Sabbatical Funding: 46 Grant and Fellowship Opportunities

Grants to fund academic sabbaticals are available from various sources. You’ll find sabbatical grant opportunities at universities, private foundations, government agencies, and other organizations. This article lists 46 sources for grants and fellowships to fund sabbaticals for faculty at colleges and universities. 

Paid fellowships and grants for sabbaticals are designed to provide financial support to faculty members who want to take time off from their regular teaching and research duties. 

Sabbaticals allow faculty members time to pursue academic research projects, professional development, writing, or other activities. Work done by faculty on sabbatical should enhance their careers, increase their expertise in their field, advance their research agenda, or improve their teaching skills. Ultimately, the work done by faculty while on sabbatical will benefit their institutions. 

Typically, faculty are eligible to request sabbatical leave after receiving tenure and after six years of continuous employment in a tenure-track position. 

Generally speaking, academic sabbaticals are granted for a period of six months to one year. Often, faculty can request sabbatical leave for six months at full pay or for one year at half pay. This varies by institution and position, so clarify policies with your department. 

• Full academic year leave will provide ample time for innovative research and productive scholarship, as well as the opportunity to rest and reset. 

• Six month sabbaticals over one academic semester will also allow for research, teaching, or writing that will enhance your academic career. 

While being able to go on sabbatical with full or half pay is a great benefit for tenured faculty, many faculty find that they need extra funds to cover the costs of travel, extensive research, or expenses associated with living away from home. 

That’s why applying for sabbatical grant funding is so essential.

Whether you want to conduct research virtually, have a residential fellowship in the United States, or travel internationally during your sabbatical, there are lots of options for funding.

Here’s a list of 46 nonprofit organizations and government agencies that offer grants to support academic sabbaticals. 

46 Sources for Sabbatical Grant Funding 

1. American Academy of Arts and Sciences

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) sponsors two fellowship programs, the Hellman Fellowship in Science and Technology Policy and the Morgan L. Mandel Presidential Fellowship. The academy also offers occasional fellowships in other program areas.

These fellowships are typically for early career professionals.

2. American Association of University Women

The American Association of University Women offer fellowships and grants to support the research of women in academia and assist their career promotions.

3. The American Council of Learned Societies

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) provides funding for sabbaticals to support research in the humanities and social sciences. 

The ACLS has a broad portfolio of funding opportunities. They prefer to fund scholars who have traditionally had less access to scholarly resources, first-generation scholars, and scholars from historically marginalized communities.

4. The American Institute of Indian Studies

The American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) provides sabbatical funding to support research and education about India and South Asia. 

Fellowships are available for senior scholars for research and study or professional development activities. AIIS also offers fellowships for accomplished performing and creative arts professionals to engage with India’s artistic traditions. 

5. American Philosophical Society

The American Philosophical Society (APS) offers a variety of fellowships for faculty seeking sabbatical support on topics as diverse as Native American research and astrobiology. 

The American Philosophical Society also provides fellowships through the David Center for the American Revolution. Recipients can research the American Revolution and Founding Era.

6. The American Psychological Association

The American Psychological Association (APA) offers sabbatical funding to psychologists and other mental health professionals for research and collaborative work in psychology. 

The APA-IUPSYS Global Mental health Fellowship affords a psychologist the opportunity to collaborate with the World Health Organization for one year.

7. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation provides New Directions Fellowships to support established scholar-teachers as they pursue training outside of their own areas of interest. Awards are for scholarship in the humanities focused on cross-disciplinary research. This award goes beyond a typical sabbatical grant, to allow full-time research and significant achievements. 

The selection process requires significant institutional support. 

8. The Archaeological Institute of America

The Archaeological Institute of America offers fellowships to support travel and study related to archaeology in various regions of the world and on different elements of archaeological research. 

9. The Association for Asian Studies

The Association for Asian Studies hosts a comprehensive list of grants and fellowships related to Asian Studies. 

10. Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange

The Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange offers research and scholar grants. 

11. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder provides visiting fellowships of up to 12 months for senior scientists on sabbatical. Fellows can research a wide range of environmental science topics. 

12. The Congressional Budget Office

The Congressional Budget Office offers visiting scholars the opportunity to conduct policy-related research, collaborate on economic issues, and contribute the agency’s analysis. 

13. The Council on Foreign Relations

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) offers funding specifically for scholars and professionals with a demonstrated commitment to foreign affairs. There are a variety of fellowships with different guidelines.

14. The European University Institute

The European University Institute lists several fellowships available to faculty on sabbatical. 

15. The Folger Shakespeare Library

The Folger Shakespeare Library offers short- and long-term residential fellowships, as well as virtual fellowships, to support research projects that would benefit from the use of the collections at the Folger. 

16. The Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation provides funding to support sabbatical research and other activities, to promote social justice and “build a more equitable higher education system.” The goal of the Ford Fellows program is to increase the ethnic and racial diversity of the U.S.’s college and university faculties and provide additional support to members of underserved communities in academia. 

17. French Institutes for Advanced Study (Institut D’Études Avancées de Paris)

The French Institutes for Advanced Study (FAIS) offers ten-month research fellowships in six cities in France. These residential fellowships are for high-level scholars in the social sciences and humanities, other sciences, the arts, and cognitive health and neuroscience.

Fellowship recipients are expected to contribute to the understanding of how human societies function, engage with the community of Institute scholars, and do work that contributes to and beyond their field.

18. The Fulbright Scholar Program

The Fulbright Scholar Program supports academic exchanges and research collaborations between the United States and other countries.

Fulbright offers sabbatical funding for scholars and other professionals in a wide variety of fields. Fulbright Scholars may do conduct independent research, university teaching, or other professional work.

The goal of the Fulbright Program is to promote international scholarly exchange and understanding. U.S. scholars can apply for more than 800 awards in more than 135 countries around the world. 

19. The George A. and Eliza Gardner Howard Foundation

The George A. and Eliza Gardner Howard Foundation provides fellowships for scholars and artists to devote substantial time to the creation of new work. Themes for the fellowship vary by year. 

20. The Getty Foundation

The Getty Foundation provides Getty Scholar Grants for established scholars to be in residence at the Getty Research Institute or Getty Villa. Grants are for scholars conducting research in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. 

21. The Institute for Advanced Studies

While conducting research at the Institute for Advanced Studies, grant recipients will benefit from residential fellowships. 

The Institute for Advanced Studies at the School of Historical Studies allows recipients to pursue historical studies of or across various historic time periods. 

The Institute for Advanced Studies at the School of Social Science invites scholars to study political theory, economics, law, anthropology, and other social sciences. 

22. The Institute for Humane Studies

The Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University offers grants to help fund projects or sabbaticals. 

Full sabbatical support may be granted if the work is expected to be particularly influential. Junior scholars are particularly encouraged to apply for full sabbatical awards. 

Although the Institute for Humane Studies is based at George Mason University, full-time faculty from other accredited colleges and universities are encouraged to apply.

Funding is for projects related to:

• Liberalism, Pluralism, and Democracy
• Free Speech and Open Inquiry
• Equality and Prosperity
• Race in America
• Peace and International Cooperation
• Immigration and Freedom
• Business and the Good Society

23. The James McKeen Cattell Fund

The James McKeen Cattell Fund Sabbatical Award provides support for sabbaticals to research “the science and application of psychology.” The grant provides funding to supplement the academic’s university’s sabbatical funding, to allow for a full year of sabbatical leave.

24. The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation provides funding to mid-career professionals with a significant professional record. Guggenheim Fellowships support research and scholarship and artistic creation in a variety of fields. 

25. Louisville Institute

The Louisville Institute offers a Sabbatical Grant for Researchers (SGR) to support academic faculty’s research and writing projects on religious and theological scholarship. Recipients may study religious trends, Christian faith, ethics, or faith-based institutions.

26. MacArthur Foundation

The MacArthur Foundations awards generous stipends over the course of five years to individuals who demonstrate an exceptional capacity for originality and creative thought. Awards to go to scientists, writers, artists, humanists, teachers, and others, with or without academic affiliation.

A MacArthur Fellowship is not designed to support a year’s sabbatical, but rather a much larger project. Candidates must be nominated for the award and cannot apply directly.

27. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academies offer many grants and fellowships to early career scholars and mid- to late-career scholars. If your area of expertise is in science, medicine, or engineering, you should explore the grants listed here. Some grants listed are in partnership with other organizations. 

28. National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) offers fellowships to support creative writing in prose and poetry, as well as translation. 

29. The National Endowment for the Humanities

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) offers funding for projects related to the humanities, including research and writing. Junior scholars are encouraged to apply. 

30. The National Humanities Center

The National Humanities Center provides residential fellowships to up to forty scholars each year. Fellows’ projects can delve into all areas of the humanities.

31. The Newberry

At the Newberry, fellowship recipients can spend four to nine months conducting research at the Newberry. A variety of fellowships are available. Recipients will be able to study rare books. collections of music, and scholarship and literature from a variety of historic time periods. 

32. New York Public Library

The New York Public Library’s Cullman Center Fellowship is for academics, independent scholars, and creative writers. Recipients participate in a nine-month term at the NYPL.

33. Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study

The Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study offers fellowships related to a different academic theme for each cohort. Research may focus on physics, biology, theology, philosophy, arts and culture, and more.

34. Office of Naval Research

The Office of Naval Research provides funding for creative and scholarly academic activities at the U.S. Navy Laboratory for one semester or one year. 

35. Open Society Foundations

The Open Society Fellowship provides fellowships and grants to support individuals doing innovative research and scholarship on topics including “new and radical forms of ownership, governance, entrepreneurship, and financialization.”

These fellowships could be for public sector professionals, academics, or independent scholars.

36. Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Program

The Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Program provides 50 fellowships each academic year. Fellowship areas include women and gender, law and justice, climate change, and legacies of slavery. Recipients participate in a residential fellowship that allows them to benefit from the many resources available on Harvard’s campus.

37. Ransom Center Fellowships

The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas Austin provides funding for fellowships in the humanities. Recipients will have support and access to the Ransom Center’s collections. 

38. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provides funding for sabbaticals for academic and government professionals to support research and other activities related to health and health care. 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows work towards creating strong and diverse health policy leadership. Participants will live in Washington, D.C., for at least 12 months. 

39. The School for Advanced Research

The School for Advanced Research (SAR) provides several different types of fellowships for scholars in the humanities, social sciences, Latino studies, Native American studies, and anthropology. Fellowships can include a stipend, low-cost housing, and free office space.

40. Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP) provides fellowships to support independent research and study. Fellows can study any topic reflected in the Smithsonian collection, including ecology, linguistics, art, molecular biology, or cultural US history.

Senior fellowships and postdoc fellowships are available.

41. The Social Science Research Council

The Social Science Research Council provides funding for sabbaticals to support research in the social sciences on a variety of research topics. 

42. The Spencer Foundation

The Spencer Foundation provides funding research related to education, as well as fellowships for scholars and journalists. 

43. The Stanford Humanities Center

The Stanford Humanities Center offers fellowships to faculty at the rank of assistant, associate, and full professor. Research should be in the humanities and interpretive social sciences.

44. The Templeton Foundation

The Templeton Foundation provides sabbatical funding to support research and other activities related to: 

• Human sciences
• Cultural and global perspectives
• Life sciences
• Individual freedom and free markets
• Philosophy and theology
• Public engagement
• Character virtue development
• Mathematical and physical sciences

45. The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation

The Woodrow Wilson Foundation’s Institute for Citizens & Scholars offers fellowships to support sabbatical research related to diversity and addressing social issues.

46. Your Own Institution

The college or university where you work may offer additional funding for sabbaticals. Many colleges and universities provide internal grants to support sabbatical leave for their faculty members. 

 It’s even possible that there are different sabbatical grants for junior faculty who have just received tenure, as well as senior faculty. 

Expect that there will be specific guidelines to qualify for the sabbatical. For example, funding may be limited to research on certain topics or areas of the world. 

It’s also possible that funding can only be used for certain things. This might include conference travel, image use rights, book publication expenses, a research assistant, or journal submission fees.

These internal grants may be funded by your institution, by your department, or by private donors. 

15 Tips for applying for sabbatical funding

Here’s some advice on how to apply for grants for sabbaticals. Your sabbatical grant application will be more likely to be successful if you know how to apply for sabbatical grants. 

