Greetings,

We are excited to share this fellowship funding opportunity from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. The Guggenheim Fellowship offers 6-12 months of support to exceptional individuals pursuing scholarship in any field of knowledge, under the freest possible conditions. The 2027 application will open in mid-August 2026. More information about the award can be found in the synopsis and links below. For a full list of currently open opportunities that have been announced through our office, please visit our new Current Opportunities web page. As a reminder, our Research Development team is available to provide proposal development support to FAS ladder faculty.

Guggenheim Fellowship Program 

• OSP Deadline: Not applicable to awards made to individuals
• Application Deadline: September 15, 2026
• Work Samples Deadline (if applicable): September 29, 2026
• Reference Letters Deadline: October 13, 2026
• Award Amount: Varies by project for durations of 6-12 months
  Awards are for individuals or pairs (i.e., two individuals working on the same project) only. Organizations, institutions, or other established groups are not eligible to apply.

Program Overview

The Guggenheim Fellowship is a mid-career award supporting individuals who have demonstrated exceptional ability in their chosen field and exhibit great promise for their future endeavors. The foundational premise of the Fellowship is grounded in free inquiry, original thought, and intellectual autonomy: Fellows are at liberty to follow their ideas and chosen paths of study without expectation or constraint. Exploration, pivots, and risk-taking are encouraged for Guggenheim Fellows to conduct the work they believe to be most meaningful. Each year, approximately 200 Fellows are competitively selected. The 2027 application will open in mid-August 2026 and Fellowship winners will be announced in late April 2027. 

Supported Areas

• The Guggenheim Fellowship supports the full range of creative arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, including several interdisciplinary areas.
• View a list of supported disciplinary fields.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants must:
  • Be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada. 
  • Be mid-career professionals who have made notable contributions to their field.
  • Propose a significant project and demonstrate that they are prepared to complete it at the highest level of excellence.
  • Apply as individuals or in pairs (i.e., two individuals working on the same project).
  • Be an individual who has not already received a Guggenheim Fellowship or is not a currently enrolled student.

Application Materials

• The Guggenheim Fellowship application opens in mid-August 2026. 
• Interested applicants are encouraged to view the instructional video on how to apply for a 2027 Guggenheim Fellowship.
• Work samples are required in certain fields. If applicable, requirements will be made clear in the application portal.
  • Work examples should be uploaded or postmarked two weeks after the application portal closes (September 29, 2026 for the 2027 cycle). 
• Names and contact information for a minimum of three (and up to four) references who have agreed to write letters on the applicant's behalf will be requested in the application portal.
  • Reference letter requests will be sent automatically to the provided contacts after the application has been submitted electronically. 
  • Letters must be uploaded by October 13, 2026. 

Selection Process

• The Guggenheim Foundation draws upon a network of several hundred advisers to carefully assess each application. Multiple layers of review ensure that evaluations are impartial, comprehensive, and of the highest possible standard.
• Advisers’ identities are confidential, guaranteeing a fair and meticulous review and ensuring that the focus stays squarely on the merit and originality of the work submitted. The Guggenheim Foundation is unable to provide feedback on applications. 

Additional Information and Resources

 

 

 

 

 

Curated funding opportunity lists are funding search topics of broad interest. The following curated lists can be further refined in Pivot based on your funding needs. To view the results you must be on a Harvard network or logged in to your Pivot account. Information on setting up a Pivot account can be found in our one-page user guide. 

Arts

Data Science, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence

Engineering and Technology

Environmental and Climate Science

Humanities

Life Sciences

Neuroscience

Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Social Sciences

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