ACLS invites research applications from scholars in all disciplines of the humanities and related social sciences. Faculty appointments are not required. The ultimate goal of the project should be a major piece of scholarly work by the applicant, which can take the form of a monograph, articles, digital publication(s), critical edition, or other scholarly resources. The ACLS Fellowship program does not fund creative work (e.g., novels or films), textbooks, straightforward translation, or pedagogical projects.

ACLS Fellowships are intended as salary replacement to help scholars devote six to twelve continuous months to full-time research and writing. The awards are portable and are tenable at the fellow's home institution, abroad, or at another appropriate site for research. (1) An ACLS Fellowship may be held concurrently with other fellowships and grants and any sabbatical pay, up to an amount equal to the candidate's current academic year salary.

The ACLS Fellowship program includes a joint fellowship with the New York Public Library, as well as named awards. The following fellowships will be awarded to selected applicants from within the ACLS Fellowship program:

ACLS Barrington Foundation Centennial Fellowships in Classical Studies;

ACLS Carl and Betty Pforzheimer Centennial Fellowships in English and American Literature;

ACLS Centennial Fellowships in the Dynamics of Place;

ACLS Donald J. Munro Centennial Fellowships in Chinese Arts and Letters;

ACLS Frederic E. Wakeman, Jr. Fellowships in Chinese History;

ACLS H. and T. King Fellowships in Pre-Columbian Art History

ACLS Oscar Handlin Fellowships in American History;

ACLS Pauline Yu Fellowships in Chinese or Comparative Literature;

ACLS Susan McClary and Robert Walser Fellowships in Music Studies; and

ACLS Yvette and William Kirby Centennial Fellowships in Chinese Studies.