Application to Host a Leading Edge Fellow - Letter of Inquiry

Primary Contact

Welcome! Thank you for your interest in hosting an ACLS Leading Edge Fellow. This portal is for organizations seeking to host a fellow selected in the Spring 2024 competition, who would begin work in September 2024. Please review the information below for required uploads and short written responses, and be sure to check out our request for proposals for more helpful information. Letters of Inquiry will be accepted through this portal until midnight (EDT) on October 4, 2023.

The ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship program offers recent humanities PhDs two-year fellowship positions with organizations dedicated to advancing justice and equity in their communities. The program demonstrates the capacity of those with advanced training in the humanities to contribute to timely and meaningful social justice work. The Leading Edge Fellowship is administered by the American Council of Learned Societies and is made possible by the generous support of the Mellon Foundation.

Letters of Inquiry due by midnight ET, Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

*Please note that answers should be a maximum of 500 words. The portal may accept a longer block of text, so make sure to check the length of your answer before you input it.

Position Description - Document Upload

Upload a one page Word document containing the following information:

  • Fellow's position title, for example: Policy Analyst, Research Manager, Outreach Specialist, etc. (The title should be legible within your organization and the sector in which you operate.)
  • Department/division within your organization
  • Location
  • Supervisor’s name and title
  • Organization mission and description
  • Project description and primary responsibilities for the fellow
  • Desired project outcomes (What does success look like?)
  • Career fields and/or kinds of positions for which this role would prepare a fellow
  • Required qualifications, beyond the humanities PhD (e.g., project management experience, ability to write for the public, interest in particular issues, entrepreneurial mindset, etc.)

Position Description:

Work and Workplace Questions

The Leading Edge program seeks host organizations whose mission and core work are dedicated to advancing social justice. Please include your organization’s mission statement, if applicable, and explain how your core work advances social justice. Please also identify which of these programs/initiatives you hope a Leading Edge Fellow might support in their role with your organization.

ACLS is committed to diversity and inclusion in our programs and to partnering with organizations whose workplaces maintain and enforce policies committed to safety, dignity, ethical conduct, and freedom from discrimination. Please describe your organization's policies and practices of inclusion and anti-discrimination.

How will your organization be able to contribute to a fellow’s career development? What resources and opportunities can you offer a recent humanities PhD building a career in your sector?

Does your team operate primarily remotely, together in a physical office, or in a hybrid system? Would a fellow need to work in person at your office in order to contribute meaningfully to your work (for instance to run programs or to attend meetings and events)?