Institute for Citizens and Scholars
OVERVIEW: The Institute for Citizens and Scholars supports higher education, humanities, arts, civic engagement, and democracy in the U.S.
IP TAKE: The Institute for Citizens and Scholars is one of the oldest fellowship-awarding foundations in the country with a long history of supporting humanities, arts education, and civic engagement. While originally created simply to support the education and employment of college-level faculty after World War II, the foundation now focuses heavily on efforts to promote DEI and civic engagement in higher education throughout the U.S. While ICS welcomes applicants with a wide range of research topics, those whose research addresses these issues will fare better with this funder.
ICS is a transparent and accessible funder. While it does not have a database of past grants, it does highlight select fellows and their work through news articles, blog, and press releases. It also accepts applications for the majority of its fellowship programs. Some may have strict eligibility requirements, however, and a few are by invitation only. Grantseekers applying for fellowships are advised to review the eligibility and guidelines carefully to ensure that you and your research are a good fit for ICS funding.
PROFILE: Established in 1945, the Institute for Citizens and Scholars (ICS) was originally known as the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and is based in Princeton, New Jersey. The fellowships initially went towards recruiting World War II veterans into teaching at the college level. The foundation was named for the best-known Princeton president, Woodrow Wilson, who introduced college teaching reforms during his time as a U.S. president. ICS later evolved to focus its attention on K-12 and higher education. In 2020, it expanded its mission to include support for civic engagement, civic discourse, and diversity in higher education. ICS aims to “ensure that Americans everywhere are well-informed, productively engaged for the common good and hopeful about democracy.”
Current focuses of this foundation are young people, adult civic leaders, and the field of civic learning. Within each of these fields, ICS gives multiple awards, fellowships, project support and research support. Its fellowships may be divided into the issue areas of Democracy, Teaching, and Humanities & Social Science Research.
Grants for Education
ICS supports education in the United States with fellowships for both students and teachers. While grants for younger students generally fall under the foundation’s Democracy issue area, fellowships for faculty and graduate students go to support “leaders, faculty, and doctoral students who are broadening the perspectives young people need to become tomorrow’s empowered citizens.” ICS currently offers four Teaching fellowships, some of which overlap with its humanities research fellowships:
Career Enhancement Fellowship: Supports “outstanding junior faculty committed to campus diversity and innovative research in the humanities and humanistic social sciences,” including a $35,000 stipend, travel and research funding, and a fellows retreat.
Mellon Emerging Faculty Leaders Award: Supports “early-career faculty whose research focuses on contemporary American history, politics, culture, and society,” with a $20,000 stipend for research support and assistance.
MMUF Advancement Program: A program for alumni of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship that includes dissertation grants, travel and research funding, and adjunct faculty fellowships.
WW Teaching Fellowship: Places new teachers in “high-need classrooms” and provides “financial support and mentorship as they complete a specially designed master’s degree at one of the program’s partner universities.”
Grants for Humanities Research
ICS supports the study and teaching of the humanities through a range of grants and fellowships to “graduate students and faculty specializing in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.” It currently offers six Humanities & Social Science Fellowships, some of which overlap with its Teaching fellowships:
Charlotte W. Newcombe Fellowship: Supports Ph.D. students whose work centers around “religious commitments and ethical ideals” and whose research “seeks to understand the communities, social practices, and political arrangements that embody them.” It consists of a $31,000 stipend for the dissertation writing year.
MMUF Advancement Program: A program for alumni of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship that includes dissertation grants, travel and research funding, and adjunct faculty fellowships.
WW Dissertation Fellowship in Women’s Studies: A dissertation year writing fellowship for late-state Ph.D. candidates “completing original, interesting, and interdisciplinary dissertations that address issues involving women and gender.”
Mellon Emerging Faculty Leaders Award: Supports “early-career faculty whose research focuses on contemporary American history, politics, culture, and society,” with a $20,000 stipend for research support and assistance.
Career Enhancement Fellowship: Supports “outstanding junior faculty committed to campus diversity and innovative research in the humanities and humanistic social sciences,” including a $35,000 stipend, travel and research funding, and a fellows retreat.
Mellon Mays GAP: A program for alumni of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship to “maintain their graduate school ambitions and progress towards an academic career,” including opportunities to “workshop applications and statements of purpose, determine the fit of graduate programs, and network with past Fellows.”
Grants for Civic & Democracy
ICS’s grants for democracy aim to “foster future generations of informed, engaged, hopeful citizens who reflect the diversity of our democracy.” They are primarily aimed at young people, aged 14 to 24, and “leverage and connect Fellows in our vast networks in the continued creation of a diverse knowledge base and fostering of a robust exchange of ideas.” ICS currently offers three fellowships relating to democracy and civic engagement.
Civic Spring Fellowship: Supports individuals and members of youth organizations who are working on projects that “address a local need around issues including criminal justice, education, community health & wellness, economic opportunity, environment, immigration, transportation, and/or elections.” The program includes “unique experience-based learning and interactions with an intergenerational team of coaches and civic leaders.”
Youth Civic Impact Fellowship: A grant for youth in the city of Chicago and the state of Arizona who are “seeking to develop the skills and confidence needed to become future civic leaders.” Fellows receive the support of mentors, coaches, and civic leaders to “refine their civic knowledge and skills while working on community projects that address immediate needs.”
Brewer Fellowship to Unite America: A grant in partnership with Unite America and Cultivate the Karass that supports individuals from political reform organizations who are working to “develop a shared vision for the democracy reform field and build mutually reinforcing initiatives to improve our democracy.”
Important Grant Details:
Fellowships generally range from $20,000 to $30,000 for a one-year period. Grantees may review the foundation’s list of Featured Fellows to get a better idea of the kind of work the foundation supports.
ICS’s fellowships are generally restricted to youth, graduate students, and faculty of universities in the United States.
ICS accepts applications online for most of its fellowships. Deadlines and eligibility requirements vary by program.
Fellowship funds are generally intended for general living expenses, but some may be restricted for research or travel use.
For some fellowships, the applicant must be a faculty member or student at an accredited institute of higher education.
Grantseekers may reach out to the foundation through its Contact Page for further inquiries.
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