ACOR

What ACOR does

ACOR (The American Center of Research), legally a U.S. non-profit incorporated in the United States with headquarters and operational center in Amman, Jordan, advances research on Jordan's archaeology, history, and culture. Founded in 1968 and affiliated with the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC), the organization serves scholars, graduate students, academic institutions, and Jordanian government cultural-heritage agencies by running fellowships, conducting and facilitating archaeological projects (including Temple of the Winged Lions, Amman Citadel, Bayt Ras, Khirbet Salameh, Ayla/Aqaba, and 'Ain Ghazal), and operating a public library and digital photo archive.

Its core products span six lines: a fellowship program (Named, Jordanian, and Amman Prize tracks plus NEH and CAORC placements), archaeological excavation and conservation projects, library and digital archive services, academic publications (the 'Archaeology in Jordan' series, 'Insights' blog, newsletter, and books), residential facilities for visiting scholars, and public lectures and events. Supporting technology includes RTK positioning devices, a High-Precision GNSS NTRIP Network, RealityScan photogrammetry for 3D documentation, the AMAES Digital Archive Project, and the National Cultural Heritage Property Database.

The revenue model is multi-stream non-profit funding rather than commercial pricing: U.S. government grants (USAID SCHEP, NEH, U.S. Department of State AFCP), foundation and CAORC pass-throughs, donor contributions including a 50th Anniversary Honor Roll, and residence and facility fee revenue. Distribution is direct via the Amman center, supplemented by the CAORC network for fellowship referrals, online self-serve application portals, and the ACOR Book Marketplace for publications.

Name

ACOR

Legal name

The American Center of Research

Website

https://acorjordan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACOR (The American Center of Research) is a U.S.-incorporated non-profit academic institution that operates its research center in Amman, Jordan, delivering fellowships, archaeological projects, a public library and digital archive, publications, and residential facilities to scholars, students, and heritage agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research and Archaeological Field Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Historical Sites (712120), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAIAOAJ

Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International)

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

SECONDARYEDAIABAK

Inbound Exchange Hosting & Visiting Student Administration

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/University/College Exchange Programs & Partnerships

SECONDARYEDADAKAH

Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Institutional Governance & Administration (School/College/University Admin)

Keywords

• Archaeological research
• Fellowship programs
• Cultural heritage
• Academic publishing
• Digital archives

Headquarters

HQ city

Amman

HQ country

Jordan

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fellowship and Grant Funding: ACOR receives funding from various sources including government agencies, foundations, and private donors to support fellowship programs, research grants, and academic initiatives. Revenue comes from NEH fellowships, CAORC partnerships, and designated fellowship endowments such as the Pierre and Patricia Bikai Fellowship.
2. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts charitable donations including annual fund contributions, directed donations, legacy giving, and support for specific initiatives. The 50th Anniversary Honor Roll indicates a robust donor base supporting the center's operations.
3. Residence and Facility Services: ACOR provides residential facilities and workspace for visiting scholars and academic groups, generating revenue through room rates and facility usage fees. The center offers accommodation with rates published on their website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACOR is a non-profit academic research institution that administers fellowship funding for scholars, conducts and facilitates archaeological excavation and conservation projects across Jordan, maintains a public library and searchable digital photo archive, and publishes scholarly works ('Archaeology in Jordan', 'Insights', newsletter, books). It also operates residential facilities in Amman for visiting researchers and hosts public lectures and field schools. Revenue is drawn from government grants (NEH, USAID), foundation and donor support, residence fees, and publication sales.

