American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies

What American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies does

The American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies (AISLS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit academic organization incorporated in the United States and established in 1996 to promote US research and teaching on Sri Lanka and to strengthen links between US and Sri Lankan scholars and institutions. Its central focus is the humanities, social sciences, and related fields. The institute does not operate a commercial software product; instead, it delivers a portfolio of academic programs including fellowships, dissertation planning grants, CAORC multi-country and NEH research fellowships, language instruction grants, Ira Unamboowe graduate student conference travel grants, dissertation-to-book workshop travel grants, graduate student workshops, digital humanities initiatives, and historical teaching resources. It maintains 24 institutional members and over 110 individual members, with an annual membership cycle running October 1 to September 30.

The institute's business model is funded primarily through grants from US government agencies and private foundations, supplemented by membership dues paid by institutional members ($250/year) and individual members ($40/year standard; $15/year concessionary). Donations from members and supporters are tax-deductible and provide supplementary funding for activities outside major donor interests. AISLS operates a Colombo-based research center (AILS Colombo, at 10 Fonseka Terrace, Colombo 6) that provides in-country workspace and resources for visiting scholars, and it co-sponsors annual graduate student conferences with Cornell University's South Asia Program, the partnership venue since 2017. The institute is governed by a board of directors appointed by institutional members and led by a United States Director and an Executive Director of AILS Colombo. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on academic conferences, direct outreach to member institutions, newsletters, and its website distribution channels rather than commercial sales motion.

Name

American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies

Legal name

American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies

Website

https://aisls.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies (AISLS) is a US 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1996 that promotes US research and teaching on Sri Lanka through fellowships, dissertation grants, and a Colombo research center, serving 24 institutional members and over 110 individual academic members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual dues from institutional members ($250/year) and individual members ($40/year standard, $15/year concessionary rate for students, community college teachers, adjuncts, unemployed, and retirees). Institutional members appoint board representatives and graduate students from member institutions are eligible for AISLS grants.
2. Grants from US Government Agencies and Private Foundations: Primary funding source. Most AISLS income comes from grants from US government agencies and private foundations. Donations from members and supporters provide supplemental funding for activities outside major donor interests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AISLS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit academic institute that promotes US research and teaching on Sri Lanka by funding fellowships, dissertation planning grants, language instruction grants, and graduate student travel grants to individual scholars. It operates the AILS Colombo research center in Sri Lanka, runs graduate student workshops with Cornell University's South Asia Program, and maintains digital humanities and bibliographical resources. The institute is governed by institutional and individual members across US and Sri Lankan academic communities.

Product overview

The American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies (AISLS) is a non-profit academic organization established in 1996, not a technology product company. It does not offer a unified software product or platform. Instead, AISLS provides academic fellowship programs, grant programs, and research support services including: fellowship programs, dissertation planning grants, CAORC multi-country research fellowships, language instruction grants, graduate student conference travel grants, and travel grants for dissertation-to-book workshops. The organization also operates the AILS Colombo center with library services, coordinates graduate student workshops, digital humanities programs, historiography and art history initiatives, virtual events, and provides educational resources including guides to research libraries, digital libraries, and bibliographical resources on Sri Lanka. These are academic support services and programs, not commercial software products or modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AISLS Fellowship Program Core fellowship program supporting US scholars conducting Sri Lanka-focused research.
• Dissertation Planning Grants

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cornell University South Asia ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership since 2017 for hosting annual graduate student workshops and conferences on Sri Lanka. Cornell's South Asia Program serves as the primary venue host, providing facilities, faculty mentors, and administrative support for AISLS-sponsored academic programming. The partnership provides hybrid participation options allowing scholars from Sri Lanka to attend virtually.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Institute of Indian Studies: US-based academic institute dedicated to promoting research and teaching on India. Directly comparable to AISLS as a country-focused, membership-based area-studies organization with fellowship programs, a physical in-country center, and similar dependence on US government grants.
• American Institute of Pakistan Studies: US-based academic institute supporting research and teaching on Pakistan. Mirrors AISLS's structure: humanities/social sciences focus, fellowship and grant programs, individual and institutional membership, and shared funding channels including CAORC.
• American Institute of Bangladesh Studies: US-based academic institute promoting research on Bangladesh. Operates as a near-identical peer to AISLS, with the same Title VIII and CAORC funding architecture, fellowship programs, and a small membership-driven governance model.
• American Institute for Yemeni Studies: US-based academic institute supporting research on Yemen. Shares AISLS's profile as a small, country-focused area-studies institute with fellowship programs, in-country research support, and a humanities/social sciences mission.
• American Research Center in Egypt: Egypt-focused US academic and research institute offering fellowships, grants, and an in-country research presence. Comparable to AISLS in mission, funding mix, and operational model, though significantly larger in scale.
• American Institute of Nepal Studies: US-based academic institute supporting research on Nepal. Functions as a direct structural peer to AISLS, with similar fellowship, grant, and membership programs focused on a single South Asian country.
• American Institute of Afghanistan Studies: US-based academic institute supporting research on Afghanistan. Mirrors AISLS's model of country-focused area studies with fellowships, grants, and scholarly exchange, sharing similar funding sources including Title VIII.
• American Center for Mongolian Studies: US-based academic institute supporting research on Mongolia. Closely mirrors AISLS's mission of promoting US scholarship on a specific country, with fellowship and grant programs funded through the same US government channel.

Broad incumbents

• Council of American Overseas Research Centers: Umbrella organization that links AISLS and other overseas research centers and administers multi-country and NEH research fellowships that AISLS participates in. Functions as both a federator and a partial funding conduit for AISLS.
• Association for Asian Studies: Largest US scholarly society for Asian studies, host of the Annual Conference on South Asia where AISLS runs its AGM and receptions. Broad incumbent relevant to AISLS's membership community rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SriLankanStudies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-institute-for-lankan-studies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies