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Scholarly Residencies at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center
Residencies for Scholars and Creative Artists
The online application form is currently closed. It will be re-open in late fall to accept applications for a Bellagio scholar or creative arts residency between August 17 – November 30, 2010. If you are considering applying, please read through the information about our selection process and the required application items. The dates to apply will be posted here in the fall.
Practitioner residency and conference applications are accepted at any time.
Scholarly Residencies Application Checklist | Application Deadlines
We believe in the power and results of investing in and unleashing human capacity. The Rockefeller Bellagio Center brings together people of diverse expertise and cultures in a neutral and thought-provoking environment to promote international understanding that allows innovation and creativity to flourish.
A Bellagio residency provides time for critical thinking, disciplined work, individual reflection, and collegial engagement, uninterrupted by the usual professional and personal demands.
The Center typically offers one-month residencies for no more than 12 scholars and scientists at a time. Individuals in any discipline – and from any part of the world – are welcome to apply. Space is reserved for both academic projects, as well as projects that align with the Foundation’s mission to expand opportunities for poor or vulnerable people and to help ensure that globalization’s benefits are shared more widely. (Details on the Foundation’s mission and philosophy can be found in the About Us section.) Alignment can reflect policy analysis, applied work, and/or basic scholarship, or any combination thereof.
Residency cohorts include artists, writers, non-governmental organization practitioners, policymakers, scholars and scientists from around the world. Meals and informal presentations of work provide an opportunity for residents to engage with each other. During special dinners, residents also have the chance to interact with the participants of international conferences that are hosted in various buildings on the Center’s property. The combination of private time for work and reflection and informal gatherings is an important part of life at the Center.
Spouses/life partners may accompany the resident, or may apply for a concurrent residency.
The Center also offers collaborative residencies for two to four persons working on the same project.
Residencies are typically four-weeks in length, however, shorter periods may be available. Applicants will need to submit a statement describing why an alternate length of time is requested.
Selection Process and Criteria
The Foundation seeks applicants who are able to demonstrate a history of significant achievement in their respective fields.
Decisions are based on:
- the quality of the proposed project,
- the urgent or compelling nature of the problem,
- the importance and potential impact of the project, and
- the professional qualifications and achievements of the applicant.
The Center aims to host an international mix of residents, therefore consideration may also be given to nationality and/or geography. Individuals from developing countries are particularly encouraged to apply.
Additionally, the committee takes into consideration the personal qualities that are likely to make a candidate a contributing member of an international, interdisciplinary community — curiosity, breadth of interests, ability to honor other viewpoints and sensitivity to other cultures.
Applications are reviewed by peer panels and then presented to the senior program leadership of the Rockefeller Foundation, which makes the final selection.
Residencies requesting time for writing dissertations or textbooks will not be considered.
Residents are housed in two main buildings and each resident is given a private room with bath and a study, either adjoining the bedroom or on the grounds. High-speed Internet access is available free of charge in all bedrooms and most studies.
The Center is not a research facility. We do have a small library that includes basic reference books and online research tools. The works of many former residents and those resulting from Bellagio conferences are also available.
The Center does not have a science laboratory.
Accommodations are not available for children and family members other than spouses/life partners, nor for friends or pets.
Several resident suites are available for those with restricted mobility, and several of the buildings now include an elevator. Nonetheless, the hillside setting of the facility and the surrounding area restricts the mobility of persons who have difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
The Center is not equipped to provide medical services or assisted care. The nearest major hospital is in Lecco, a 40-minute drive away.
Q: Can I apply for a residency to work on my dissertation or textbook?
A: The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center is not an appropriate place for dissertation work and it is our policy that residencies are not scheduled to work on textbooks.
Q: I can only stay for two weeks. Can I apply for a residency?
A: Yes. While most residencies are for four weeks, two-and three-week residencies are considered. Please include a brief statement with your application describing why you are asking for a shorter residency.
Q: If I receive a residency, may I bring my child?
A: We are not able to accommodate children, even adult children.
Q: My spouse/partner and I each have projects and are both applying for a residency; does this mean our chances are better?
A: Each application is considered on its own merits. If only one individual is invited, the spouse/partner may accompany the invitee, but will not be considered a Bellagio resident. While studies and studio space are reserved solely for the use of residents, the Center offers plenty of common space for spouses/partners to work on their own projects.
Q: My project requires close collaboration with others. Is a group residency possible?
A: Yes. Collaborative residencies are available for two to four persons working on the same project.
For Collaborative teams of two:
- Each collaborator must separately fill out an online form accessed through this website.
- Each collaborator should provide the same abstract and project description.
