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MacArthur Fellows Program is a fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation that awards unrestricted funds to extraordinarily creative individuals who demonstrate a marked capacity for self-direction and a track record of significant accomplishment in any field.
Known informally as the Genius Grant, each fellowship provides $800,000 paid in equal quarterly installments over five years with no strings attached and no required deliverables. Fellows may be scientists, artists, writers, social scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, or practitioners in virtually any field. Typically 20 to 30 fellows are selected annually, with the class announced in late September or October.
The program does not accept applications or unsolicited nominations; candidates are identified by a confidential network of external nominators. Nominees must be U.S. citizens or residents and cannot hold elective office.
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MacArthur Fellows Program Strategy - MacArthur Foundation Login into your grantee account, reset your password, or submit an idea to the MacArthur Foundation. Celebrating and inspiring the creative potential of individuals through no-strings-attached fellowships.
Awarding unrestricted fellowships to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.
There are three criteria for selection of Fellows: Promise for important future advances based on a track record of significant accomplishments which could be enabled by our support Potential for the Fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work At the heart of the MacArthur Fellows Program is its aim to identify extraordinarily creative individuals with a track record of excellence in a field of scholarship or area of practice, who demonstrate the ability to impact society in significant and beneficial ways through their pioneering work or the rigor of their contributions.
In keeping with this purpose, the Foundation awards fellowships directly to individuals rather than through institutions. Recipients may be writers, scientists, artists, social scientists, humanists, teachers, entrepreneurs, or individuals in other fields, with or without institutional affiliations.
By providing these individuals with unfettered support in pursuit of creative activities and knowledge, the Fellows Program seeks to: Highlight the importance of imaginative thinking in creating new works of art that inspire; Spotlight the value of risk-taking in addressing deep-rooted societal problems; Expand our understanding of creativity; and Cultivate the next generation of innovators.
While individuals will have a track record of significant achievement, the fellowship is not a lifetime achievement award—it is an investment in a person's originality, insight, and potential. The Fellows Program is proactively working to foster and enable innovative, imaginative, and ground-breaking ideas, thinking, and strategies.
The Foundation does not require or expect specific products or reports from MacArthur Fellows and does not evaluate recipients' creativity during the term of the fellowship. The MacArthur Fellowship is a "no-strings-attached" award in support of people, not projects. Each fellowship comes with an award of $800,000 to the recipient, paid out in equal quarterly installments over five years.
Meet Rebecca Richards-Kortum , Bioengineer, Class of 2016 Nominees are brought to the program's attention through a constantly changing pool of invited external nominators. Nominators come from as broad a range of fields and areas of interest as possible.
They are encouraged to draw on their expertise, accomplishments, and breadth of experience to nominate the most creative and transformative people they know within their field and beyond. Nominees are reviewed by an independent Selection Committee composed of a rotating roster of leaders in the arts, sciences, and humanities professions and in the for-profit and nonprofit communities.
Selectors consider each nominee with respect to the program's selection criteria and based on the nomination letter(s), numerous evaluations from subject matter experts collected by the program Staff, and examples of the nominee’s work. The Fellows Program does not accept applications or unsolicited nominations.
Meet Matthew Aucoin , Composer and Conductor, Class of 2018 After a rigorous, multi-stage review, the Selection Committee makes its recommendations to the President and MacArthur Board of Directors. Announcement of the annual class is usually made in late September or early October.
While the number of Fellows in each annual class varies, typically 20 to 30 Fellows are selected each year, representing a broad range of fields and endeavors. Nominators, evaluators, and selectors all serve anonymously, and their correspondence and counsel are kept confidential. This approach enables participants to provide their honest perspectives, independent of outside influence.
There are no restrictions on becoming a Fellow, except that nominees must be either residents or citizens of the United States and cannot hold elective office or advanced positions in government as defined by statute. Meet Jacqueline Woodson , Writer, Class of 2020 Members of the media seeking comment or to interview a MacArthur Fellow or Staff person should call 312. 516.
1547 or email Ambar Mentor-Truppa , Director, Communications. Summary of 2022–2024 Review of MacArthur Fellows Program Summary of 2012–2013 Review of MacArthur Fellows Program Search All Fellows & Download Fellows Data Reprints & Articles About the MacArthur Fellows Program
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Individuals who are citizens or residents of the United States and demonstrate extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits. Nomination only. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates $800,000 paid over five years Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
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Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
Indigenous Autonomy Impact Investments is an impact investing program from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation that deploys catalytic capital to financial intermediaries building the economic power and cultural independence of Indigenous people. MacArthur uses loans, equity, guarantees, and other financial instruments to fill gaps where conventional investors will not participate, targeting enterprises and funds that pioneer new products, build market infrastructure, and serve overlooked communities. The Foundation manages $500 million in active impact investments and makes approximately $5 million annually in related grants. Eligible applicants are financial intermediaries advancing Indigenous economic sovereignty.
The MacArthur Foundation has launched AI Opportunity as a new Big Bet Program focused on expanding who creates, uses, and benefits from artificial intelligence, with emphasis on the intersection of AI, the economy, and the workforce. The program centers on young people in Chicago, community-centered AI development, and nonprofit applications of AI. MacArthur has already awarded $10 million in initial aligned grantmaking to organizations including the AI Now Institute ($2M), Brookings Institution ($2M), London School of Economics ($2M), New America ($1M), Pulitzer Center ($1M), Washington Center for Equitable Growth ($1M), Data and Society ($500K), and Human Rights Data Analysis Group ($500K). The foundation is actively hiring an AI Opportunity Director and building program staff. While not currently accepting unsolicited proposals, interested organizations can submit ideas through a web form on the MacArthur website.