Eligibility
The ACLS Community College Faculty Research Fellowship program supports research projects that address topics in the humanities or social sciences and/or teaching and learning in those disciplines. In order for social science applications to be eligible, they must employ predominantly humanistic approaches and qualitative/interpretive methodologies. The ultimate goal(s) of the project can include scholarly articles, book chapters, or a monograph; course plans; textbooks; exhibitions; community or campus events; online resources; etc. Competitive projects will include substantive original research.
This program does not fund creative work or projects in the performing arts (e.g., novels, films, performance, or musical composition) unless the projects also involve substantial engagement with humanistic scholarship. The program also does not fund social science research that involves predominantly quantitative and/or experimental methods.
This program funds both academic research that aims to make original contributions to knowledge within humanities fields and projects that engage in scholarly inquiry in the interest of incorporating research into student learning and the practice of teaching. If the project addresses teaching and learning, it must focus on a postsecondary context. Projects that focus on teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms are not eligible. Similarly, if the project outcomes are curricula, course plans, textbooks, or other teaching-related material, these must be for use in a higher education setting and not in K-12 classrooms.
Yes, an applicant for an ACLS Community College Faculty Research Fellowship may also apply to other ACLS fellowship and grant programs (such as our central ACLS Fellowship program, or our Digital Justice Grant program, or our Luce/ACLS China Studies programs, etc.) as are suitable. However, not more than one ACLS or ACLS-joint award may normally be accepted in any one competition year.
Yes, you may apply if you have an MS in an eligible interpretive social science field.
A Doctor of Education degree is not on its own an eligible degree for this program. If you hold an EdD, you may still be eligible if you satisfy the following two criteria:
- Most of the courses you teach are in the humanities or interpretive social sciences, and
- Your project employs predominantly humanistic approaches and contributes to the humanities or the interpretive social sciences.
If you feel that you satisfy these criteria, please email fellowships@acls.org with your name, institution, department, degree, a list of recent courses you have taught in the humanities and/or social sciences, and a brief description of your project.
Award Funds
While the fellowships are awarded to an individual, ACLS can arrange payment through the awardee’s institution upon request. However, institutions may not deduct funds for overhead or indirect costs from the individual’s fellowship. For more information, review Information for Institutional Administrators.