- Work samples should represent previous collaborative work. However, if you are a new collaborative team, separate work samples may be submitted.
- Collaborators may list the same references only if the references are familiar with both (or all) applicants.
- In addition to the instructions above, attach a separate word or PDF letter stating your intention to apply as a collaborative group and list all team members.
Q: If I receive a residency, what do I have to pay for?
A: Room and board are provided without charge to all residents and their spouses/partners. Residents and spouses/partners must pay for their own airfare and local transportation to/from Bellagio. Assistance with round-trip economy airfare between the home country and Milan is available on a financial needs basis to qualifying residents and their spouses/partners – preference is given to applicants from developing countries. Travel assistance is awarded in a separate process from the residency competition. You may apply for travel assistance after you are invited to the Center.
Q: May I reapply if I do not get accepted for a residency?
A: Applicants who have not been accepted must wait two years before reapplying. Previously unsuccessful projects cannot be resubmitted.
Q: I had a residency some years ago. Can I apply for a second residency?
A: Former residents (and spouses/partners who accompanied them) must wait 10 years before reapplying. Third residencies, even for those who were the accompanying spouse/life partner, are not offered.
Q: What are the guidelines for submitting proposals?
A: We request that you submit all paperwork, such as proposals and written statements in 12 point type, double spaced with 1” margins. We advocate that succinct is best.
Q: Who should I list as references?
A: Your references should know your work and be knowledgeable about the project you propose to work on at Bellagio. You should not list more than one person from the same university or institution, nor should you list editors or others with a financial interest in your success.
Please contact your references in advance to ask if they are willing and available to write on your behalf, and to confirm email addresses. You will also need to send them a copy of your Bellagio proposal.
The online application form will automatically send an email to your references once you submit your application (you will receive a generic copy of the email). Your references will be asked to provide a professional reference and an evaluation of the merit and substance of your proposed project, as well as a few words on your likely contribution to the intellectual and social community of scholars and artists at Bellagio.
The letters are due approximately three weeks after you submit your application. Our office will only contact your references once. You will be responsible for follow-up to ensure that we receive the letters on time. Frequently emails are trapped by spam filters; therefore it is a good idea to email your references soon after submitting your application to check that they received the reference request. Please note, the recommendation letters are considered a valuable part of your application, and are read by all proposal reviewers. It is mandatory within the provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code for The Rockefeller Foundation, as a private foundation, to seek independent, objective opinions for each applicant.
Q: I am not sure which category I should select for my proposal, since my work cuts through several areas.
A: If you have questions about categories, please call or email: bellagio_res@iie.org or 212-984-5537.
Applicants from developing countries who have trouble accessing our online form may contact our office to discuss alternative ways to submit the application: bellagio_res@iie.org or 212-984-5537.
Mailing work samples:
If you are submitting anything as a hard copy, please send it to the program administrators at:
Institute of International Education (IIE)
Bellagio Competition
809 United Nations Plaza, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10017 USA
Application Requirements for Scholars and Scientists
The application must be completed online in English and submitted by the published deadline.
Applicants from developing countries who have trouble accessing our online form may contact our office to discuss alternative ways to submit the application: bellagio_res@iie.org.
Scholarly Residencies Application Checklist
During the online application process, the following items will be required, and must be attached as Word or PDF documents:- A one-page summary written for a general audience, indicating the purposes and goals of your time at Bellagio, and the scholarly and/or global context of your work. The summary should also indicate the specific output of your residency, the planned outcome of your project, the target audience, the planned means of dissemination and evaluation of success.
- A project proposal (about 5 pages-see FAQs for specific information). Please provide a clear description of:
- the scholarly and/or global context of your work,
- the importance and potential impact of your project,
- the specific outputs and/or intended outcomes of your project,
- a chapter outline of your book (if relevant),
- the target audience and the planned means of dissemination,
- the phase of the project you will be working on during the proposed Bellagio residency, a specific work plan for your time at Bellagio, and
- the suitability and value of the Bellagio Center for the proposed activity.
- An abbreviated CV with career highlights, including publications and awards. (maximum 4 pages)
- Work sample: one published chapter or article (maximum 35 pages). If none of your previous work is published in English, please provide either an English translation or a summary, in English, of the work sample. (See the FAQs for more information)
- Three references with knowledge of your project. They must be able to respond via email. (See the FAQs for more information)
- Published reviews of the applicant’s previous work – optional. (maximum of 3 reviews)
Former Bellagio residents must submit a one-to-two page summary of what was accomplished during the previous residency, indicating the specific outputs and/or outcomes, the critical response and what has been accomplished since then.
Click here to begin your online application