The American Council of Learned Societies is pleased to announce the seventh competition of the Leading Edge Fellowship program, which demonstrates the potential of humanistic knowledge and methods to solve problems, build organizational capacity, and advance justice and equity in society. Leading Edge Fellowships place recent humanities PhDs with nonprofit organizations promoting social justice in their communities. Fellows take on substantive roles that draw on the skills and capacities honed in the course of earning the humanities PhD, including advanced communication, research, project management, and creative problem solving. This initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Mellon Foundation.
Leading Edge Fellowships place recent humanities PhDs with nonprofit organizations committed to promoting social justice in their communities.
Recent PhDs from across all fields of the humanities and interpretive social sciences are encouraged to apply for this fellowship. ACLS believes that inclusion, equity, and diversity enhance the scholarly enterprise. It is a priority of the Leading Edge Fellowship program that the application and selection process be broadly inclusive and welcoming of different backgrounds, cultures, and any aspects that make one unique, including disciplinary background and university affiliation, as well as socioeconomic, racial, gender, and other aspects of identity.
Deadline: March 12, 2025
- Applicants must have a PhD that will have been formally conferred by their university between September 1, 2020, and August 31, 2025. Applicants scheduled to graduate in Spring or Summer 2025 must be prepared to verify, with confirmation from their university registrar’s office, a PhD conferral date on or before August 31. Applicants who do not have a PhD officially conferred by their university by August 31, 2025, will not be able to take up the fellowship. See FAQ for further information.
- Applicants’ PhDs must be in an eligible field of the humanities or interpretive social sciences. Please refer to our FAQ and our guidance on eligible fields below before applying.
- Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States for the entire duration of the fellowship term. This includes Indigenous individuals residing in the United States through rights associated with the Jay Treaty of 1794, and those who hold DACA status, Temporary Protected Status, or political asylee or refugee status. Unfortunately, neither ACLS nor the host organization can sponsor fellows for visas or provide advice on visa applications.
- Stipend: For remote positions, $70,000 in year one, and $72,000 in year two; for in-person positions, $72,000 in year one, and $74,000 in year two. All fellows will have access to health insurance and professional development funding.
- Relocation: Up to $5,000 in relocation funds for fellows who relocate for in-person positions.
- Tenure: 24 months beginning in September 2025.