Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) - Early Career Fellows Program | Cycle 12 (2024-2025)

The Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) is pleased to launch the fifth cycle of its Early Career Fellows Program (ECFP), previously known as the Postdoctoral Fellowships Program.

Eligibility Criteria:

The fellowship will be awarded competitively to junior scholars who meet the criteria described below. There is a special interest in attracting Arab scholars who received their PhD from outside the Arab region to come back to the region.

Applicants are eligible if they:

• Are citizens or nationals of an Arab country: Applicants must be citizens/nationals of an Arab country (defined as a member of the League of Arab States) - or refugees and/or stateless individuals from Arab countries - who are currently residing in the Arab region. Arab scholars residing outside the region at the time of application would be eligible, but only if 1) they hold an Arab citizenship or have refugee and/or stateless status 2) are not in a tenure-track position and/or do not have access to research resources from their institutions and/or countries of residence. All fellows, including those residing outside the region at the time of their application, will be expected to spend the 12-month period of their fellowship in the Arab region.
• Are junior scholars: This program targets scholars who are 0-3 years out of a PhD program in the social sciences (obtained from within or outside the Arab region). Applicants should have obtained their PhDs at the time of application. Applicants who received their PhD before the year 2021 are not eligible for this program.
• Show high quality academic credentials and potential: Applicants are expected to submit a proposal (10-15 pages) that builds on their PhD dissertation. Proposals that are not based on or not related closely to the applicant’s PhD dissertation will not be considered eligible. The proposal should highlight the applicant’s academic credentials and outline a compelling research problem. The applicant is also expected to provide a publication plan that is realistic within the fellowship timeframe. Fellows should also write a 3-year career plan outlining their ambitions and expectations in pursuing a career. This should include details on the type of career (teaching or research), types of institutions they are planning to consider and countries.
• Provide proof of support by a proposed mentor and institution: Applicants should provide a letter at the time of application from an academic mentor based in an institution in the Arab region in which he/she expresses willingness to provide administrative and academic support and supervision to the prospective fellow during the period of his/her fellowship. In addition, applicants should provide a letter from the hosting institution addressed to the Arab Council for the Social Sciences expressing the institution’s willingness to host the applicant during the time of fellowship.

Terms of the Fellowship:

• The fellowships will provide 12 months of full support (living expenses plus research expenses) with a total stipend ranging between $20,000 and $36,000. The total amount depends on the respective price levels in the proposed country where the fellow will be residing during his/her fellowship as well as whether or not the fellow will have other sources of income during the fellowship period. If shortlisted, applicants will be asked to provide a budget estimating (1) the costs of living, (2) the costs of research; and (3) indicate whether or not they will have any other sources of funding and/or income during the period of the fellowship.

Applicants must indicate whether or not they will be having any other sources of funding and/or income during the period of their fellowship. Fellows cannot accept any funding from any other organization for the same research project or items covered by the ACSS during the fellowship period. In case the second offer covers the same research project or items as those covered by the ACSS, the Fellow may then have to choose between the two fellowships. If the second fellowship/grant covers different items, then the Fellow may be allowed to hold both grants. The ACSS will contact the other funding agency to make sure that the terms are clear to all sides. Fellows are not allowed to maintain a job during the period of the fellowship. However, they are allowed to undertake short-term consultancies and are encouraged to teach part-time. Earnings generated from these activities should not exceed US$3,000 (three thousand US dollars) during the entire period of the fellowship (i.e. a maximum remuneration of US$3,000 over twelve months). Furthermore, the fellows may not teach more than one course during the 12-month period of the fellowship. Exceptions to these guidelines could be made on a case-by-case basis.