ARISC

What ARISC does

The American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC) is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization incorporated in Indiana in 2006 and currently celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026. ARISC's core function is supporting scholarly research in and about Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia through a portfolio of fellowships, grants, workshops, lecture series, language programs (Armenian, Azerbaijani, Georgian), heritage preservation initiatives, and study-abroad facilitation. It is governed as a membership-based academic organization and receives funding through US Department of Education grants, US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) pass-through funding via the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC), and individual donations. It does not develop or sell technology products; its core 'platform' is the curated set of academic programs, Resident Director networks, and research resources (archives, JSTOR access, bibliographic publications) made available to scholars and students.

ARISC serves three primary customer segments: academic researchers and scholars (US and international) conducting work in the South Caucasus, graduate and undergraduate students seeking language training and study-abroad opportunities, and educational institutions seeking collaborative research and heritage partnerships. All events, lectures, workshops, and fellowships are free and open to the public; donations are accepted but not required, and membership is offered on an individual and institutional basis. Revenue mechanics are nonprofit in nature: government grants, individual donations routed through GiveButter for the 20th Anniversary campaign, membership dues, and partner-institution cost-sharing.

The organization's distribution is built around its three-country physical footprint: a US office hosted at Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN), and Resident Director offices in Yerevan (Armenia), Tbilisi (Georgia), and Baku (Azerbaijan). Programs are also delivered online via Zoom and through co-organized lecture and workshop series with CRRC Georgia, American Councils for International Education, Harvard's Davis Center, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign REEEC, the American University of Armenia Turpanjian Institute, and other academic and cultural-heritage partners.

Name

ARISC

Legal name

American Research Institute of the South Caucasus

Website

https://arisc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ARISC is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit research institute that supports scholarship on Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia through fellowships, grants, language programs, lecture series, and heritage-preservation projects, serving academic researchers, students, educators, and partner institutions across the South Caucasus and the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAIAOAN

Application Support, Matching Platforms & Scholarship Administration Services

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Scholarships, Funding & Financial Aid for International Study

SECONDARYEDADAHAL

International Student Funding & Mobility Grants Administration

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

SECONDARYEDANAKAH

Research, Capstone & Extended Essay Mentoring (IB EE, independent research)

Education/Tutoring & Test Preparation/Enrichment & Advanced/Accelerated Tutoring (Gifted/AP/IB)

Keywords

• Academic research support
• Research fellowships
• Language programs
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Educational workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

West Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: ARISC accepts donations through checks, credit card via PayPal, and Donor-Advised-Funds. Donations support their 20th Anniversary Campaign and general operations.
2. Grants and Fellowships: ARISC receives funding from government sources including US Department of Education grants and US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) through grants to the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC).
3. Membership Fees: ARISC offers membership options for individuals and institutions with various membership forms and payment options available.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ARISC is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit research institute that supports scholarship on the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia). It administers competitive grants and fellowships, runs language learning programs in Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian, organizes academic events, workshops, and lecture series, and provides curated research resources and study-abroad programs. All offerings are delivered free of charge to the academic community, funded by US government grants, institutional and individual memberships, and private donations.

Product overview

ARISC (American Research Institute of the South Caucasus) is an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that supports research in and about Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Founded in 2006 and celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026, ARISC operates as a research institute rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including grants and fellowships for researchers, language learning resources for Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian, educational programs such as SCOPE and educator workshops, lecture series, and international study opportunities. ARISC also provides access to research resources including publications, archives, and maps, and facilitates scholarly collaboration through events, conferences, and the ARISC 20th Anniversary celebration programming. The organization maintains operational presence in the U.S. and has Resident Directors in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ARISC Grants and Fellowships

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and minor.

