Mellon/ACLS Community College Faculty Fellowships

The final competition for this program was held in 2021-22. Visit our recent awardees page to learn more about our fellows and their projects. The description of the 2021-22 competition call for applications below is for informational purpose only.

Fellowship Details

Stipend: up to $40,000 to be used for any activities that advance the proposed research project
Tenure: fellows must expend the fellowship funds between July 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023
Fellows will attend a convening hosted by ACLS in fall 2023 to share their research
Completed applications must be submitted through the ACLS online fellowship and grant administration system (ofa.acls.org). The application deadline is October 27, 2021.
Notifications will be sent via email by early April 2022.
For information on how to request reviewer feedback, see FAQ.

Summary

Community colleges are a vital component of the higher education ecosystem and of the academic humanities in particular. Mellon/ACLS Community College Faculty Fellowships support the research ambitions of humanities and social science faculty who teach at two-year institutions, and ACLS invites applications for the third competition of the program this fall. These fellowships are made possible by the generous support of the Mellon Foundation.

Community college faculty in all disciplines of the humanities or related social sciences are welcome to apply. The applicant’s ultimate goal should be to advance a research project, and the project’s outcomes may include one or more of the following: scholarly articles, book chapters, or book on a topic in the humanities or social sciences and/or teaching and learning in those disciplines; course plans; textbooks; exhibitions; community or campus events; online resources; etc. Projects with pedagogical or curricular outcomes must focus on a postsecondary context. Projects focused on teaching and learning in a K-12 setting are not appropriate for this program. Community and/or student engagement with the research project are encouraged, as is dissemination of the research to audiences across higher education. In ACLS’s peer review, funding packages, and engagement with fellows, we aspire to enact our values of equity and inclusion.

ACLS will award up to 29 fellowships in the 2021-2022 competition year. The award carries a stipend of up to $40,000, which may be used to support any activities that advance the proposed research project. Examples include: salary replacement during the summer; course buyouts during the academic year; travel costs and registration fees for research and conferences; costs associated with organizing a conference, workshop, or event; fees related to publication or dissemination; stipends for undergraduate research assistants; costs for course materials (if one of the outcomes of the project is curricular); etc. In some cases, a limited portion of the funds may go to a fellow’s institution to cover administrative costs associated with the project.

Tenure of the fellowship may begin no earlier than July 1, 2022 and end no later than December 31, 2023. Fellows will participate in a convening in fall 2023, held in partnership with the Community College Humanities Association, during which they will share their research with one another and connect with other humanities scholars.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

be employed primarily as instructors at a two-year associate’s degree-granting college, as defined by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, and remaining so for the duration of the fellowship. 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, as long as community college teaching is their primary employment.
have an MA or PhD in the humanities or related social sciences that was conferred by the application deadline.

Projects must:

address a topic in the humanities or social sciences and/or teaching and learning in those disciplines in a higher education setting.
employ predominantly humanistic approaches and qualitative/interpretive methodologies.
include substantial original research.

Application Guidelines

Applications must be submitted online and must include:

Completed application form (this includes basic biographical information, as well as several short-answer questions)
Proposal (no more than five pages, double spaced, in Times New Roman 11-point font)
Project timeline with budget estimates (no more than one page)
Bibliography (no more than one page)
Two reference letters
Institutional certification pledging that the applicant will be permitted to carry out the work outlined in the proposal. This is a brief form available through the online application portal to be completed by a department chair, dean, or other senior administrator.

Please note: As of the 2021-22 competition year, ACLS requires all applicants to have an ORCID iD. Learn more.

Please see the FAQ for more details on the format and content of each piece of the application. Applicants are encouraged to consult the sample proposal outline provided as well as the provided sample proposal narratives.

Evaluation Criteria

Peer reviewers are asked to be mindful of ACLS’s commitment to inclusive excellence, and of how equity and diversity are integral components of merit. We are especially interested in supporting scholars who hail from diverse institutions and communities that are historically underrepresented in the academy. In addition, reviewers in this program are asked to evaluate all eligible proposals on the following four criteria:

The potential of the project to advance the field of study in which it is proposed and make a significant contribution to scholarship, teaching and learning, and/or the community.
The quality of the proposal with regard to its methodology, scope, and clarity of expression.
The feasibility of the project, including the proposed timeline and budget.
The applicant’s record of accomplishment and institutional, professional, and community service, taking into account relative advantages and constraints on resources for the proposed project and over the course of the applicant’s career.