Luce/ACLS Travel Grants in China Studies

The Travel Grant in China Studies supports fieldwork and research for graduate students in a PhD program and non-tenure-track academics at any career stage. Grantees may travel to conduct primary research in China, or to access China studies-related databases, collections, and archives anywhere in the world. The Travel Grant is supported by the Henry Luce Foundation. 

Grant Details

• $5,000 grant for travel. Grantees may accept other non-ACLS funding during the grant period. 
• Travel may take place at any time during a 12-month grant period, and multiple trips are permitted. The grant period must begin between July 1, 2027, and December 15, 2027. 
• Grant funds may be used for: 
  • Costs associated with travel (e.g., air and ground transportation, visas, living expenses). 
  • Contacting scholars in Chinese-language communities. 
  • Accessing databases, collections, and archives (e.g., permits, fees). 
• We welcome applications for projects in all disciplines of the humanities or interpretive social sciences. Research may be conducted on any topic related to cultures, histories, and societies in China, and their influence and impact on communities, countries, and cultures around the world, as required by the research plan. Research on Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang is eligible. Diaspora studies projects with no connection to communities and cultures in China are unlikely to be funded (e.g., anglophone Chinese American literature). There are no other restrictions regarding time period or methodological approach. 
• Priority will be given to applicants with limited access to research funding or resources at their institution. 
• Any type of project grounded in scholarly research is permissible. Possible project outcomes include, but are not limited to, contributions to the development of one or more of the following: 
  • Dissertations, dissertation prospectuses, research monographs, scholarly articles, conference papers, or book chapters. 
  • Pedagogical tools that make meaningful connections between a scholar’s research and post-secondary teaching. 
  • Works that bridge scholarly and creative practice. 
  • Community-engaged projects grounded in scholarly research but geared toward a public audience. Potential or actual community and/or student engagement with the research project is encouraged, as is the dissemination of the research to audiences across higher education. 
• A final report is required at the end of the grant period. 

Additional Opportunity

Through a partnership with the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes (CHCI), an international membership organization of interdisciplinary research centers with over 170 members and affiliates in 23 countries, ACLS fellows have the opportunity to spend all or part of their fellowship terms in residence at selected CHCI member organizations. This is an optional enhancement to the award for ACLS Fellows and does not require a separate application. Further instructions will be provided to awardees.

Supporting Documents

• 2026-27 Sample Application for Travel Grants

• To be eligible for the Travel Grant, you must either:
  1) be a graduate student enrolled in a PhD program at an accredited university in the United States or Canada

  OR

  2) hold a non-tenure-track affiliation (e.g., adjunct faculty, postdoctoral scholar, lecturer, instructor) with an institution in the United States or Canada AND hold a PhD in the humanities or interpretive social sciences. 

• Tenure-track faculty or those who have previously held tenure at an institution in the United States or Canada are not eligible. 

• You must have a working knowledge of Chinese or another language used in China studies (e.g., Tibetan, Uyghur). 

• Applications must be submitted through the ACLS Online Fellowship and Grant Administration (OFA) System no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Time on November 5, 2026. 

You may use AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT to write your application. However, you are responsible for any errors, omissions, hallucinations, or acts of plagiarism in your application. It is the responsibility of the named applicant to ensure that all content in their proposal is factual and that they have properly acknowledged and referenced all sources. We encourage you to indicate in your application where and how you used AI assistance for full transparency.

• The research design of the project and its potential contribution to the field of China studies. 

• The quality of the proposal with regard to its clarity, methodology, scope, theoretical framework, and grounding in the relevant scholarly literature. 

• The need for travel to support the project. 

• The feasibility of the plan of work for the proposed travel. 

• The institutional resources available to the scholar. 

Applications must be submitted online and must include a completed application form, along with the following uploaded materials, formatted in Arial or Helvetica 11-point font with at least 1-inch margins on all sides: 

• An application essay (600 words maximum, double-spaced). The essay should discuss: 

• • The design and aims of the research project and how travel will advance those aims, including potential sources to be examined. 

• • The significance of the topic and the project’s contribution to the field of China studies. 

• • Rationale for the travel grant application. Questions you should consider: Does your institution or department offer summer travel or research funding? Does your position have a travel budget? If so, are there limitations or extenuating circumstances that would necessitate the use of ACLS funds? What kind of collections or databases are accessible through your library? 

• • Recent PhDs proposing to convert their dissertation into a book should explain how the proposed travel will help expand or revise the dissertation. 

• • If you have already received funding for the proposed project (including travel funds, a postdoctoral fellowship, or other awards), please explain why additional funds are needed. 

• A work plan (300 words maximum, double-spaced). The work plan should include: 

• •  A timeline of travel, including an estimate of when the requested funds will be used. 

• •  Identification of the individuals (colleagues relevant to project), institutions, and/or sites to be visited, including archives, libraries, and geographical sources. 

• • A brief “Plan B” – an explanation of what you will do if you encounter a major obstacle in your plan (e.g., a closed archive, travel restrictions, inaccessible research site). 

• Optional supporting materials (e.g., images, musical scores, or other similar supporting non-text materials, without annotation, two pages maximum). 

• A bibliography (1000 words maximum, double-spaced between entries) demonstrating the primary and secondary sources informing your research. 

• One letter of reference. This is only required for graduate students. The reference letter must come from the applicant’s dissertation advisor or a faculty member eligible to be the advisor. 

• No budget is required as part of this application. 

Find answers to common questions about this competition.

Please email [email protected] with questions. Before submitting an inquiry, please read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Institutional administrators (e.g., Office of Sponsored Projects) should read our general guidance.