Information for International Applicants

ACLS administers several programs that are open to international applicants. Some of these are for scholars at US universities studying world areas outside North America. Others are for scholars at universities in other countries. Still others have no restrictions as to citizenship or home university.

Luce/ACLS Program in China Studies

With generous support from the Henry Luce Foundation, ACLS aims to promote and sustain excellence in research on China and Chinese cultures, histories, and communities, foster a more diverse and inclusive field, and inform public understanding of China, with a special emphasis on early career scholars and the strengthening of scholarly networks within China studies. The program currently offers Early Career Fellowships (for scholars within eight years of the PhD), Travel Grants (for graduate students enrolled in a PhD program and contingent faculty at any career stage) and a Collaborative Grant for groups looking to advance change in the field. The competitions are aimed primarily at citizens and permanent residents of Canada and the US and scholars affiliated with institutions in the US and Canada, but interested applicants should check the individual competition pages for specific eligibility requirements.

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies 

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies, administered by ACLS, promotes the academic study of Buddhism, strengthens international networks of Buddhist Studies scholars, and increases the visibility of new knowledge and research on Buddhist traditions.

The program includes fellowships and grants that support research, writing, translation, teaching, and public positions in Buddhist Studies, as well as convenings, workshops, and special initiatives that foster networks and knowledge sharing amongst scholars, communities of practice, and the broader public.

The program offers a suite of fellowship and grant competitions:

• The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Buddhism Public Scholars
• The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Dissertation Fellowships in Buddhist Studies
• The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Early Career Research Fellowships in Buddhist Studies
• The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation New Professorships in Buddhist Studies
• The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Public Impact Grants in Buddhist Studies

With the exception of Buddhism Public Scholars, which requires work authorization in the host organization’s country, these are global competitions. There are no restrictions as to the location of work proposed or the citizenship/residence of applicants.

ACLS will read and review drafts for Dissertation Fellowship applicants enrolled in universities located in Africa, Asia (including the island nations of the Pacific), Latin America, and the Middle East. If you meet this eligibility and would like feedback prior to the November 20, 2025, competition deadline, please email your revised five-page double-spaced proposal and two-page bibliography to [email protected] by September 12, 2025. ACLS staff or external reviewers will provide comments back to you by October 6, 2025. 

See the Informational Webinars and Office Hours for 2025-26 ACLS Fellowships and Grants for information on upcoming webinars and workshops for The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies Competitions.

Summer Institute for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe (SISECSE)

In partnership with the Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS), ACLS enables scholars to undertake research, writing, and local fieldwork in Bulgaria and engage in interdisciplinary discussions during the Summer Institute for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe (SISECSE). From 2023-2025, ACLS and CAS convened leading scholars from Eastern Europe and North America for a two-week residency in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. With renewed support from Carl and Betty Pforzheimer, SISECSE will continue in 2026 and 2027.

This program is open to scholars in any field or discipline in the humanities and social sciences pursuing postdoctoral or advanced research focused on East Central and Southeastern Europe, including Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. Scholars should be based at institutions in North America (Canada, Mexico, US) or East Central and Southeastern Europe.