MacArthur Fellowship

The MacArthur Fellowship, colloquially known as the "Genius Grant," is arguably the most famous and prestigious individual prize in the United States. Each year, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation selects 20-25 individuals who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, a track record of significant accomplishment, and the potential for even more impactful work in the future. Recipients receive $800,000 in unrestricted funding paid out in quarterly installments over five years.

What makes the MacArthur Fellowship extraordinary is its structure — or rather, its deliberate lack of structure. There is no application process. Candidates cannot nominate themselves or be nominated by others through any formal channel. Instead, the Foundation relies on a confidential network of hundreds of anonymous nominators across every field of human endeavor. Once nominated, candidates are evaluated through an equally confidential process by a selection committee whose members are never publicly identified.

The award comes with no strings attached whatsoever. Recipients are not required to propose a project, file progress reports, or use the funds in any particular way. The Foundation's philosophy is that creative people do their best work when freed from the constraints of conventional grant-making. Past fellows include Ta-Nehisi Coates, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Marian Wright Edelman, Yo-Yo Ma, and hundreds of other luminaries across the sciences, arts, humanities, and social sector.