• Giorgi Leonidze State Museum of Georgian LiteraturenotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023ARISC provided funding for the Preservation of the Order of the Blue Horn Manuscript Archive Project, implemented by the museum. The project included procurement of storage boxes, development of updated inventory for researchers, preservation-focused trainings, and exhibition planning.
• Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC) GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRRC Georgia co-organizes the Works-in-Progress (WiP) academic discussion series with ARISC and American Councils. This ongoing series takes place at CRRC's office in Tbilisi and online, providing a platform for scholars to present research on Georgian and Caucasus-related topics.
• American Councils for International EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Councils co-organizes events with ARISC including the WiP series and various academic programs. They also collaborate on fellowships and professional development opportunities for researchers in the South Caucasus region.
• Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARISC is part of the CAORC network. Funding for fellowships is provided by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) through grants to CAORC, which then supports ARISC programming.
• Purdue UniversitynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerARISC's US office is hosted at Purdue University, Department of Anthropology, c/o Ian Lindsay. This institutional affiliation provides administrative support and academic connections.
• Harvard University Davis CenternotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerStephen F. Jones serves as Associate Member at Harvard's Davis Center while also being involved with ARISC events. The Davis Center focuses on Georgian Studies and collaborates on academic programming.
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (REEEC)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored the virtual panel on South Caucasus Language Instruction with ARISC. Supported with grants from US Department of Education Title VI AORC and NRC programs.
• Armenian Heritage Development Foundation (AHDF)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the 'From the Field to the Museum' educational outreach program for Armenian children, combining archaeological fieldwork with museum education.
• Global Reporting CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on the 'The Land in Between' podcast project documenting Georgia's 2024 parliamentary election and pro-EU protests.
• American University of Armenia (AUA) Turpanjian Institute of Social SciencesnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosting the international conference on Women's Education, Careers, and Social Change in the Russian and Ottoman Empires with the Max Weber Network Eastern Europe.
• Max Weber Network Eastern Europe (MWNO)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerMWNO Georgia branch office cooperates with AUA's TISS on the international conference on women's education and social change.
• University of TorontominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIra Schwartz is affiliated with University of Toronto and received ARISC Research and Mentoring Fellowship.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Council for Eurasian and East European Studies (NCEEER): US Title VI-funded national association supporting Eurasian and East European area studies broadly. Oversees Title VI National Resource Centers that channel federal grants to institutes like ARISC.

Direct peers

• American Institute of Iranian Studies (AIIrS): CAORC-affiliated institute supporting US scholarship on Iran through fellowships and language programs. Same grant/fellowship model and same constraints of operating in a politically sensitive region.
• American Academy in Rome: CAORC-affiliated American overseas research institution supporting advanced study in Rome. Same blend of residential fellowships, scholarly programming, and US federal funding ties.
• American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE): A 501(c)(3) overseas research center and fellow CAORC member that supports US scholarly research in Egypt through fellowships, grants, and on-the-ground programming. Closely comparable model: nonprofit, multi-program, US-based fiscal sponsor with in-country operations.
• American Councils for International Education: Core co-organizing partner of ARISC and fellow CAORC member; administers fellowships, language training, and exchange programs across Eurasia. Direct operational and funding peer with broader regional scope.
• American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT): CAORC-affiliated research institute supporting US scholarship in Turkey with fellowships, language programs, and in-country offices. Direct structural analog in the region adjacent to ARISC's geography.
• Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC): Co-organizer of ARISC's Works-in-Progress academic discussion series in Tbilisi. Operates regional research programs in the South Caucasus with overlapping country footprint and similar academic audiences.
• American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS): CAORC-affiliated nonprofit that supports research on India through fellowships, language training, and in-country programming. Same funding architecture (ECA, Title VI, membership) and similar fellowship-driven operating model.
• American School of Classical Studies at Athens: CAORC-affiliated US research institution supporting advanced study of Greece. Comparable model of hosting US scholars abroad with grants, fellowships, and library/archaeological resources.
• American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR): CAORC overseas research center in Jordan offering fellowships, language training, and scholarly events. Direct peer in mission, structure, and funder relationships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiJIyeTeUREnShW4CHIYqYw
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericanResearchInstituteoftheSouthCaucasus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-research-institute-of-the-south-caucasus
• Instagraminstagram.com/arisc_us
• Xx.com/ARISC_US

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ARISC