Luce/ACLS Dissertation Fellowships in American Art

The Luce/ACLS Dissertation Fellowships in American Art, administered by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), support advanced graduate students pursuing research on the history of the visual arts of the United States. This includes all aspects of American art and visual culture, with a particular emphasis on Native American art. The program, made possible by the Henry Luce Foundation, provides critical support for doctoral students at the dissertation stage of their academic training. The fellowship awards a total of $42,500 per recipient, which includes a $38,000 stipend and up to $4,500 for travel and research. The tenure is non-renewable and must span a continuous period of nine to twelve months, to be held between July 2026 and May 2027. Fellows may conduct their work at their home institution or any other suitable research site. Importantly, the fellowship cannot be used for tuition expenses or held concurrently with other major awards. The term must conclude before the recipient completes the PhD. Applicants must be doctoral students enrolled at U.S. universities in art history or related fields, such as Native American and Indigenous studies, African American studies, or ethnic studies. Eligible candidates must have completed all PhD requirements except the dissertation by the start of the fellowship. ACLS emphasizes inclusion and encourages students from all backgrounds and all types of institutions to apply. The fellowship is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA recipients, asylees, refugees, Indigenous persons under Jay Treaty rights, and individuals with Temporary Protected Status. Applications must be submitted via the ACLS online grant portal by 9:00 PM EDT on October 29, 2025. Required materials include a project proposal, annotated bibliography, optional list of scholarly activity, two letters of recommendation (one from the dissertation advisor), and a departmental statement confirming doctoral candidacy and institutional support. Applicants must also possess an ORCID iD, though transcripts are not required. Awards will be announced by mid-March 2026. Peer reviewers will evaluate proposals based on methodological rigor, significance to the field of American art, and the scholarly potential of the applicant within their academic context. The fellowship is a recurring opportunity and forms part of ACLS’s broader mission to support inclusive excellence and humanistic research in the arts and humanities.

Proposals must clearly outline scholarly contribution and context. Applications with structured sections and strong intellectual framing are favored.