Sign up now to participate in a day-long, in-person series of conversations with American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) program officers, Christopher Thornton and Nike Nivar Ortiz. Learn more about grant and fellowship opportunities and register for feedback sessions to discuss recent/upcoming ACLS grant proposals. Hosted by the UCR Center for Ideas and Society and the CHASS Dean’s Office.

RSVP today! Limited seating available.

11:30-1:00 pm - "What can I do with a humanities PhD? An informal conversation."

For graduate students: Join ACLS program officers, Chris and Nike, for lunch and an informal chat on professional options for humanities and social sciences PhDs inside, outside, and adjacent to the academy.

2:00-3:30 pm - "ACLS 101: Programs and Tips."

For faculty and graduate students: What is ACLS, and what should you know about its funding opportunities? Meet program officers and learn more about the wide range of ACLS programs, fellowships, and grants open for humanities and social sciences scholars and humanities-based projects. ACLS Presentation with Q&A will be followed by a light reception.

4:00-5:00 pm - ”ACLS Grant Meetings.”

For grant applicants (past, pending, and planned): Meet with grant officers to discuss recent ACLS grant applications and/or ideas for future submissions. Register for 15-minute small group sessions. Limited slots available.

About the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a nonprofit federation of 81 scholarly organizations that supports the creation and circulation of knowledge that advances understanding of humanity and human endeavors in the past, present, and future, with a view toward improving human experience. ACLS advocates for the right to pursue knowledge freely; funds outstanding scholars and scholarship in the humanities and social sciences; builds and supports communities that transcend boundaries and borders of all kinds; and promotes conditions and policies that help all scholars thrive. In 2025, ACLS awarded over $25 million across its fellowship and grant programs.

Program Officers:

Christopher Thornton is the Senior Director of U.S. and International Programs at the American Council of Learned Societies. He joined ACLS in 2025 after seven years as Director of the Division of Research Programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Before NEH he served as acting head of the Grants Program at the National Geographic Society in support of science, education, and storytelling.

Nike Nivar Ortiz is a Program Officer at the American Council of Learned Societies. As part of the US Programs team, he supports a number of programs including the ACLS Fellowships and the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowships. He received his Ph.D. in Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture from the University of Southern California with a focus on Latin American Studies and Media Studies. Prior to joining ACLS in 2023, he was a postdoctoral fellow at USC teaching across the departments of Comparative Literature and Latin American and Iberian Cultures.