2026 Luce/ACLS Dissertation Fellowships in American Art

ACLS invites applications for Luce/ACLS Dissertation Fellowships in American Art, which support graduate students pursuing research on the history of art and visual culture of the United States, including all aspects of Native American art, and who are at any stage of PhD dissertation research or writing. ACLS believes that humanistic scholarship is strengthened by the inclusion of a wide range of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. We encourage applications from PhD candidates from all degree-granting?institutions in the United States.

The program offers seven fellowships for a non-renewable, continuous nine- to twelve-month term to be held between July 2026 and May 2027. The fellowships may be carried out in residence at the fellow’s home institution or any other appropriate site for the research. The fellowships may not be used to defray tuition costs or be held concurrently with any other major fellowship or grant. The entire fellowship term must conclude before the fellow receives the PhD.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirments
• Interview Process
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineOctober 29, 2025
• Study LevelPostdoctoral Fellowships
• SponsorAmerican Council of Learned Societies

Benefits

Stipend: $38,000, plus up to $4,500 as a travel and research allowance.

Requirements

Applicants must:

• be a doctoral student at a university in the United States in art history or a related field, such as Native American and Indigenous studies, ethnic studies, or African American studies. (Students preparing theses for the Master of Fine Arts degree are not eligible.)
• have a dissertation focused on a topic in the history of the visual arts of the United States, including all facets of Native American art. Projects should be focused foremost on the art object and/or image and employ an art-historical or visual studies approach.
• have completed all requirements for the PhD except the dissertation before beginning fellowship tenure.
• have not previously applied for this fellowship more than once.
• be a US citizen, permanent resident, Indigenous person residing in the United States through rights associated with the Jay Treaty of 1794, DACA recipient, asylee, refugee, or individual granted Temporary Protected Status in the United States.

Selection Process

Peer reviewers are asked to be mindful of ACLS’s commitment to inclusive excellence, which is defined as the enhancement of scholarship through the inclusion of a plurality of perspectives and the recognition of academic excellence from all types of institutions. Reviewers are encouraged to consider how a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and institutional contexts can enrich humanistic inquiry and the study of American art. In addition, reviewers in this program are asked to evaluate all eligible proposals on the following criteria:

1. The quality of the proposal with regard to its methodology, scope, theoretical framework, and grounding in the relevant scholarly literature.
2. The potential of the project to advance the study of American art, both generally and in the specific field(s) it engages.
3. The applicant’s record of scholarly engagement and potential for scholarly achievement, taking into account the relative advantages and constraints on resources for the proposed project and over the course of the applicant’s doctoral training.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

For more details, visit ACLS Fellowships webpage