John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Guggenheim Fellowships
Guggenheim Fellowships give artists, scholars and scientists in the United States and Canada six to twelve months to pursue one project of their own, under the freest conditions the Foundation can offer. They cover more than 50 fields across the creative arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, and they go to people who have already shown exceptional ability rather than to students. In 2026 the 101st class had 223 fellows, chosen from nearly 5,000 applicants.
- Level
- Researchers
- Study or work in
- United States and Canada (holders may work anywhere)
- Who can apply
- Citizens and permanent residents of the US and Canada with a record of achievement; not current students or past fellows
- What it covers
- A grant whose amount varies, set with regard to the fellow's other resources and plans; no fee to apply
- Length
- Six to twelve months
- Application window
- Opens in mid August, closes in mid September; results in late April
Open now (1)
- Guggenheim FellowshipJohn Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
How to apply
Apply online through the Foundation's applicant portal with a career narrative, a statement of plans for one project, a list of up to seven significant works, work examples in some fields, and three or four references.
What the fellowship is
The Foundation describes the fellowship as a grant to an exceptional individual pursuing a project that matters to them, in any field of knowledge or any art form, under the freest possible conditions. Fellows are at liberty to follow their ideas without expectation or constraint. It supports individuals only, not institutions or organisations.
The fellowship covers more than 50 fields spanning the creative arts, the humanities, the natural sciences and the social sciences, including interdisciplinary areas. Artists, writers, scholars and scientists all compete in the same annual competition, based on open applications.
Who can apply
Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada and must have shown exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. Students enrolled in any secondary, undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate programme cannot apply, and past fellows cannot receive a second fellowship.
Being employed does not rule anyone out. Teachers on sabbatical leave with full or part salary may be appointed, as may people holding other fellowships or appointments at research centres.
The grant
Grant amounts vary, and the Foundation does not promise to fund any project fully. It shares its funds as fairly as it can, taking account of the fellow's other resources and the purpose and scope of their plans. The fellowship period is six to twelve months.
There is no fee to apply, and the Foundation has no affiliated application consultants.
How selection works
- Application. Applicants apply online between mid August and mid September (the 2027 competition closed on 15 September 2026), with work examples due later in some fields (29 September 2026).
- References. Each applicant names three or four references, who are contacted through the portal.
- Expert review. Two to five reviewers, experts in the field chosen from former Guggenheim Fellows, read each application in full and identify the strongest candidates.
- Committee of Selection. The reviewers recommend applicants to the Committee of Selection, an interdisciplinary group of experts that must reach consensus before an applicant advances.
- Trustees. The Board of Trustees confirms the final awards. The process takes more than six months, and applicants hear in late April.
Questions
Who can apply?
Citizens and permanent residents of the United States and Canada with a record of exceptional scholarship or artistic achievement, who are not currently students.
How much is a fellowship?
Amounts vary. The Foundation allocates funds as equitably as possible, considering each fellow's other resources and plans, and does not guarantee to fund a project fully.
Can I keep my job?
Teachers on sabbatical with full or part salary, and people holding other fellowships or appointments at research centres, are eligible.
How many fellowships are there?
The Foundation says about 175 a year across more than 50 fields; the 2026 class had 223.
Can scientists apply?
Yes. The fellowship covers the natural and social sciences as well as the arts and humanities.
Can a past fellow apply again?
No. Additional fellowships are not granted to people who have already received a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Is the fellowship still open to Latin America and the Caribbean?
The Foundation widened the fellowship to Mexico and parts of the Caribbean and South America in 1929, but the current competition rules limit it to citizens and permanent residents of the United States and Canada.
How long does selection take?
More than six months. Applications close in mid September, and applicants hear in late April after expert review, the Committee of Selection and the Board of Trustees.
Do I need an institution behind me?
No. The Foundation supports individuals, not institutions or organisations, so you apply as an individual, whatever your employer.
Related programmes
Sources
Official pages last checked 27 September 2026.