and equity in society. Leading Edge Fellowships place recent humanities PhDs with nonprofit organizations promoting social justice in their communities. Fellows take on substantive roles that draw on the skills and capacities honed in the course of earning the humanities PhD, including advanced communication, research, project management, and creative problem solving. This initiative is made possible through the support of the Mellon Foundation.
The fellowships are designed to foster mutually beneficial partnerships between fellows and their hosting organizations. Each applicant may apply for up to two of the available Leading Edge Fellowship opportunities listed below.
About The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)
Formed a century ago, ACLS is a nonprofit federation of 75 scholarly organizations. As the preeminent representative of American scholarship in the humanities and related social sciences, ACLS holds a core belief that knowledge is a public good. As such, ACLS strives to promote the circulation of humanistic knowledge throughout society. In addition to stewarding and representing its member organizations, ACLS employs its $140 million endowment and $35 million annual operating budget to support scholarship in the humanities and social sciences and to advocate for the centrality of the hum... continue reading
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Leading Edge Fellowship Program
Aim and Benefits of Leading Edge Fellowship Program
- Fellows will receive a stipend of $66,000 in year one, and $70,000 in year two, plus health insurance and professional development funding.
Requirements for Leading Edge Fellowship Program Qualification
- Applicants must have a PhD that was/will be formally conferred by their university between September 1, 2018, and September 1, 2023. Applicants scheduled to graduate in Spring or Summer 2023 must be prepared to verify, with confirmation from their dissertation advisor or department chair, satisfactory progress towards degree conferral before September 2023. Applicants who do not have PhD in hand by September 1, 2023, will not be able to take up the fellowship.
- Applicants’ PhDs may be in any field in the humanities or humanistic social sciences.
- Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States for the entire duration of the fellowship term. This includes Indigenous individuals residing in the United States through rights associated with the Jay Treaty of 1794, and those who hold DACA status, Temporary Protected Status, or political asylee or refugee status. Neither ACLS nor the host organization can sponsor fellows for visas.
Documents Required for Application
- A completed application form, including a short answer section about applying humanistic doctoral training to sectors beyond the academy.
- A cover letter tailored to each selected project and addressed to the host organization (1-2 pages). Applicants applying for two positions will submit two distinct cover letters.
- A resume (1-2 pages) and a list of three references. Applicants applying for two positions will submit two resumes and lists of references. No reference letters are required at the time of application.
Application Deadline
May 15, 2023
How to Apply
Interested and qualified? Go to
The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) on ofa.acls.org to apply
For more details, visit ACLS website
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