The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is currently accepting applications for their “Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship” program. This fellowship program is open to doctoral students who are pursuing research in the humanities and interpretative social sciences. Selected fellows will receive a $42,000 base stipend for the fellowship year in addition to support for project-related expenses (up to $9,000). This program is open to undocumented doctoral students. On their website, ACLS states that “eligibility for this program is not restricted based on citizenship or permanent residency. Any doctoral student who is pursuing a PhD in the humanities or social sciences at degree-granting institutions in the United States is eligible to apply.”

These are the eligibility requirements:

• “Be a PhD student in a humanities or social science department in the United States.¹
• Be able to take up a full year (9-12 months) of sustained specialized research and training, released from normal coursework, assistantships, and all teaching responsibilities.
• Have completed at least two years and all required coursework in the PhD programs in which they are currently enrolled by the start of the fellowship term.
• Have not advanced to PhD candidacy/ABD status prior to January 1, 2026.
• Have not previously applied for this fellowship more than once.
• Intend to complete their dissertation after May 31, 2029.”

To learn more about this fellowship opportunity and to apply, please visit their official website: 2027 Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship

The deadline to apply is Wednesday October 28, 2026 at 5pm ET 

Please note that this opportunity was first posted by ACLS. The link to the opportunity may not work after the deadline has passed.

DON’T FORGET TO SHARE THIS PAGE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

Don’t miss out on the latest resources available for undocumented students, make sure to “like” our page on Facebook and subscribe (it’s free)!

Are you interested in hosting an immigration presentation or workshop at your school or organization? Learn more about the range of speaking engagements we offer here.

At My Undocumented Life we provide up-to-date information and resources for undocumented immigrants and allies. We post scholarship opportunities that are open to undocumented students, strategies for navigating the educational system, information on how to apply for DACA/Advance Parole, news on DAPA, and much more. Most importantly, we want to provide a sense of community to our diverse group of readers. Learn more about our work here: “About Us“

Categories: Fellowships, Grad School Funding

Tags: Dissertation, Fellowship, funding, grad school, graduate school, higher ed, higher education, PhD, UndocuGrad, undocumented