Established in 1968, the American Center of Research (ACOR; formerly “American Center of Oriental Research”) is an international nonprofit academic institution based in Alexandria, Virginia, with a center in Amman, Jordan, dedicated to advancing knowledge of Jordan and the interconnected region, past and present. ACOR facilitates the acquisition of knowledge through research and dialogue and offers an extensive public library, archive, residential facilities, and international fellowship and scholarship programs. ACOR promotes and supports research across a broad spectrum of the social sciences, humanities, and the arts, serving as a conduit for cultural exchange among professionals, students, and the public. We do so by sharing knowledge via lectures, digital resources, publications, workshops, and developing curricular and training programs. Over the past 50+ years, ACOR has been a beacon of stability for North American learning, research, and support in the Middle East.
ACOR’s programs and resources support a wide range of studies relating to the host country of Jordan and the greater Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Given the breadth of its mission, ACOR contributes significantly to diverse scholarly perspectives—whether studies of the ancient past, recent historical periods, or the contemporary world. Scholars avail themselves of ACOR’s resources to explore everything from the Nabataean culture that flourished in Petra to ongoing social, religious, and economic upheavals in the wake of recent unrest in the region. Our extant fellowship program is central to such undertakings and would, through this proposal, provide significant new opportunities, while further advancing our core mission.
Solidly grounded in advancing the humanities, ACOR’s center in Amman was established in 1968 by archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians as a permanent base of operations for ongoing field research. Since then, ACOR has diversified its scope into the arts, modern languages and literatures, religious studies, economics, political science, international relations, environmental studies, sociology, and gender studies. The center’s longstanding, vibrant fellowship program is a testament to the wide range of disciplines and research topics embraced by ACOR’s contemporary mission.
ACOR is governed by a Board of Trustees, comprising 30 members who serve three-year renewable terms, with certain term limits. The trustees encompass two diverse groups with experience in and concern for the region, namely academics and professional laypersons (e.g., attorneys, bankers, former diplomats) of various nationalities. The ACOR Board, senior administration, and Executive Director meet twice a year to review the center’s overall program, activities, and budget and to set annual program and budget priorities. The Executive Committee and Finance Committee meet at least quarterly, and more often as needed. The Board has a well-organized committee structure to oversee ACOR’s library, development, finances, long-range planning, publications, and fellowships. The Executive Director is supported by a staff of nearly 40, in the U.S. and Jordan.