Product overview

ACOR (The American Center of Research) is an international, non-profit academic institution offering a comprehensive suite of services for advancing knowledge of Jordan and the interconnected region. The organization operates as a unified platform combining fellowship funding, archaeological research facilitation, library services with digital archives, academic publications, residential facilities for scholars, and public programming. The core offerings work together synergistically: fellowships support researchers who contribute to ACOR's archaeological projects and publications, while the library and digital archive provide foundational resources for this work. Publications disseminate findings from fellows and project teams, and public lectures showcase research outcomes to broader audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fellowship Program Comprehensive fellowship program providing grants and funding to scholars and students conducting research on Jordan and the broader Middle East. Includes named fellowships (Pierre and Patricia Bikai, Jennifer C. Groot Memorial, S. Thomas Parker Memorial Fund, James A. Sauer), Jordanian Fellowships, and the Amman Prize, with current opportunities for 2026-2027.
• Archaeological Projects Field-based archaeological excavation, restoration, and survey initiatives across sites in Jordan, delivered with the Jordanian Department of Antiquities and partner institutions. Services are directed at academic institutions and research organizations conducting site-based research.
• Library and Digital Archive Public-facing library with a searchable digital photo archive preserving Jordan's archaeological and cultural heritage, including image-request services and online catalogue access through dedicated portals.
• ACOR Publications Academic publishing platform producing the 'Archaeology in Jordan' book series, the 'Insights' blog, a quarterly newsletter, and books on research focused on Jordan and the broader region.
• Residence Facilities Residential accommodation and workspace on the ACOR campus in Amman for visiting scholars, academic groups, and individual researchers, with rates published on ACOR's website and reservations handled through an online portal.
• Public Lectures and Events Public lectures, virtual lecture series, and interdisciplinary events hosted at ACOR to disseminate research findings and promote scholarly exchange, with recordings distributed via the ACOR YouTube channel.
• USAID SCHEP Cultural Heritage Initiative USAID-funded Sustainable Cultural Heritage Through Engagement of Local Communities Project (SCHEP), a large-scale cultural-heritage preservation and community-engagement initiative delivered by ACOR in partnership with the Government of Jordan.
• National Cultural Heritage Property Database of Jordan National inventory database documenting and tracking cultural heritage property across the Kingdom of Jordan, developed and maintained by ACOR in collaboration with the Jordanian Department of Antiquities.
• Prevention of Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property Project Project aimed at preventing illicit trafficking of cultural property in Jordan, delivered by ACOR in cooperation with the Jordanian Department of Antiquities.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAORC is a key organizational partner that facilitates fellowship programs and connects ACOR with other American overseas research centers. ACOR is part of the CAORC network and participates in CAORC-sponsored fellowship programs including pre-doctoral fellowships.
• Jordanian Department of AntiquitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing permits, institutional support, and collaboration for archaeological projects, excavations, and heritage preservation initiatives throughout Jordan.
• Technische Universität BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership supporting PhD research on numismatic authentication, with collaboration through the Rathgen Research Laboratory for scientific analysis of ancient coins.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Institute of Archaeology (AIA): AIA is a much larger U.S.-based archaeological society that supports archaeological research globally, runs site preservation projects, publishes the American Journal of Archaeology, and convenes the annual meeting ACOR attends. It overlaps with ACOR on heritage advocacy, publishing, and convening scholars.
• Getty Conservation Institute: Getty Conservation Institute funds and conducts heritage conservation science projects globally, including the conservation of Petra sites where ACOR is active. It overlaps with ACOR's Conservation Cooperative and site preservation work at a much larger institutional scale.
• American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR): ASOR is a CAORC-affiliated organization that supports Near Eastern archaeological research, runs the Annual Meeting, and administers cultural heritage initiatives including SCHEP-related work in the region. ASOR operates at a broader regional and programmatic scale than ACOR.
• Oriental Institute, University of Chicago: The Oriental Institute is a major university-based research museum that runs excavations throughout the Near East including Jordan, supports publication of archaeological findings, and trains graduate students. It is a more established institutional counterpart to ACOR's research mission.

Others

• ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites): ICOMOS is an international NGO that advises UNESCO on cultural heritage site preservation and runs cultural property protection initiatives with overlapping scope to ACOR's Prevention of Illicit Trafficking program. It operates globally in the same heritage preservation domain.
• Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC): CAORC is ACOR's parent network and the umbrella under which it distributes fellowships and coordinates with peers. While not a direct competitor, CAORC directly administers multi-country fellowship programs that complement ACOR's individual offerings.

Emerging players

• Global Digital Heritage: Global Digital Heritage partners with ACOR on 3D documentation projects using photogrammetry and LiDAR for archaeological sites. The overlap on digital heritage documentation technology makes it a comparable emerging player in the same niche.

Direct peers

• American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE): ARCE is the closest structural peer to ACOR: it is also a CAORC-affiliated U.S. nonprofit that administers fellowships, supports scholars, publishes research, and partners with the Egyptian antiquities authorities to conduct fieldwork. Both centers operate the same hybrid research-fellowship-publishing-residential model in the Near East.
• American Institute for Yemeni Studies (AIYS): AIYS is another CAORC-affiliated center focused on a single Near East country, administering fellowships and supporting archaeological, linguistic, and social science research. Its size, mission, and grant-funded operating model closely mirror ACOR's.
• W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research (AIAR): Albright is a CAORC-affiliated overseas research center offering NEH fellowships, archaeological research support, and residential services in Jerusalem, comparable to ACOR's model in Jordan. The two centers share fellowship pools, donor networks, and federal funding pipelines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2BLitly58qe1AHpA7fmH4g
• Xx.com/ACORJordan
• Facebookfacebook.com/ACORJORDAN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acor-amman

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ACOR