CAORC | About Us
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Founded in 1981, the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) is a network of American overseas research centers (ORCs) dedicated to assisting American scholars conducting research on critical issues of U.S. national importance in 29 countries around the world.

CAORC deepens U.S. expertise in regions critical to national security and economic stability. Its member centers maintain a permanent presence in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and West Africa - regions where understanding local histories, cultures, and economies is vital to informed policymaking and global leadership.

By equipping American scholars with the tools to engage with other societies, CAORC strengthens national security through cultural intelligence and diplomacy, builds U.S. economic prosperity by expanding global partnerships, and reinforces American leadership in education and innovation. Many CAORC member centers have existed for over a century, while others were established in the post-World War II era to meet growing scholarly and diplomatic needs to promote American leadership.  

Today, CAORC supports over 500 U.S. universities, colleges, and museums, providing invaluable research and teaching resources to institutional members, individual fellows, and affiliated scholars through a broad range of services. By facilitating knowledge exchange and fostering a globally aware workforce, CAORC ensures that America remains safer, stronger, and more prosperous in an increasingly interconnected world.

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The 25 American overseas research centers promote international scholarly collaboration in 29 countries around the globe. Click on our interactive map to see where our member centers are, their homepage, and links to their fellowship opportunities

PROMOTING INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARLY EXCHANGE

 

American overseas research centers (ORCs) provide the institutional space and research resources for innovative and multi-disciplinary work abroad for U.S. scholars. The centers offer fellowships and a wide variety of programming, provide a forum for making connections in-country, offer library resources, and showcase US scholarly excellence through workshops, conferences, publications, public lectures and events.

CAORC launched full-time operations in 1986 with grants from the Andrew W. Mellon, Rockefeller, and Exxon Foundations and the J.P. Getty Trust.

CAORC is funded in part by the following public and private institutions:

 

  • U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

  • Smithsonian Institution

  • Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

  • Carnegie Corporation of New York

  • J.M. Kaplan Fund

  • Library of Congress

  • Center membership dues

CAORC helps affiliated Centers secure funding from sources such as:

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  • U.S. Department of Education

  • National Endowment for the Humanities

  • Institute for Museum and Library Services

  • UNESCO

  • Joukowsky Family Foundation

  • Rockefeller Foundation

  • The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation

ABOUT CAORC MEMBER CENTERS

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  • CAORC member centers have an impact on thousands of U.S. students. The ORCs are responsible for taking thousands of U.S. students and scholars from universities across America to places overseas where study and research are difficult to negotiate.

  • CAORC member centers are relied upon by U.S. universities and colleges. Over 500 U.S. educational institutions in all 50 states hold institutional memberships in 25 ORCs around the world rely on the ORCs to fund and support research and study overseas.

  • CAORC member centers are cost-effective. The ORCs facilitate research, conduct programs, and inform the American public, all while operating with very low administrative costs.

  • CAORC member centers are located in countries of vital importance to the United States. Most American overseas research centers (ORCs) are located in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.

OUR SERVICES

The Council of American Overseas Research Centers:

 

  • provides secure funding for 80% of its member centers;

  • facilitates the establishment of new research centers;

  • secures funds for and supports a number of fellowships;

  • explores new technology in support of international scholarship;

  • fosters communication and collaboration among centers leading to a strengthening of academic programs and administrative procedures;

  • speaks in support of overseas research centers;

  • helps expand the resource base and raise the profile of member centers;

  • fosters research projects across national boundaries; and

  • serves as an advocate for area studies.

American overseas research centers offer many services:

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  • providing research libraries, technical services, and living accommodations;

  • serving as a base for field expeditions;

  • supporting publication of papers, books and serials, newsletters and information bulletins;

  • sponsoring joint scholarly projects and offering a program of conferences, lectures, seminars, concerts and exhibitions;

  • providing a place for contact and exchange between American researchers and their host-country counterparts as well as third-country colleagues working in the host-country;

  • liaising with host-country governments and universities in obtaining access to research sources; and

  • monitoring and offering advice on the research climate in the host-country.

Video: An Introduction to CAORC

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