The Individual Fellowship is run by the Asian Cultural Council (ACC), a New York-based nonprofit funding cultural exchange between the U.S. and Asia and within Asia.
Artists, scholars and arts professionals from ACC’s eligible countries and regions spend one to six months somewhere less familiar in Asia or the U.S., pursuing self-directed research and immersion. It is not a residency, a production grant or funding for a single event; up to three people may apply jointly.
Benefits & funding
- Up to US$35,000, set by ACC from your budget; the same cap applies to joint teams of up to three.
- Covers economy airfare, local transport, accommodation, food, visas, insurance and interpreters.
- Does not fund making or promoting work, equipment purchases or a full-time residency.
- U.S. fellows travel on an ACC-sponsored J-1 visa (SEVIS fee and health insurance deducted from the grant) and may not do paid work there.
Eligibility
- Citizens or legal permanent residents of an eligible country, territory or region (list below); temporary work or student visas do not count.
- At least five years’ experience in an eligible discipline: architecture, archaeology, art history, arts administration, arts criticism, conservation, crafts, curation, dance, ethnomusicology, film, literature, museum studies, music, theater or visual art (video art and photography count as visual art).
- At least 21 by the fellowship start.
- No university coursework or teaching during the fellowship.
- You cannot travel to the place where you currently live.
- Not eligible if you received an ACC grant in the last two calendar years.
- For U.S. travel, confident everyday English.
- Eligible countries, territories and regions: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Mainland China, East Timor, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, U.S. and Vietnam.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Afghanistan · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · China · Timor-Leste · Hong Kong · India · Indonesia · Japan · South Korea
+ 14 more
Laos · Macau · Malaysia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · Pakistan · Philippines · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Taiwan · Thailand · USA · Vietnam
Experience required
≥ 5 yrs
Age requirement
≥ 21 yrs
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Submit one application per cycle (one ACC program only) on ACC’s GoApply portal by 10 November 2026, 9:59 AM ET; the primary applicant submits for a joint team.
- 2Applicants filing through ACC Japan or ACC Taiwan also submit a Japanese or traditional-Chinese copy.
- 3Each applicant names one recommender, whose letter is due by 16 November 2026, plus two professional contacts.
- 4Shortlisted applicants have a virtual interview.
Program timeline
Applications open
Oct 1, 2026
Application deadline (9:59 AM ET)
Nov 10, 2026
Recommendation letters due
Nov 16, 2026
Notifications
Mid-May 2027
Grant period
Aug 1, 2027 to Dec 31, 2028