ACLS Digital Justice Seed and Development Grants 2026-27: Apply for Up to $100,000

Overview

The ACLS Digital Justice Seed and Development Grants 2026-27 provide funding for scholars and project teams developing digital projects in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. The programme is offered by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) with support from the Mellon Foundation.

The grants are designed for projects that use digital tools and methods to explore questions of justice, equity, representation, and access. A particular focus is placed on projects that engage with the histories and interests of people of color and other historically marginalized communities.

The programme has two funding categories. Digital Justice Seed Grants support projects that are still in the early stages, including projects involving planning, experimentation, prototyping, or testing. Digital Justice Development Grants are intended for projects that have moved beyond the early development stage and need support to expand their intellectual, technical, institutional, or community impact.

About ACLS Digital Justice Grants

The ACLS Digital Justice Grants programme supports digital scholarship that seeks to make the digital humanities more diverse, accessible, and equitable. The programme recognizes that digital research can create new opportunities for scholarship while also reproducing existing inequalities if questions of access, representation, and ownership are not considered.

Projects supported through the programme can use digital technologies to develop new research methods, preserve and interpret cultural materials, create digital resources, strengthen community partnerships, or make scholarly work more accessible to wider audiences.

The programme is funded by the Mellon Foundation and is administered by ACLS, a nonprofit federation of scholarly organizations that supports research and scholarship in the humanities and related social sciences. ACLS has awarded Digital Justice grants to projects working across different disciplines and communities.

Grant Benefits

The programme provides funding according to the development stage of the proposed project.

The benefits include:

• Digital Justice Seed Grants ranging from $10,000 to $25,000.
• Digital Justice Development Grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.
• Funding for eligible project activities over a 12-18 month period.
• Support for digital research and project development.
• Opportunities to strengthen community and institutional partnerships.
• Support for digital humanities infrastructure and resources.
• Opportunity to develop new approaches to digital scholarship.
• Access to support for long-term financial planning through the Nonprofit Finance Fund.

The amount available depends on the category selected and the scope of the proposed project. Seed Grants are intended for earlier-stage projects, while Development Grants are intended for projects that have already progressed beyond prototyping or proof of concept.

Eligibility Criteria

An eligible institution of higher education in the United States must administer the grant funds. This means applicants need an appropriate institutional arrangement before submitting an application.

Projects should:

• Be based in the humanities or interpretive social sciences.
• Use digital tools or methods as an important part of the project.
• Engage with the interests and histories of people of color and other historically marginalized communities.
• Address issues related to justice, equity, representation, or access.
• Have an eligible U.S. higher education institution administer the grant.
• Meet the development-stage requirements of either the Seed or Development Grant category.

ACLS grants do not support projects whose sole or primary purpose is the production of creative works such as novels or films, textbooks, straightforward translations, or purely pedagogical projects. Institutional indirect costs are also not covered.

Available Areas Of Study

The grants are open to projects across the humanities and interpretive social sciences. The programme is not restricted to one academic discipline.

Potential areas may include:

• Digital humanities
• History
• Cultural studies
• Literature
• Anthropology
• Sociology
• Media studies
• Public humanities
• Digital archives
• Digital storytelling
• Digital preservation
• Community-based research
• Digital mapping
• Data and technology ethics
• Digital cultural heritage
• Projects focused on racial and social justice

Seed Grants and Development Grants

Applicants should select the grant category that matches the current stage of their project.

Digital Justice Seed Grants are intended for projects at an early stage. This can include projects that are exploring new research materials, testing digital methods, organizing planning workshops, developing prototypes, or experimenting with potential products.

Seed Grants range from $10,000 to $25,000 and have a 12-18 month project period.

Digital Justice Development Grants are intended for projects that have already moved beyond the startup, prototyping, or proof-of-concept stage. Applicants should be able to demonstrate significant preliminary work and evidence of engagement or impact with scholarly and/or public audiences.

Development Grants range from $50,000 to $100,000.

Required Documents

Applicants should check the official ACLS competition guidelines for the complete list of materials required for the 2026-27 competition.

The application is expected to provide information about:

• The proposed project.
• The project's intellectual goals.
• The digital tools or methods involved.
• The communities, histories, or materials being addressed.
• The current stage of development.
• Proposed project activities.
• Expected outcomes.
• Project timeline.
• Institutional support.
• Project budget.
• Team members and their roles where applicable.

Applicants for Development Grants should be prepared to demonstrate the preliminary work already completed and explain how the new funding will allow the project to move to its next stage.

Selection Criteria

The selection process considers the quality and relevance of the proposed project as well as its potential contribution to digital justice.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• A clear and worthwhile research or scholarly question.
• Meaningful use of digital tools or methods.
• A strong connection to digital justice.
• Engagement with historically marginalized communities or underrepresented histories.
• A realistic and achievable project plan.
• Appropriate institutional support.
• Potential scholarly and/or public impact.
• A clear and reasonable budget.

For Development Grants, applicants should also show that substantial work has already been completed and that the project has engaged scholarly or public audiences.

How To Apply

Interested applicants should follow these steps:

1. Review the official ACLS Digital Justice Grants information.
2. Decide whether the project is better suited to a Seed Grant or Development Grant.
3. Confirm that an eligible U.S. higher education institution can administer the grant.
4. Develop the project proposal and explain its connection to digital justice.
5. Prepare the required application materials.
6. Develop a realistic budget and project timeline.
7. Complete the institutional verification requirements.
8. Register or log in to the ACLS Online Fellowship and Grant Administration system.

Applications for both grant categories are submitted through the ACLS online application system. ACLS advises applicants to review the programme information and eligibility requirements before registering for the application system.