Eligibility
The competition will be open via ACLS’s online portal to all applicants whose PhDs in the humanities and interpretive social sciences were formally conferred at US-based institutions between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2021. Students who anticipate receiving the PhD after December 31, 2021 are not eligible. Applicants must be authorized to work legally in the United States for academic year 2022-23.
Applicants must have a PhD in the humanities or interpretive social sciences conferred between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2021. Students who anticipate receiving the PhD after December 31, 2021 are not eligible.
If your PhD was formally conferred from a US-based institution between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2021 and you meet other eligibility requirements described here, you are eligible to apply.
The competition will be open via ACLS’s online portal to all applicants whose PhDs in the humanities and interpretive social sciences were formally conferred at US-based institutions between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2021. Students who anticipate receiving the PhD after December 31, 2021 are not eligible.
No, the ACLS Emerging Voices Fellowship program is specifically targeted to recent recipients of a PhD in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. Individuals with terminal degrees other than the PhD are not eligible.
No, but applicants must be authorized to work legally in the United States for academic year 2022-23.
No, at this time only applicants who hold PhDs from US institutions with PhD-granting programs in the humanities and/or interpretive social societies are eligible for this fellowship.
ACLS welcomes applicants for the Emerging Voices Fellowship competition with PhDs in the humanities and interpretive social sciences, which include, but are not limited to, American studies; anthropology; archaeology; art and architectural history; classics; economics; ethnic studies; film; gender studies; geography; history; languages and literatures; legal studies; linguistics; musicology; philosophy; political science; psychology (excluding clinical or counseling psychology); religious studies; rhetoric, communication, and media studies; sociology; and theater, dance, and performance studies. PhDs in the social science fields listed above are eligible only if they employ predominantly humanistic approaches (e.g., economic history, law and literature, political philosophy, history of psychology). PhDs in interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary humanistic studies are also welcome. This program does not accept applications from students receiving a PhD in the fields of business, public policy or public administration, education, clinical or counseling psychology, creative writing, journalism, library and/or information sciences, law, social work, social welfare, urban planning, public health, filmmaking, performing arts, or any field of pre-professional or applied study. Master’s degrees, even if they are the terminal degree in the field, will not be accepted as substitutes for the PhD. For questions about eligibility, please contact [email protected].
Yes, as long as the ACLS Emerging Voices Fellowship program stated eligibility requirements are met.
No. Given the limited number of fellowships available, ACLS intends to support qualified candidates who lack full-time academic positions for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years. There will be no deferrals for this fellowship.
Emerging Voices Fellowships are full-time commitments, and as such, they may not be held with other significant teaching or administrative responsibilities. Fellows may undertake limited external service or teaching (the equivalent of one course over the academic year) as long as it does not conflict with the responsibilities of the fellowship position.
No. These fellowships are not suitable for candidates who are on sabbatical or otherwise on leave from full-time academic positions in 2022-24.
Award
All fellows will receive a stipend of $65,000.
Fellows will receive health insurance benefits through the hosting university.
The use of the $3,500 in funding for research/professional development granted annually is at the discretion of the fellow. The funds may be used for any purpose that will support the fellow’s research, professional development, or personal circumstances, including but not limited to research and editorial support, child or elder care, travel, equipment purchase, and so on. We aim to offer fellows maximum flexibility in the use of the funds. Please note that depending on how the funds are remitted, fellows may owe tax on these funds.
Review Process and Application Material
The application materials will include:
- A CV
- Brief application form, including demographic information
- Dissertation abstract (no more than one full page, double-spaced)
- A three-page (max) double-spaced personal statement (in place of a cover letter) responding to specific prompts. Applicants should log into the online application portal for information about the writing prompts and document upload.
- One letter of reference is required and must be submitted by your faculty adviser, department chair, or other suitable referee. In the absence of a specific position description, recommenders should highlight the applicant’s strengths and experience in being both an outstanding scholar and an effective communicator to diverse audiences inside and/or outside the classroom. Letters must be submitted through the ACLS application portal no later than 9 pm Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 (applicants will be prompted to request this letter from recommenders using our system).
- Please note: As of the 2021-22 competition year, ACLS requires all applicants to have an ORCID iD. Learn more.
Only complete applications, submitted through the ACLS Online Fellowship Application system (ofa.acls.org) from December 10, 2021 – January 12, 2022, 9pm Eastern Daylight Time, will be considered.
Your dissertation abstract and personal statement may be double-spaced and should be in 11-point Times New Roman font. Your CV may be in whatever format you usually keep it.
No, materials submitted by applicants will be judged as it is at the time of submission. However, ACLS and/or the host university staff may contact a finalist applicant during the review process for further information or clarification about elements in their materials.
Yes. Our peer-review process will begin in mid-January and conclude in February. Host institutions will receive short lists of finalists for individual positions in March, at which point interviews will take place, with an eye towards finalizing all 2022-24 placements by mid-May 2022.
One letter of reference is required and must be submitted by your faculty adviser, department chair, or other suitable referee. Recommenders should include information to highlight the strengths and experience of the applicant in being both an outstanding scholar and an effective communicator to diverse audiences inside and/or outside the classroom. Letters must be submitted through the ACLS application portal no later than 9 pm Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 (applicants will be prompted to request this letter from recommenders using our system).
Materials submitted by applicants will be reviewed by scholars whose collective expertise covers a range of disciplines in the humanities and interpretive social sciences.
Due to the anticipated volume of applications, we regret that we will be unable to provide comments to applicants.
Fellowship Confirmation and Acceptance
ACLS will notify finalists with choices for fellowship posts in April.
As part of the award information package ACLS will provide a comprehensive overview of benefits included in the fellowship award.
No. ACLS cannot accommodate deferrals for this program. The term of the fellowship is 24 months. In accepting the fellowship, it is understood that scholars will be available to start at the beginning of and serve without interruption through both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years.
Yes. ACLS and the participating host institutions will ask awardees to relocate to the host institution for this program. In some instances, scholars may be placed in a position that offers geographic proximity, in which case, should the host institution be able to accommodate them, they may have the option or be asked to work in person. However, geographic proximity is not a factor in the selection process.
Fellows will be provided with $3,500 (annually) for research/professional development funding to support the fellow’s research, to be used at their own discretion. The funds may be used for any purpose that will support the fellow’s research, professional development, or personal circumstances, including but not limited to research and editorial support, child or elder care, travel, equipment purchase, and so on. We aim to offer fellows maximum flexibility in the use of the funds. Please note that depending on how the funds are remitted, fellows may owe tax on these funds.