Andrew Carnegie Fellows - Carnegie Corporation of New York

Please read about the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program and guidelines for the Class of 2026. When ready to apply, the nominee may begin the process by creating an account at this link.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

November 7, 2025; 5:00 PM ET.

DESCRIPTION

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 2026.

Fellowships of $200,000 are awarded annually to about 30 exceptional scholars, 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 promise to offer actionable solutions, and the scholar’s plans for communicating the findings to a broad audience.

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 must include 2-3 sentences on the institution’s internal candidate selection process 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.

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

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.

Timeline for 2026 Fellows Program

August 12 and September 3, 2025	The call for nominations is emailed to heads of institutions (The same email is sent twice to ensure receipt.)
November 7, 2025	Deadline for nominees to submit application materials online — no later than 5:00 pm ET
November 2025–April 2026	Nominations reviewed. All nominees notified of results by mid-April
Early May 2026	Public announcement of 2026 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 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 tenured and one untenured. Other nominators—e.g., the head of a university press, learned society, think tank, publisher, or newspaper—may nominate one candidate.

What about institutions which do not have tenure?

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 (before November 2015), and a junior scholar as one who received their terminal degree 10 years ago or less (after November 2015).

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 July and September of 2026. It is not possible to defer the start of the fellowship. It must begin no later than September 1, 2026.

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 mid-April 2026. If your nomination is unsuccessful, you will receive an email notification at this time.

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 or 2025 Fellowships) may not be nominated again during the current three-year period regardless of who nominated them.

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.