The American Philosophical Society Receives $1.76 Million Grant to Support Native American Scholars Initiative

An enhanced NASI expands beyond Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA (October 27, 2026)—The American Philosophical Society (APS) is proud to announce it has received a $1,766,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation supporting an enhanced Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) within its Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR). The expanded NASI, open to all scholars pursuing research in Native American and Indigenous Studies, continues the APS’s signature NASI predoctoral fellowships and undergraduate internships, and will broaden the Digital Knowledge Sharing workshops, where fellows share projects connecting archives and Indigenous communities, to locations beyond Philadelphia, while implementing new NASI Sabbatical Fellowships.

“The APS is thrilled to once again receive the support of the Mellon Foundation in our ongoing efforts to ensure our holdings are more than just history,” said Patrick Spero, APS CEO. “This enhancement of NASI meets the current moment, investing in research and scholarship in a moment where others might retreat. From language revitalization to international programming, the Society is committed to making new knowledge possible through NASI."

This award represents the third Mellon-funded NASI grant, all of which have allowed the APS to invest in researchers of Indigenous studies, training scholars both within and beyond the academy in the latest methods of documenting Indigenous culture and languages. Through NASI and CNAIR, the APS has strengthened its ties with scholars of Native American and Indigenous studies. With this grant, the APS will be able to reach the next generation of scholars, researchers, and knowledge workers—many in their own communities.

The Society’s commitment to Native American collections dates back to former APS President Thomas Jefferson’s passionate interest in the “Customs, Manners, Languages, and Character of the Indian Nations,” as set forth in his Notes on the State of Virginia (1787). Peter Stephen Du Ponceau, another President of the Society (1828–1844), expanded on Jefferson’s vision by initiating the first great wave of manuscript acquisitions documenting Native American linguistics and cultural traditions from South, Central, and North America.

“The Mellon Foundation’s support for the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research over the last decade has been pivotal to expanding its reach,” said Brian Carpenter, Curator of Indigenous Materials at the APS. “This generous third grant will enable CNAIR to hold our signature Digital Knowledge Sharing workshops across North America, gathering with Indigenous communities and scholars who are on the forefront of revitalizing knowledge traditions and producing new knowledge from archival materials.”

As the Society looks to 2027 and beyond, it has challenged itself to meet the obvious need for funding and investment in scholarship pertaining to Native American and Indigenous studies. The expanded NASI program will enable the APS to further invest in the people and communities where these materials matter most, making its holdings and programs accessible to an even greater population than before. The newly established NASI Sabbatical Fellowships will meet a rising need for such opportunities as other sources of funding dwindle or disappear.

To learn more about the APS’s NASI programs, including how to apply for fellowships and internships, visit amphilsoc.org/cnair-funding-opportunities.

Contact:
Grayson Morley
Communications Manager
American Philosophical Society
[email protected]
215-701-4427

About the American Philosophical Society

The American Philosophical Society (APS), the oldest learned society in the United States, was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin for the purpose of “promoting useful knowledge.” The APS sustains this mission today by engaging leading scholars, scientists, and professionals through elected Membership, supporting research and discovery via grants and fellowships, sparking conversation through its programs, conferences, and books, and by making its research library available to scholars at all stages of their careers. The APS continues to reflect the founders’ spirit of inquiry, to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas, and to convey the conviction that intellectual inquiry and critical thought are inherently in the best interest of the public. To learn more about the APS, visit amphilsoc.org.