ACLS Digital Justice Seed Grants 2026–27 – United States
The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), made possible by the Mellon Foundation, invites applications for its Digital Justice Seed Grants. These grants support early-stage digital humanities projects that critically engage with the histories and interests of people of color and other historically marginalized communities through ethical digital tools and methods.
- Award Amount: Between $10,000 and $25,000
- Grant Term: Begins between 1 July 2027 and 31 December 2027; workplan of 12–18 months
- Eligibility: At least one principal investigator must be a scholar in the humanities and/or interpretive social sciences; the project must be at the start-up or prototyping phase; awarded funds must be administered by a US institution of higher education
- Project Focus: Critically engage with communities of color and historically marginalized groups through ethical digital methods; explore new materials, methodologies, and research agendas; build capacity in digital humanities
- Additional Benefit: Grant recipients receive financial planning coaching from the Nonprofit Finance Fund
- Restrictions: Institutional indirect costs not covered; projects solely focused on creative works, textbooks, or purely pedagogical projects are not eligible
- Application Deadline: 3 November 2026, 5:00 PM EST
- Notifications: Spring 2027
- How to Apply: Submit through the ACLS portal at ofa.acls.org. Full details: acls.org/competitions/acls-digital-justice-seed-grants
If you are a humanities scholar working on a digital project at the start-up or prototyping stage that centers racial and social justice, this grant offers crucial funding and professional financial planning support. Applications close 3 November 2026 at 5 PM EST.
Always verify deadlines and details on the official ACLS website before applying.