Introduction

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The Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) is pleased to launch the eighth cycle of its Small Grants Program and the first on the theme of “Artificial Intelligence: Technology, Society and Learning in the Arab Region.”

This grant, with a duration of 8 months, supports junior and senior scholars as well as activists with a background in the social sciences and humanities, to conduct a research project on the theme of “Technology, Society and Learning in the Arab Region.”

A grant of up to USD4,000 is available for individual researchers. Up to six grantees will be selected to benefit from the grant in this first cycle.

This program supports research proposals based on new or ongoing projects, including:

• Initial or “pilot” phase of a new project,
• Specific phase of ongoing projects combining fieldwork and analysis, and
• Proposals to develop previous projects, for example seeking new cases and field sites.

 
This program is funded through a grant provided to the Arab Council for the Social Sciences by the Ford Foundation regional office in Cairo. 

Program Description

The relationship between technological development and innovation and social change is one of the enduring interests in social research. Presently, technological advances, especially in the area of artificial intelligence, are reshaping our world and their impact is visible in every sector of our lives from education to healthcare to transport, media, leisure and manufacturing not to mention their impact on states, governance, civil society and social movements. 

This program aims at promoting research on Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a technology and industry, and its relationship to society, politics and learning in the Arab region. The program seeks to fund researchers who wish to study the impact of AI on different sectors, explore its ethical implications, and contribute to advancing knowledge production on this important theme in the Arab region. 

Some areas of work that the program encourages applicants to address include -but are not limited to – the following:

• The political economy of AI and its governance in the Arab region
• The growing impact of AI on civil society and social movements 
• The impact of AI on labor market
• The role of AI in education and learning
• Effect of AI on youth network building and communication 
• The ethics of AI – ethical considerations surrounding AI applications 
• The implications of increased AI on societal relations

Eligibility Criteria

Required Documents

Applicants are required to create an account and a Profile Page on the ACSS Applications Platform, then apply to the grant using the online application form for the Small Grants Program– Technology, Society and Learning in the Arab Region, and provide the following supporting documents:

• Detailed CV including academic qualifications and publications (with links if publications are available online)
• One-page cover letter explaining the purpose of the application
• Proof of nationality (copy of a valid passport or identification card). Applicants who are originally from an Arab state, but carry a non-Arab passport, should provide evidence of their Arab origin.
• Project proposal (five to seven double spaced pages) detailing the activities that the applicant intends to undertake during the grant period. Please note that all submitted proposals will be checked on a plagiarism detection software. 
• Copy of the Masters or PhD degree. 
• Completed Project Timeline and Outputs Form . Outputs must be realistically aligned with the grant timeline.
• Completed Project Budget Request Form . The budget may include fieldwork expenses (field accommodation, travel and transportation related to the research, and living expenses), and purchase of research equipment and other supplies. The budget may also include consultation fees for project development, a stipend for the principal investigator and research assistance, all for up to a maximum of 25% of the proposed budget (equivalent to $1,000). 

 
The Grants and Fellowships Unit at the Arab Council for the Social Sciences will review each budget on a case-by-case basis. Please note that the total and detailed approved budget may not necessarily correspond to the one requested. 

Disciplinary Focus

The Small Grants Program is open to any discipline in the social sciences and humanities and allied and interdisciplinary fields. Core disciplines include anthropology, demography, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology, philosophy, literary studies and art history. Allied and interdisciplinary fields include architecture, geography, education, law, public health, gender studies, cultural studies, media studies, development studies and urban studies.

Proposal Writing Guidelines

Proposals (five to seven) double spaced pages) should include the following components:

• Background and significance of the research 
• Research problem and research questions
• Theoretical framework
• Literature review
• Methodology and ethical considerations.

 
For more information on proposal writing guidelines, click here.

Proposed Outputs

Outputs may include, but are not limited to, research papers and/or articles for publication, archival studies, book manuscript, blog or e-zine essay, proposal for funding a new project, chapter in a book or dissertation, pedagogical resources and digital archives or databases. In addition, the ACSS requires grantees to produce a working paper within the ACSS Working Papers Series.

Selection Process

A multidisciplinary Selection Committee composed of distinguished Arab scholars with established research and publication records and experience in regional research and teaching will review and select proposals for funding. The selection procedures abide by the highest standards of academic and ethical judgment.

The committee evaluates proposals based on the following evaluation criteria:

• Research proposal’s contribution to knowledge (significance, quality, and originality)
• Feasibility and clarity of the proposed research plan (realistic timeframe and appropriate research methods)
• Applicant’s competence (academic credentials, existing and potential publications)
• Expected outputs and planned publications.

 
Up to six grantees will be selected to benefit from the grant this first cycle.

By submitting the electronic application, applicants affirm that they agree, without any objections, to the evaluation and selection results as decided and announced by the Selection Committee and the Arab Council for the Social Sciences. Applicants who are unsuccessful will not be informed of the specific reasons for rejection.

Results will be communicated to applicants during the second week of July 2025.

Terms of the Grant

Successful applicants are expected to comply with the following project requirements:

• Respond to requests for clarification or elaboration put forward by the Selection Committee in its preliminary acceptance decision; submit a revised proposal, timeline and budget.
• Sign a contract specifying the budget, timeline, outputs, and researcher’s obligations.
• Attend and present research project at the Sixth Research Forum of the Arab Council for the Social Sciences, that will be held in Spring 2026. The cost of attending this event should not be budgeted for. It will be covered directly by the ACSS.
• Submit a narrative and financial report, including original receipts for all project expenses.
• Produce the outputs specified in the contract and submit a working paper within the ACSS Working Paper Series, which is a peer-reviewed publication. (Please see the guidelines for the Working Paper Series here.)

The Budget

The budget should not exceed USD4,000 and cannot include: travel expenses for conference participation or registration fees and participation in workshops.

The budget should clearly indicate whether other sources of funding are already available or have been applied for and which items would be fully or partially covered by other sources. The Selection Committee and the ACSS staff will review each budget on a case-by-case basis. Please note that the total and detailed budget may not necessarily correspond to the one requested. 

Timeline

March 27, 2025: Application forms are available online. 

May 27, 2025: Deadline for submissions. 

Second week of July: Decisions are communicated to applicants. 

July 2025: Accepted applicants sign their contracts.

July 2025 to February 2026: Grant duration of 8 months.

March 2026: Submission of final reports and grant outputs.

Spring 2026: Attend and present research results at the Sixth Research Forum.

Applicants are advised to consult the Frequently Asked Questions and the checklist  prior to submitting their application.

For inquiries about the grant, please direct your questions to the Grants and Fellowships Unit on the following email address: grants@theacss.org

For questions related to the online application process and technical issues, please contact the  IT Officer, Wassim Alam, on the following email address: alam@theacss.org