Fellowship Fully funded

Columbia Institute for Ideas and Imagination Fellowship

Applications closed 30 September 2026

Culture
Innovation

Programme details

The Columbia Institute for Ideas and Imagination Fellowship gives artists, writers, scholars, and other creative thinkers a full academic year at Reid Hall in Paris to develop an independent project while working alongside an interdisciplinary community. Each year, the Institute brings together up to 15 Fellows, roughly half from Columbia University and half artists and writers from around the world, creating space for concentrated work as well as conversations that cross academic and creative disciplines.

The 2027–2028 fellowship runs from 1 September 2027 to 31 May 2028 and is residential, so Fellows are expected to be based at the Institute and participate regularly in the community. The award includes a $75,000 stipend, a dedicated office, administrative and research support, and access to Columbia libraries and associated research facilities in Paris and elsewhere. Fellows may also have opportunities to host workshops and conferences during the year.

Apply under one of three categories: Columbia University faculty, eligible recent Columbia PhD graduates, or the external Creative Arts category.
The Columbia University faculty category is open to tenured and tenure-track faculty at Columbia University, Barnard College, and Teachers College. Adjunct professors and lecturers are eligible only if their appointment extends beyond the fellowship year.
Columbia post-doctoral applicants may be in any subject but must have completed their PhD and defended their dissertation at Columbia University between September 2024 and 31 December 2026.
External Creative Arts applicants must not be affiliated with Columbia University and, regardless of nationality, cannot be residing permanently in the United States.
The Creative Arts category includes visual and sound arts, film, composing, writing, and related creative practices. The Institute also welcomes projects in the humanities, social sciences, and conceptual dimensions of the natural and applied sciences.
Apply as an individual; the Institute cannot accommodate group applications.
Selected Fellows must work at the Institute in Paris and participate regularly in its residential community.
Keep other professional obligations such as teaching, speaking engagements, and research travel to a minimum during the fellowship; the Institute may prorate the stipend for extensive absences.
Submit the fellowship application in English. English is the working language of the Institute.
Only Columbia University faculty candidates may apply for a single-semester fellowship; preference is given to applicants seeking the full academic year.

$75,000 fellowship stipend for the full September 2027–May 2028 academic year.
Dedicated office at the Institute for Ideas and Imagination at Reid Hall in Paris.
Administrative and research support throughout the fellowship.
Access to Columbia University libraries and associated research facilities in Paris and elsewhere.
Participation in an interdisciplinary residential community of artists, writers, scholars, and other creative thinkers.
Opportunities to host workshops and conferences during the fellowship year.

Important dates

30 Sep 2026
Application deadline — 5:00 PM New York City time
1 Sep 2027
Fellowship begins
31 May 2028
Fellowship ends

Required documents

Personal information

Complete the application with the requested address, citizenship, education, and affiliation information.
Curriculum vitae

Submit a current CV.
Project description

Submit a project description of up to 1,500 words.
Work sample

Submit a sample of your work. The public call does not state one universal format or length, so follow any discipline-specific instructions shown in the application portal.
Three letters of recommendation

Three new letters of recommendation are required. The Institute does not accept dossier letters in place of new recommendation letters.