Established in 1984, the American Institute for Maghrib Studies (AIMS) is a private, non-profit educational organization that works to facilitate research
in North Africa and encourage the free exchange of information between American and North African scholars.

In the United States, AIMS serves as the professional association of scholars interested in the region. AIMS sponsors the Journal of North African Studies
(JNAS) published by Francis and Taylor, provides grants for American and North African scholars interested in conducting research in the Maghrib, hosts an annual conference and dissertation workshop, and supports the Critical Language Scholarship Program (CLS). Abroad, AIMS organizes programs in collaboration with scholars and institutions throughout North Africa. As a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC), AIMS is the only American Overseas Research Center that administers three centers: Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM - Morocco), Centre d'Etudes Maghrébines à Tunis (CEMAT - Tunisia), and Centre d'Etudes Maghrébines en Algérie (CEMA - Oran, Algeria).