The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program was established in 2015 to provide philanthropic support for high-caliber research in the humanities and social sciences. During its first eight years, nearly 250 scholars received fellowships of $200,000 to explore a range of important and enduring issues confronting our society.
In June 2023, the Corporation announced a second phase of the program and a new focus on political polarization in the United States. The program asks scholars to help Americans understand how and why our society has become so polarized and what we can do to strengthen the forces of cohesion in our society. Political polarization is characterized by threats to free speech, the decline of civil discourse, disagreement over basic facts, and a lack of mutual understanding and collaboration. The next class of fellows will be announced in spring 2025.
Fellowships of $200,000 are awarded annually to about 30 exceptional scholars, authors, journalists, and public intellectuals. The funding is for a period of one or two years with the anticipated result of a book or major study. The criteria prioritize the originality and promise of the research, its potential impact on the field, and the scholar’s plans for communicating the findings to a broad audience.
Instructions for nominators can be found here.
ELIGIBILITY
The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program is open only to citizens or permanent residents of the United States who have been nominated by the head of an institution designated by Carnegie Corporation of New York. Candidates must have a Ph.D., hold a terminal degree, or be a high-level professional working outside of academia. Nominators include heads of independent research institutes and learned societies, university presidents, leaders of some of the nation’s preeminent think tanks, and directors of major publishers, as well as editors of leading newspapers and magazines. Individuals may not apply for the Fellows Program via self-nomination.
The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program prohibits a fellowship winner from accepting a fellowship of equal caliber or at a comparable level of funding that overlaps the same timeline as the Carnegie fellowship, especially awards that have specific time requirements. However, smaller grants and project support are acceptable on a case-by-case basis.
CRITERIA
Nominations are evaluated by the jury based on the following criteria:
• Originality and promise of the idea
• Quality of the proposal
• Promise to offer solutions to harmful polarization or to enhance social cohesion
• Record of the nominee
• Plans to communicate findings to a broad audience
TOPIC
The Corporation anticipates that the work of the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program will explore the many ways political polarization in the United States manifests itself in society and suggest ways that it may be mitigated. Studies of polarization in other countries will be welcomed providing they offer lessons that can be applied to the United States. Projects based in disciplines across the humanities and social sciences are welcomed.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Am I eligible for the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program?
To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen or have permanent U.S. residency status. You must also be nominated by one of a designated group of individuals, who include leaders of universities, think tanks, and publishers. (Please write to acfellows@carnegie.org to find out if your institution is on our nomination list.)
How many scholars may each nominator put forward for consideration?
University presidents may nominate one junior and one senior scholar (You may not nominate two junior or two senior scholars.) Other nominators — e.g., the head of a university press, learned society, think tank, publisher, or newspaper — may nominate one candidate.
What counts as a senior and a junior scholar?
For the vast majority of universities a senior scholar is defined as any holder of a tenured post and a junior scholar as any holder of an untenured post (this includes tenure-track). For professional schools and other institutions which do not have tenure, a senior scholar is defined as one who received their terminal degree more than 10 years ago, and a junior scholar as one who received their terminal degree 10 years ago or less (2014 – 2024).
May nominators nominate individuals without a PhD? Are nominees who hold degrees traditionally regarded as terminal in their fields (e.g., JD, MD, or MFA) eligible?
We welcome candidates holding a terminal degree other than a PhD. We also welcome candidates with exceptional experience that qualifies them as a senior professional or intellectual.
May my university charge overhead or other administrative costs for the fellowship?
No indirect/overhead costs will be allowed or paid to the university. Fellows shall receive the entire grant for support of the research project.
May we submit a nomination that involves researchers from multiple institutions or universities?
Yes. However, one nominee will need to be the lead applicant and receive and administer the fellowship. Other contributors may be brought in as partners or consultants, including from the same institution.
When must the fellowship begin? Is it possible to defer the start for a year?
The fellowship must begin on the first of the month between June and September of 2025. It is not possible to defer the start of the fellowship. It must begin no later than September 1, 2025.
What is the duration of a fellowship?
Recipients have the choice of a 12-month or a 24-month fellowship.
Is the fellowship subject to income taxes?
Yes. The fellow may choose to receive the funding in one of two ways:
- As an individual: if you choose to receive the fellowship as an individual, you will receive a 1099 form from Carnegie Corporation of New York at the end of the tax year.
- Through your institution: if you choose to have your institution receive the fellowship funds as a “payor,” your institution will assume all tax reporting responsibilities.
Can Carnegie Corporation of New York provide advice about taxes?
No, Carnegie Corporation of New York cannot provide tax advice. The fellow will need to consult a financial adviser. The fellow may allocate a portion of the fellowship to cover the cost of a tax consultation.
Will the university continue to provide benefits during the period of the fellowship?
In nominating a scholar for this fellowship, a university is indicating its continuing support for that scholar and the administration’s intention to provide in-kind support such as full retirement and health benefits when the scholar takes time off to work on research and writing.
Am I required to discontinue teaching for the duration of the fellowship?
You may choose to receive the award over a one- or two-year period. During the selected period, you may opt to go on sabbatical for the entire fellowship or a portion of it. You may also choose to teach classes part-time and/or to work on the project over the summer. On the application, please specify the time you will allot to working on the project. This will allow our jurors to determine whether it is feasible for you to accomplish your goals..
When and how will nominees be informed of the results of the selection process?
Selected nominees will be notified by email shortly after the jury makes its final selections in late March 2025. If your nomination is unsuccessful, you will receive an email notification in April 2025.
Does Carnegie Corporation of New York provide feedback on nominations that are not selected?
Due to the large number of nominations that we receive, unfortunately we are not able to respond to requests for feedback.
If I have been nominated for the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program in the past, may I be nominated again?
Candidates who have been nominated for the Fellows Program since the change of focus to polarization (i.e. who were nominated for the 2024 Fellowships) may not be nominated again during the current three-year period.
If two candidates for the fellowship have already been selected by my university may I be nominated by another institution, e.g. a thinktank?
Yes. However, you must have an established relationship with the institution and that institution must also be on our nomination list. Please contact acfellows@carnegie.org for eligibility advice.
JURY
• John J. DeGioia, Chair
President, Georgetown University
• Sarah Banet-Weiser
Walter H. Anneberg Dean, University of Pennsylvania
• E.J. Dionne
University Professor, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University and Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
• Jean-Marie Guéhenno
Director, Kent Global Leadership Program on Conflict Resolution, and Arnold A. Saltzman Professor of Practice, SIPA Columbia University
• Rush D. Holt
CEO Emeritus, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Ira I. Katznelson
Ruggles Professor of Political Science and History and Deputy Director, Columbia World Projects, Columbia University
• Marcia McNutt
President, National Academy of Sciences
• Martha Minow
300th Anniversary University Professor, Harvard University
• Alondra Nelson
Harold F. Linder Professor of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study
• Michael Posner
Director, Center for Business and Human Rights Jerome Kohlberg Professor of Ethics and Finance, Business, and Society, New York University
• Dame Louise Richardson
President, Carnegie Corporation of New York
• Pauline Yu
President Emeritus, American Council of Learned Societies