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Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since 1925(1925) by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim.[1] These awards are bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated distinguished accomplishment in the past and potential for future achievement. The recipients exhibit outstanding aptitude for prolific scholarship or exceptional talent in the arts.[2][3][4]
The foundation holds two separate competitions each year:[5]
One open to citizens and permanent residents of the United States and Canada.
The other to citizens and permanent residents of Latin America and the Caribbean. The Latin America and Caribbean competition is currently suspended "while we examine the workings and efficacy of the program. The U.S. and Canadian competition is unaffected by this suspension."[6]
The performing arts are excluded from these fellowships, but composers, film directors, and choreographers are still eligible to apply. While students are not qualified to apply, advanced professionals in mid-career, such as published authors, are encouraged to do so. Upon receipt of the grant, Fellows are free to use the funds however they deem fit.[7][1] The goal of the grant is to provide recipients with dedicated time and freedom to pursue their projects or artistic endeavours, while being relieved of their regular duties.[8][9] Applicants are required to submit references as well as a CV and portfolio.
As of 2025, the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has funded over 19,000 Fellows with a total sum of almost $400 million since its inception.[10][11] Each year, the foundation receives a high number of applications; since its formation it has seen anywhere between 500 and 4,000 applications.[5][7][8] Out of these, approximately 175 Fellowships are awarded.[12] The size of each grant varies and the amount and duration of the grant is adjusted based on the individual needs of the recipients,[13] taking into consideration their other resources and the purpose and scope of their plans. The average grant awarded is between $40,000 and $55,000.[14][15]
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation is a private foundation formed in 1925[16] by Olga and Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died on April 26, 1922.[17] In 1924, Senator Guggenheim appointed Henry Allen Moe to oversee the creation of the foundation and to lead its first years. The Foundation was officially chartered and incorporated by New York State and Governor Alfred E. Smith on March 16, 1925.[18] The organization awards Guggenheim Fellowships to professionals who have demonstrated exceptional ability by publishing a significant body of work in the fields of natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the creative arts, excluding the performing arts.[16]
In 2025, the Foundation announced their appointment of the 100th class of Guggenheim Fellows, including 198 individuals working across 53 disciplines.[11] To commemorate the centennial year of the Foundation, a special exhibit, The Guggenheim Fellowship at 100, was mounted at the New York Historical Museum. The exhibit, opened August 29, 2025 to run through November 30, 2025, explores the rarely seen archives of the Foundation and highlights some of the most notable Guggenheim Fellows of the last century.[19]
12"Guggenheimers". TIME Magazine. 27 (14). June 1936.
↑"Electronic Cafe International Founders Kit Galloway and Sherrie Rabinowitz Named Guggenheim Fellows". Cultural Studies. 14 (1): 132–133. January 2000.
