Council of American Overseas Research Centers

Founded in 1981, the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) is a private nonprofit federation of independent overseas research centers (ORCs) that promote advanced research, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, with a focus on the conservation and recording of cultural heritage and the understanding and interpretation of modern societies.

CAORC fosters research projects across national boundaries, encourages collaborative research and programmatic and administrative coherence among member centers, and works to expand their resource base and service capacity. CAORC member centers maintain a permanent presence in the host countries where they operate—in Europe, Latin America, the Near and Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, and West Africa.

The centers are the primary vehicle through which American scholars carry out research vital to our understanding of and intersection with other cultures. Some centers have existed for over a century while others were founded in the decades following World War II in response to American scholarly needs and host country invitations.

CAORC offers two fellowship programs, the NEH Senior Research Fellowship and Multi-Country Research Fellowship, which allow fellows to visit and carry out research within our network of Overseas Research Centers. In addition, each Center offers fellowships and grant opportunities specific to its region. Scholars must carry out research in a country which hosts a participating American overseas research center. ORCs with their own FPIRI fellowship programs do not participate in this competition. Eligible countries are listed in the call for applications on CAORC’s website.