ACLS Launches 2026 Leading Edge Fellowship Competition

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) announces the eighth competition for Leading Edge Fellowships, made possible by the generous support of the Mellon Foundation. The program demonstrates the dynamic capacity of the humanities to advance justice and equity in society and illuminates career pathways for recent PhDs beyond the academy.

In 2026, the ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship Program will offer 14 two-year fellowship opportunities with mission-driven nonprofits for recent PhDs in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. Fellows will join organizations working in and with communities across the country, and draw on the humanistic skills, capacities, and frameworks developed in the course of earning their PhD to demonstrate the dynamic potential of humanistic training to positively impact the world beyond the academy.

This year, ACLS is partnering with 14 nonprofit organizations including Presidents’ Alliance on Immigration and Higher Education, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, El Timpano, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta. The full roster of partner organizations and projects is available here.

ACLS is now accepting fellowship applications, with submissions due by 9:00 PM EDT on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

Each Leading Edge Fellow will earn a minimum yearly stipend of $70,000 that increases in the second year, and receive employer-sponsored health insurance and professional mentorship. In addition, ACLS provides fellows with professional development funding, access to peer mentorship and professional networks, and a relocation stipend (if needed). Fellows will take on roles in advocacy, policy research, communications, public engagement, and more.

ACLS provides a variety of professional development and networking activities for fellows, including alumni mentorship, career coaching, and virtual and in-person events designed to help translate the experiences of their two-year placements into post-fellowship career opportunities. Fellows join an engaged alumni community of PhDs working across a variety of sectors.

Applicants for the Leading Edge Fellowship competition must have a PhD in the humanities or interpretive social sciences officially conferred by their university on or after September 1, 2021, and no later than August 31, 2026. All awardees must be authorized to work legally in the United States without visa sponsorship.