Program Details

The American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS) invites applications for the ACMS Field Research Fellowship Program.

The program will provide awards of $1,000 to $2,000 to a selected number of students, post-docs, and/or early-career scholars to conduct short-term field research in Mongolia between May and October 2026.

Application Deadline: February 20, 2026

Eligibility

Scholars, students, researchers, and instructors who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply:

• Currently-enrolled, full-time graduate (MA or PhD) or advanced (third-year and above) undergraduate students.
• Post-docs and faculty employed at least part-time at a university, college, or other institute of higher education. Post-docs and faculty must teach at least one course at a university or college to be eligible.
  • Please Note: the program priority for post-doctoral scholars and faculty is to support individuals from non-research intensive universities and colleges, especially those who are helping guide student research projects or who can show how the fellowship experience will enhance their teaching and outreach.
    
• Applicants of all nationalities, backgrounds, and citizenships are welcome to apply.
• Research projects in any field, including humanities, arts, sciences, and social sciences are eligible.
• All applicants must be members of the ACMS at the time of application.
• Prior experience conducting research in Mongolia is not a requirement for applicants.

Joint applications submitted by a student and post-doctoral scholar or faculty member are encouraged, but not required. Joint applicants must submit individual applications, but the applications will be evaluated both individually and jointly during the review process.

Applicants with disabilities should be aware that disability-related accommodations and infrastructure in Mongolia may be limited. However, ACMS will try to the best of our ability to work with all awardees to facilitate appropriate disability-related accommodations. Applicants need to be aware that there may be limited to no access to regular medical treatment in Mongolia, and applicants' health status should permit travel to and within Mongolia in order to be eligible for this program. Please inquire about specific conditions or questions.

Application Requirements

General

All applications should include the following components:

• Research Sponsor: All applicants should include a letter of support form their Research Sponsor, who may be a faculty member, senior researcher, lab supervisor, or other person who is guiding or providing feedback on the project. Research Sponsors should have relevant experience supporting academic field research, and should agree to host the fellow's research project. Please see below for specific guidance on student and post-doc/faculty Research Sponsors.
• Community Engagement: All applicants are required to conduct community engagement or outreach activities as part of their fellowship, and will be asked to articulate their plan for community engagement while in Mongolia. Examples of community engagement activities include a workshop on disciplinary research methods for Mongolian researchers and/or students in the applicant's field, a presentation at a Mongolian university or other educational space such as the American Corner or ACMS discussing the project, organizing a topical workshop for the local community, and more.
  • Note: Competitive applicants will articulate a clear, specific, actionable program or activity that is possible during their time in-country, and all research plans should account for this requirement at the time of submission.
    
• Research Timeline: Proposed Field research projects should last a minimum of three weeks but ideally four to six or more, and should be conducted in Mongolia between May and October 2026.
  
• Research Proposal: All applicants must submit a detailed, well-thought-out research proposal that makes a strong case for their project's importance to their field, clearly outlines their proposed activities while in-country, shows evidence of previous research on the chosen topic and outreach to in-country partners and/or colleagues, and demonstrates the previous acquisition or, or willingness and ability to acquire all appropriate permits and approvals (such as IRB) to engage in the project ethically and responsibly. More information is available in the application form here.
• Detailed Budget: Applicants must outline all anticipated project expenses including supplies, transportation, living costs, airfare, and more. Budgets may total more than the grant award, but applicants should clearly articulate what they plan to use ACMS funding for, as well as where they plan to obtain additional funding should the budget amount exceed $2,000. This is not a travel grant, and applicants are highly discouraged from using this funding to pay for international airfare.
• Evidence of Additional Funding: Competitive applications will demonstrate that the applicant is searching for or has already secured additional funding sources, particularly for longer projects or where significant travel is involved. Due to the size of these grant awards, grantees should not plan to rely on this fellowship for all travel, living, and research-related costs while in-country unless they will already be in Mongolia at the time of their project's start. 

Students

Student applicants should clearly articulate the impact that receiving this fellowship and conducting this project will have on their career trajectory and further study. 

In past years, student Research Sponsors were required to be onsite in Mongolia during a substantial part of the student’s research program. However, well-designed research projects that demonstrate close collaboration between the student and Research Sponsor will be considered, even if the Research Sponsor is unable to travel to Mongolia. Preference will be given to projects where the Research Sponsor will be in the field for a substantial part of the student’s research work, and therefore students are highly encouraged to submit joint applications with post-doctoral scholars or faculty members that can act as Research Sponsors.

Research Sponsors should have previous experience conducting academic field research, and agree to work closely with the student in the design, implementation and final write-up of the research project.

Post-Docs and Faculty

Post-doctoral and faculty applicants are asked to describe how their participation in the project will support their teaching, outreach, and career goals, and how their project supports the development of knowledge both in their field and in the broader landscape of Mongolian Studies. 

Post-doctoral and faculty applicants must have an identified Mongolian institution or individual who will serve as their Research Sponsor in Mongolia.