General Questions
You can find a sample application on the program’s competition page on the ACLS website.
ACLS supports academic research in the humanities or interpretive social sciences. The ultimate goal of the project should be a major piece of scholarly work by the applicant.
ACLS does not fund creative work or the performing arts (e.g., novels, films, performance, or musical composition), nor does it fund textbooks, pedagogical projects, or translations without a scholarly apparatus of commentary and annotation.
For the purpose of this competition, the humanities or interpretive social sciences include but are not limited to:
- American studies
- Anthropology
- Archaeology
- Art history and architectural history
- Classics
- Economics
- Ethnic studies
- Film and media studies
- Gender studies
- Geography
- History
- Languages and literatures
- Legal studies
- Linguistics
- Musicology
- Philosophy
- Political science
- Psychology
- Religious studies
- Rhetoric and communication
- Science and technology studies
- Sociology
- Theater, dance, and performance studies
Proposals in the social science fields listed above are eligible only if they employ predominantly humanistic approaches and qualitative/interpretive methodologies (e.g., economic history, law and literature, political philosophy, history of psychology). Mixed method approaches and proposals in interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary humanities and related social sciences are welcome.
Yes. An applicant for this program may also apply to as many fellowship programs as are suitable. However, not more than one ACLS or ACLS-joint award may be accepted in any one competition year.
Yes. Applying for an ACLS fellowship does not preclude applications for other fellowships. Awardees in the SISECSE competition may hold other awards and/or receive separate funding for their project. A complementary award may be accepted if it does not take time away from participation in the summer institute. Acceptance of a SISESCE award commits you to attendance and full participation at all events during the two-week summer institute.
Yes. As long as the non-ACLS award will not interfere with your full participation during the two-week summer institute from June 2, 2027, to June 18, 2027, you may hold a concurrent award.
Acceptance of a SISECSE award commits you to attendance and full participation in all events during the two-week summer institute.
Yes. Please carefully review your submission for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Consider asking a colleague to proofread.
If you submitted an application in the 2025-26 competition year, you may use that log-in for the 2026-27 competition year and carry forward information from the “Common Profile” section. You will need to fill out all the remaining sections.
This will vary, depending on your preparation. Completing the online forms may take as long as two hours. In addition, you must submit an application essay, a statement of interest, and supporting documents. ACLS recommends beginning work on your application several weeks before the deadline.
No. You may work in multiple sessions, although you must save your work after you finish each section of the application.
No. Your application will be evaluated as submitted.
Proposals to the Summer Institute for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe are read by experts in Eastern European studies from a variety of disciplines in the humanities or interpretive social sciences. Reviewers are selected from institutions in both North America and East Central and Southeastern Europe.
Yes. From ACLS’s perspective, the use of an AI tool to research or write a proposal is not much different from hiring a professional grant writer or seeking help from a university’s grants officer, which has always been allowed. The applicant is, and always has been, responsible for any errors, omissions, hallucinations, or acts of plagiarism that are submitted for peer review. As a best practice, we encourage applicants to indicate in their proposal where and how they used AI tools to provide full transparency to ACLS and our reviewers. In our experience, reviewers appreciate the honesty from applicants as it builds trust that the applicant’s project will be completed in a thoughtful and ethical manner.
SISECSE Specific Questions
No. In order to apply, your PhD degree must be conferred (officially awarded) by October 28, 2026.
Yes. If you have published scholarly work equivalent to the academic work required for the PhD degree, you may apply. You must have completed a substantial academic project that required a sustained period of research, similar to a dissertation, in the humanities or interpretive social sciences.
A Juris Doctorate does not satisfy the PhD equivalency, unless it was accompanied by:
- a record of scholarly publications that are humanistic in nature (as opposed to case studies or technical legal issues)
- a substantial academic project that required a sustained period of research (such as a book or monograph)
No. In order to be eligible, research proposals must be focused on the study of East Central or Southeastern Europe, understood as Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.
Yes. Please use the applicant’s statement of interest to explain how participation in the Summer Institute will benefit your research project.
No. As long as your PhD was granted and you have an affiliation with an institution (i.e., college, museum, university) in North America or East Central and Southeastern Europe, you are eligible to apply. If you reside outside of North America or East Central and Southeastern Europe due to conflict or political displacement, you may apply if you had a previous affiliation—long-term regular research or teaching appointment— in East Central and Southeastern Europe within the last five years.
No. Applicants must already be affiliated with an institution (i.e., college, museum, university) in North America or East Central and Southeastern Europe.
Yes, you are eligible to apply, but you must include in your application essay an explanation of your commitment to the field, how you plan to contribute to it over the long term, and your intention to maintain an institutional affiliation in North America or East Central and Southeastern Europe. The reviewers will take this information into account as they refer to the evaluation criteria.
No. There are no plans to produce a publication of the participants’ work at the end of the Summer Institute.
Your application will be reviewed based on the institutional affiliation when you applied.
No. This program will not accept reference letters as part of the application package. Other ACLS programs do require reference letters. Please check the application requirements for each program to which you are applying.
Unfortunately, you may not bring children as children are not permitted in the accommodations.
Unfortunately, accommodations are only designed for single-occupancy.
Unfortunately, pets are not permitted. Service animals might be allowed depending on specific building policies.
The 2026-27 SISECSE competition may be the last year of the program. We anticipate that we will continue to support scholars focused on Eastern Europe, either with focused fellowship opportunities or with a residential program. Any new fellowship or grant opportunities will be listed on our website.