The use of academic jargon is discouraged. In connection with this part of the application, each applicant is asked to identify an Egyptian scholar with whom he or she would like to be affiliated. Copies of all applications are distributed to the members of the ARCE Fellowship Committee in advance of its annual meeting in January. The Fellowship Committee, which numbers five or six members, is composed annually of distinguished senior scholars with varied disciplinary specialties representing virtually all areas of Egyptian studies. Criteria for selection rest on the committee's judgment of the significance and relevance of the proposed topic and its potential contribution to scholarly research on Egypt as well as the applicant's intellectual capacity and maturity and fitness for field work in Egypt.
Awards are open to all qualified candidates without regard to sex, race and religion.
Because under certain circumstances non-U.S. nationality results in funding problems, it is advisable to contact the U.S. Office for further clarification if there is a doubt about eligibility. Final selection is determined by vote and approved fellowships are ranked according to merit and priority. All applicants are notified as to the preliminary status of their proposals within a few weeks of the Fellowship Committee's meeting. Formal award letters to successful applicants are sent as soon as the necessary funding is assured. Applicants should expect notification by mid-March.