Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program
2027 Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program Information
Please read about the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program and guidelines for the Class of 2027. When ready to apply, the nominee may begin the process by creating an account at this link.
Jump to:
Application deadline | About | Eligibility | Nomination | Budget | Criteria |
Topic | Timeline | FAQs
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Friday, November 13, 2026; 5:00 p.m. ET.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Since 2015, the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program has supported high-caliber scholarship and research in the social sciences and humanities that address important and enduring issues confronting our society.
The 2026 Class of Andrew Carnegie Fellows marked the third year of the program’s focus on building a body of research focused on political polarization. The Andrew Carnegie Foundation, formerly Carnegie Corporation of New York, committed up to $18 million to this effort over the three-year period, helping Americans understand how and why our society has become so polarized and what can be done to strengthen social cohesion. Political polarization is characterized by, but not limited to, factors such as threats to free speech, the decline of civil discourse, disagreement over basic facts, and a lack of mutual understanding and collaboration. Each fellow receives a grant of up to $200,000 to support their two-year research project, enabling them to devote significant time and resources to their work.
For the next three years, beginning with the 2027 cohort, we are broadening the focus beyond domestic perspectives to explicitly ask what the U.S. can learn from the experience of polarization in other countries. We are seeking proposals that address the relationship between populism and polarization, how other democracies have resisted or reversed polarization, and the conditions that determine whether polarization dissipates or accelerates into systemic violence. These conditions may include but are not limited to civic culture, social cohesion, access to information and a healthy information environment, economic opportunity, trust in and the effective functioning of public institutions, and the rule of law.
The criteria for selection prioritize the originality and potential impact of the proposal, as well as the capacity to communicate the findings to a broad audience. The fellows are selected by a distinguished panel of jurors, chaired by Dame Louise Richardson, president of the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, and comprising scholars and academic and intellectual leaders from some of the nation’s most prominent educational institutions, foundations, and scholarly societies.
The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program is a continuation of the mission of the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1911, to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace.
Please see our frequently asked questions for eligibility requirements.
Eligibility
The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program is open only to citizens or legal residents of the United States who have been nominated by the head of an institution designated by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. Candidates must have a PhD, hold a terminal degree, or be a high-level professional working outside of academia. Along with presidents, chancellors, and provosts of universities, nominators include heads of independent research institutes and learned societies, leaders of some of the nation’s preeminent think tanks, and directors of academic presses, as well as editors of leading newspapers and magazines. All nominators must include in their letter of nomination two to three sentences on the institution’s internal candidate selection process. Individuals may not apply for the Fellows Program via self-nomination. 2027 begins a new three-year cycle of the fellowship. If you were a candidate in 2026 or any previous year, you are eligible to apply again — only once — between 2027 and 2029.
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.
Nomination
Nominators receive the following document with the request for nominations. It is provided here for reference.
Budget
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 beyond the candidate’s own academic discipline
Topic
The foundation anticipates that the work of the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program will explore the many ways political polarization in the United States and abroad manifests itself in society and suggest ways that it may be mitigated. Studies of polarization in other countries should offer lessons that can be applied to the United States. A few of the things we would like to learn from the next cohort of fellows are:
- What has been the relationship between populism and polarization in other countries?
- How have some countries managed to avoid polarization?
- What can we learn from countries that have stepped back from polarization, such as South Africa, Colombia, and Northern Ireland?
- Under what conditions has polarization escalated into political violence?
- Under what conditions has polarization taken root/accelerated/declined in other countries?
Projects based in disciplines across the humanities and social sciences are welcomed.
Timeline for 2027 Fellows Program
August 12 and September 9, 2026 | The call for nominations is emailed to heads of institutions |
November 13, 2026 | Deadline for nominees to submit application materials online — no later than 5:00 p.m. ET |
November 2026–April 2027 | Nominations reviewed. All nominees notified of results by mid-April |
Late April/early May 2027 | Public announcement of 2027 class of fellows |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Am I eligible for the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program?
To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen or have legal 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.
Who is eligible to nominate candidates for the Fellowship?
Only university presidents, chancellors, and provosts are allowed to nominate faculty at universities. Deans are not eligible. (Note: Presidents of university systems are not eligible, but rather chancellors of individual campuses.) Other nominators include the heads of university presses, learned societies, think tanks, or newspapers.
How many scholars may each nominator put forward for consideration?
University presidents may nominate one tenured and one untenured scholar. Untenured includes both tenure-track faculty who have not yet achieved tenure, and those who are not on a tenure track. Other nominators — e.g., the head of a university press, learned society, think tank, publisher, or newspaper — may nominate one candidate.
When do we need to let you know that we’ve chosen our candidate(s)?
You don’t! Simply give your candidates the Instructions for Nominators — also emailed to the president with the request for nominations — which links to this Program Information page and the application portal.
I’ve accidentally uploaded the wrong version of a document to my application. How do I remove it?
Simply upload the correct document which will overwrite the incorrect one. It may take 10 seconds or so for the change to occur.
What about institutions that do not have tenure?
For professional schools and other institutions that do not have tenure, a “tenured” scholar is defined as one who received their terminal degree more than 10 years before the application deadline (before November 2016), and an untenured scholar as one who received their terminal degree 10 years ago or less (after November 2016). If the scholar has both a PhD and another terminal degree, we leave it to the discretion of the university to determine which degree is more relevant.
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 2027. It is not possible to defer the start of the fellowship. It must begin no later than September 1, 2027.
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 Andrew Carnegie Foundation 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 Andrew Carnegie Foundation provide advice about taxes?
No, Andrew Carnegie Foundation 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?
By nominating a scholar for this fellowship, a university signals its ongoing commitment to that individual, including the intention to provide in-kind support — such as full retirement and health benefits — during their research and writing leave. While cost-sharing is not mandatory and fellowship funds may be used to cover salary and benefits, it is not acceptable for a candidate to lose out on the salary and benefits they would ordinarily expect to receive due to accepting the fellowship, and we strongly encourage universities to maintain their institutional support whenever possible.
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 mid-April 2027. If your nomination is unsuccessful, you will receive an email notification at this time.
Does Andrew Carnegie Foundation 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 were nominated for the Fellows Program in any cycle up to and including 2026 are allowed to apply again one time during this next three-year cycle (through 2029). Candidates for 2027 will not be eligible to be nominated again (regardless of who nominates them) in 2028 or 2029.
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.
May I receive the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship in conjunction with another fellowship/award?
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 or are for the same project. However, smaller grants and project support are acceptable on a case-by-case basis.