Selection Process and Criteria | Application Requirements | Application Checklist | Application Deadlines | FAQs
Selection Process and Criteria
The Foundation seeks applications from practitioners at all career stages with a record of significant achievement in their field. Applicants from developing countries are particularly encouraged to apply.
Decisions are based on:
- the quality of the proposed project,
- the ability of the applicant to articulate the project’s purpose and goals,
- how innovative the project is and how likely it is to have broad impact or influence
- the professional qualifications and achievements of the applicant, and
- the suitability and value of the Center for the proposed activity
In addition, reviewers will also take into consideration:
- the match between the project and the Foundation’s mission
- personal qualities that are likely to make an applicant a contributing member of an international, interdisciplinary community — curiosity, breadth of interests, ability to honor other viewpoints and sensitivity to other cultures
Because the Center aims to host an international mix of residents, the geography and nationality of those invited may be taken into account.
Program Policies
- Bellagio Center Residencies cannot be used to work on doctoral dissertations or textbooks
- Children, even adult children, are not allowed to accompany recipients of residencies.
- Applications must be completed online in English.
- Please send additional questions / comments to: Bellagio_ny@rockfound.org
You may also call us with your questions: 212-852-8431.
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.
Application Requirements
- All materials must be submitted together.
- Your application will not be sent until you hit the Submit Button. After you have submitted, you will receive an e-mail notifying you that your application has been received.
- Once submitted, no changes are allowed. It is a good idea to print a copy of your application before you submit.
- Attachments cannot exceed 4 MB.
Collaborative teams of two or teams of three to four may apply following the instructions below.
Collaborative teams of two:
Each team member:
- must fill out the online form
- must provide the same project summary
- Team should submit work samples that are the product of 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 each applicant, but the referee must write separate letters for each applicant.
Collaborative teams of three or four: 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.
Online Application Form
- Each page of the application form must be completed before you move to the next page.
- Applications do not need to be finished in one session. The online form allows you to save it and return to revise, edit or add additional information later. After you start your application an access code will be sent to your preferred e-mail address.
- Provide the names of your three references and their e-mail addresses. Your references will be contacted immediately after you submit your application. You will receive a copy of the e-mail.
- We will contact your references after you submit your application. You must contact them beforehand, preferably when you begin your online application, to request a reference. Once you submit your application, your references will then have only two weeks to respond, so please give them as much advance notice as possible. Please also send them a copy of your proposal. If you would like to send your references an early copy of the email they will receive from us, it is available online here.
- Prepare a summary written for a general audience that describes the purposes and goals of your time at Bellagio. It should also indicate the specific output of your residency, the planned outcome of your project, the target audience and the planned means of dissemination and evaluation of success. The project summary should not exceed 1,250 words.
Other Application Materials
In addition to the application form, applicants must submit the following documents as Word or PDF attachments. These documents should be double-spaced, in 12-point type and have 1” margins.
Project Statement not to exceed 1,250 words that describes:
- your project with particular attention to the phase of the project you will be working on during the proposed Bellagio residency
- the global context of your work, and/or how your project is innovative or different from other work in your field
- the importance and potential impact of your project
- the specific outputs and/or intended outcomes of your project
- the target audience and the planned means of dissemination
- the feasibility and value of the Bellagio Center for the proposed activity
- a specific work plan for your time at Bellagio
- a chapter outline of your book (if relevant) (is part of the 5 pages)
- Abbreviated CV (no more than four single-spaced pages) with career highlights, including publications and awards.
- 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.
- Up to two additional miscellaneous documents
- Optional – Up to 3 published reviews of one or more of your publications
Former Bellagio residents must also submit a summary, up to 250 words,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.
References
- Reference letters are a significant part of an application and are read by all 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.
- References should know your work and be knowledgeable about the project you propose to work on at Bellagio.
- Contact references in advance to ask if they are willing and available to write on your behalf.
References should:
- Evaluate your professional work and your standing in your field
- Evaluate the substance, merit and feasibility of your project. Be sure to send them a copy of your Bellagio proposal.
- Comment on your ability and willingness to contribute to the intellectual and social community of scholars and artists at Bellagio.
- List only one person from the same university or institution.
- References should not be editors or others with a financial interest in your success in being invited for a residency
- References must be submitted no later than two weeks after the application deadline. Applicants are responsible for follow-up to ensure timely submission.
Because e-mails are frequently trapped by institutional spam filters, it is a good idea to e-mail your references soon after submitting your application to make certain that they have received the reference request.
Application Checklist
- Online application form
- A project statement (double-spaced pages not to exceed 1,250 words)
- An abbreviated CV (not to exceed 4 double-space pages)
- A work sample: one published chapter or article (maximum 35 pages)
- Three references with knowledge of your project
Application Deadline
Practitioner residency applications are reviewed on a rolling admissions basis throughout the year. Applicants will be notified of the decision within 8 weeks of receiving the application and letters of reference.
begin your online application Process
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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: 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 spaces 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: What category should I select, since my work cuts through several areas?
A: If you have questions about the appropriate category, please call or email: 212-984-5537 or bellagio_res@iie.org .
Q: If I live in a country where I have difficulty accessing the online application form, how can I submit my application?
A: Please send additional questions / comments to: Bellagio_ny@rockfound.org
You may also call us with your questions: 212-852-8431.
Selection Process and Criteria | Application Requirements | Application Checklist | Application Deadlines | FAQs