2023 Andrew Carnegie Fellows

Program Summary 

The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program has a new focus on political polarization in the United States. For at least the next three years, the program will ask 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 American society.

The issue is characterized by threats to free speech, the decline of civil discourse, disagreement over basic facts, and a lack of mutual understanding and collaboration. In combination, these factors fracture our society, cause Americans to abandon the middle ground, and ultimately undermine our democracy.  

Fellowships of $200,000 are awarded annually to 30 exceptional scholars, authors, journalists, and public intellectuals. 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. The funding is for a period of one or two years with the anticipated result of a book or major study.

Through the study of political polarization in the United States, the Corporation seeks to raise awareness in the philanthropic sector, guide public policy, and help inform the foundation’s grantmaking in democracy, education, and international peace and security. 

Deadlines

CU Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MST October 9, 2023

Sponsor Application Deadline: 3:00pm MST November 15, 2023

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

  • Nomination Type: Junior or Senior Scholar
  • Prospectus (3 pages maximum, minimum 12-point font size, double-spaced): Prepared by the nominee, the prospectus should describe the project, including a projected work plan and approximate time frame.
  • Nomination Letter from Director, Chair: For the purposes of the internal competition, the letter should be from a dean, director or chair and include a brief description of the candidate’s accomplishments, potential and describe how the nominee’s contributions will help in understanding how and why our society has become so polarized and what we can do to strengthen the forces of cohesion in American society. Self-nominations are not allowed.
  • Nominee’s CV (1 page maximum): The CV should be in bulleted list form; no narrative.
  • Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit: https://cuboulderovcr.secure-platform.com/a/solicitations/6903/home

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen or have permanent U.S. residency status and be nominated. Nominators include heads of independent research institutes and societies, university presidents, leaders of some of the nation’s preeminent think tanks, and directors of major university presses, as well as editors of leading newspapers and magazines.

The following are eligible for consideration for a fellowship: senior and junior scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals.

A junior scholar is defined as someone who received their Ph.D. within the last ten years (2013-2023). The "junior" status is determined by the year in which their terminal degree was earned. Candidates holding a terminal degree other than a PhD are also eligible. A senior scholar is more than ten years out from their PhD.

Self-nominations will not be accepted.

Nominations must be approved by the president.

Limited Submission Guidelines

The university is limited to nominating one junior and one senior scholar.

Award Information

Award Amount: $200,000

The award may be over a one- or two-year period. During the selected period, you may opt to go on sabbatical for the entirety or for a portion of the fellowship. You may also choose to teach classes part-time and/or to work on the project over the summer.

Review Criteria

Nominations are evaluated by the jury based on the following criteria:

  • Originality and promise of the idea
  • Quality of the proposal
  • Potential impact on the field
  • Record of the nominee
  • Plans to communicate findings to a broad audience