1. Plan ahead

Talk to the chair or director of your department to confirm when you are eligible for sabbatical, and let them know that you plan to apply. 

Ask what you can do to increase your likelihood of being awarded a sabbatical. Discuss how the department will cover your teaching and administrative responsibilities. Be sure you understand your institution’s sabbatical policy. 

Review the grant application guidelines, criteria, and deadlines well in advance of your planned sabbatical. 

2. Build relationships

Make connections and build relationships with potential sabbatical partners at other organizations. Then, when it’s time to apply for sabbatical funding, you’ll be able to reference preliminary research or rely on existing relationships for support. 

3. Know your deadlines

Grant applications may open as early as 18 months before the start date of your sabbatical. Familiarize yourself with the grant requirements and application deadline, so you aren’t scrambling at the last minute. 

4. Request letters of support in advance

If the grant you’re applying to for sabbatical funding will require letters of support (or letters of reference), request these far in advance. 

5. Get advice from your institution

Many universities have an Office of Grants and Research. Faculty can get advice on the sabbatical application process and get feedback on their application. 

This is also a good place to find out about internal funding sources. 

6. Review criteria carefully

Each grant for sabbatical funding has different requirements. Carefully review eligibility criteria and application requirements before applying.  

• Does a grant require that the applicant be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident?
• Does the fellowship require that the recipient live for a certain number of consecutive months in a particular location?
• Is the grant for early career faculty or senior academics?
• Does the grant require a certain number of years of experience in a professional field?
• Is fluency in a foreign language a requirement of the grant?

7. Research the funding organization

Take the time to learn about the organization from which you are requesting funding. Review their mission statement, past grantees, and all published guidelines about the application process. Tailor your application to the organization’s priorities to help increase your chances of being selected for funding

8. Craft a detailed, well-written proposal

To apply for a sabbatical grant, a faculty member will need to submit a proposal that outlines their planned project or activities during the sabbatical. 

Write a clear, well-organized, concise application. Address all the questions and prompts. Use plain language and avoid technical terms that may not be familiar to the review committee. 

9. Follow application instructions

Make sure to read and follow all instructions provided with the grant application. Note any formatting requirements, page limits, and word count restrictions or requirements. 

Today, almost all grants use an online application.

10.Explain the project’s importance

The proposal should explain how your sabbatical research will be valuable to:

• your career
• the field 
• your home institution
• the hosting institution
• broader society
• the goals of the grant agency. 

11. Highlight your track record

Be sure to note any past publications, grants, or other achievements that demonstrate your track record for success. Note how the work you plan to do on this sabbatical will further the work you’ve already done. 

12. Plan your budget

Some grants will allocate a set amount of funding as the award. Others will want a detailed budget of how grant funds will be used. If that’s the case, be specific about the grant amount you’re seeking, how you plan to use the grant money, and why the funds are critical to the success of your sabbatical project. 

13. Plan to share

You will need to provide a plan for sharing your sabbatical experiences at your home institution, as well as with colleagues at large.

14. Get feedback

Before submitting your grant application, seek feedback from colleagues, mentors, and other experts in your field. Have someone not familiar with your field read the application to be sure it makes sense to someone who isn’t an expert in that area. 

15. Stay positive and persistent

The application process for sabbatical grant funding can be intense and competitive. If you don’t receive funding on your first try, don’t get discouraged. 

Seek feedback from the funding agency and use it to improve your application for the next round of grants. 

FAQs about sabbatical grants

Final thoughts on getting grant funding for a sabbatical

Applying for sabbatical grant funding can feel daunting. This list of agencies and organizations that provide grants for sabbaticals will help you find a funding agency that will be a good match for your field and research interests. 

Follow the tips above to increase your chances of success. Most importantly, start early, tailor your application to the priorities of the funding organization, and clearly articulate the potential impact of your project. 

There are so many grants that help fund sabbatical leaves from academic institutions. You can successfully apply for sabbatical funding and embark on a transformative and rewarding sabbatical experience. 

Do you know of any other great grants and fellowships for faculty who want to take a sabbatical? Leave a message and let me know about them!