MacArthur Foundation

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent grantmaking institution.

MacArthur Fellowship

The MacArthur Fellowship (sometimes nicknamed the "genius grant") is an award issued by the MacArthur Foundation each year, to typically 20 to 40 citizens or residents of the USA, of any age and working in any field, who "show exceptional merit and promise for continued and enhanced creative work".

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Nickname - USA

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The fellowship doesn't accept applications nor does it grant interviews. The foundation relies on over a hundred anonymous nominators, who submit their recommendations to a small selection committee of about a dozen people. The committee then reviews every applicant and passes along their recommendations to the President and the board of directors.

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The entire process is kept anonymous and confidential. The first time a new MacArthur Fellow learns that they were even being considered is when they receive a phone call telling them the good news.

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As of 2002, the monetary award consists of an unrestricted grant of $100,000 per year, issued quarterly for five years. The Foundation expects no updates or reports on how the money is spent; MacArthur Fellows are implicitly trusted.

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