American Council of Learned Societies Launches 2025 Leading Edge Fellowship Competition

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) announces the seventh competition of the Leading Edge Fellowship program, which places 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. In 2025, the ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship Program will offer 16 two-year fellowship opportunities with mission-driven social justice nonprofits for recent humanities and interpretive social sciences PhDs.

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. Applicants must have a PhD officially conferred by their university between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2025. All scholars must be authorized to work legally in the United States for the entire duration of the fellowship term. Application deadline is March 12, 2025, 9:00 PM EDT.

ACLS will also hold a webinar on March 5 for applicants to the 2025 ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship, offering real-time feedback on questions about eligibility, the online application, and the fellowship review and selection process.