Luce/ACLS Early Career Fellowships in China Studies – Long-Term

Long-term fellowships are financially supported by the Henry Luce Foundation, with additional funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

Long-term research fellowships will enable recent PhDs (without tenure and within eight years of the PhD) to take leave from university responsibilities for four to nine months to carry out research and writing towards a significant scholarly product.

Early Career fellowships support scholarly research in all disciplines of the humanities and the interpretive social sciences. Research may be conducted on any topic related to cultures, histories, and societies in China, and their influence and impact on communities, countries, and cultures around the world, as required by the research plan. Research on Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang is eligible. The study of non-traditional sites (e.g., sites in Africa or Latin America) is also permitted, so long as there is a clearly articulated rationale for the relationship to Chinese or Chinese-language communities and cultures. There are no restrictions regarding time period or methodological approach.

Long-term fellowships emphasize the importance of research conducted in China if travel is possible. Applicants who do not propose travel should explain how they will gain access to sources.

A working knowledge of Chinese is required or knowledge of another language used in China studies (e.g., Tibetan, Uyghur).

Funding Information 

• Stipend: Minimum $20,000, maximum $45,000 calculated as $5,000 per month for four to nine months’ work accomplished full time.
• Tenure: The fellowship period must begin between July 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026.
• Stipends may be used for research costs (e.g., travel, access to online archives, conference participation, hiring of research assistance outside the US or Canada) and living expenses, including childcare or eldercare. The application essay should state how these costs will support the project’s objectives, but no budget is required.
• Priority will be given to applications that propose research in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Tibet, or Xinjiang. In addition, proposals based on research outside these areas will also be considered. Applicants who do not propose work in China should explain how they will gain access to sources.

Outcomes 

• Possible project outcomes include, but are not limited to, contributions to the development of one or more of the following: monographs, scholarly articles, conference papers, book chapters, or book on a topic in the humanities or interpretive social sciences. ACLS also encourages projects that have the potential to contribute to:
  • Pedagogical tools that make meaningful connections between a scholar’s research and post-secondary teaching.
  • Works that bridge scholarly and creative practice.
  • Community-engaged projects grounded in scholarly research but geared toward a public audience. Potential or actual community and/or student engagement with the research project is encouraged, as is the dissemination of the research to audiences across higher education.

Eligibility Criteria 

• An applicant must hold a PhD from an accredited institution in the United States or Canada, OR be a US or Canadian citizen/permanent resident with a PhD from any accredited institution.
• An applicant must hold a PhD degree conferred no earlier than January 1, 2016.
• If the PhD is not conferred (officially awarded) by the application deadline, the applicant must:
  • (At the time of application) have a university official (dissertation advisor or departmental chair) confirm through the OFA system that the applicant is on schedule to complete the PhD by April 15, 2025. This is an online form, not a reference letter.
  • (By April 1, 2025) submit a letter from the applicant’s graduate school confirming that the dissertation has been submitted and approved by the graduate school for conferral according to the university calendar. The applicant is responsible for submitting the dissertation on time in order to meet this requirement.
• An applicant who is not a US or Canadian citizen/permanent resident must have an affiliation, or a long-term, regular research or teaching appointment, with a university or college in the United States or Canada. See FAQ.
• Applicants who have obtained tenure, or who have submitted tenure materials for review by the application deadline, are not eligible.
• A working knowledge of Chinese is required, or knowledge of another language used in China studies (e.g., Tibetan, Uyghur) is also acceptable.
• The project must aim to produce a scholarly text.
• Other support may be accepted during the fellowship tenure.
• Some long-term fellowships will be supported by the NEH. No separate application is required but to be eligible for an NEH award, applicants must meet the following additional requirements:
  • Both US citizens and foreign nationals must have lived in the US for the three years immediately preceding November 14, 2024.
  • No other NEH support may be accepted during the fellowship tenure.
  • Fellows must have never been debarred or suspended by any federal department or agency.
  • Projects cannot include material obscene, libelous, offensive, or defamatory (e.g., hate speech, personal attacks, material constituting harassment) in any user-generated content, comments, blog posts, links, and other social media.
  • Fellows must not be delinquent on repayment of federal debts (e.g., student loans, federal taxes, child support payments, payroll taxes for household or other employees).
  • Any ACLS board members, advisory committee members, selection committee members, officers, and staff are not eligible for one year after the completion of service.
  • The application must propose full-time research (no less than four consecutive months).

For more information, visit ACLS.