Over the past century, ACLS has awarded tens of thousands of scholars in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. Through fellowships, grants, convenings, and groundbreaking initiatives, ACLS seeks to meet the needs of an ever-changing academy and the challenges faced by scholars, including early-career, independent, and established educators, those working within the administrative ranks, and those forging paths in public-facing research.
The Intention Foundry convenes scholars, societies, and college and university administrators to identify and collectively build actionable solutions to advance equity, inclusion, and justice within the academy.
ACLS fellowship and grant programs support research and community-engaged projects that advance the humanities and interpretive social sciences.
ACLS administers this centerpiece of the Mellon Foundation’s initiatives to increase diversity in the faculty ranks of institutions of higher learning.
ACLS supports humanistic scholarship of all kinds: scholarship that studies the human past and present and helps to imagine our future. Support for humanistic scholarship takes on special urgency at a time when climate change, pandemic disease, and social inequity threaten our lives, our societies, and our institutions.
ACLS is a vocal advocate for the advancement of humanistic study and scholarship. Throughout our history, we have published and developed seminal resources that have significantly influenced the world of humanistic research and the distribution of scholarship. We support humanistic knowledge by making resources available to scholars and by strengthening the infrastructure for scholarship at the level of the individual scholar, the department, the institution, the learned society, and the national and international network.
Strengthening the Infrastructure for Humanistic Scholarship
New ACLS initiatives work with publishers, libraries, and scholars to promote a healthy humanities infrastructure
Leading practitioners analyze the current challenges in providing equitable access to the creation and sustainability of digital resources and projects related to social and racial justice
ACLS Scholars in Action
Nichole Nelson F’20

Nichole Nelson, 2020 Mellon/ACLS Public Fellow, explains how her PhD in history and fellowship experience helped her build a career in housing justice.
Hillary Langberg F’22

Hillary Langberg, 2022 Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Buddhism Public Scholar, explores a new career path through her placement at the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Franco D. Rossi F’21

Franco D. Rossi, 2021 ACLS H. and T. King Fellowship in Ancient American Art and Culture, shares his research on classic Maya visual media in Guatemala.
Kay Sohini F’21

Kay Sohini, 2021 Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellow, discusses the process of creating her graphic dissertation and the importance of nontraditional approaches to scholarship.
Discover research by ACLS fellows and grantees celebrating the diversity of the human experience
Pride month is not only a celebration, but a time to reflect on how far we’ve come and how far we have left to go regarding liberation for the LGBTQ+ community and for all.
ACLS shares scholarly resources by and recommend by our fellows and grantees that explore the intersection of the environment, climate change, and sustainability with the humanities and social sciences.
In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, ACLS highlights scholarly resources on the history, impact, and culture of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States.
For Black History Month, ACLS highlights scholarly resources on the hidden and lesser known histories of the Black American experience.
For Women’s History Month, ACLS shares scholarly resources that celebrate and highlight lesser-known, forgotten, and diverse histories and historical roles of women.
ACLS shares its Indigenous Studies Resource Page, focusing on the insights, histories, and experiences of peoples native to the Americas.
ACLS shares scholarly resource list for National Hispanic Heritage Month.
ACLS fellows share scholarly resources on disability and Disability Studies.
Scholarly Resource Lists