The The New York Public Library has reaffirmed details of its highly competitive Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers Fellowship, a nine-month residential program designed to support advanced research and creative work using one of the world’s most significant public research collections.

Located at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan, the Cullman Center Fellowship offers selected scholars, writers, translators, journalists, and artists the opportunity to work full-time in an intensive research environment.

The program is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious library-based fellowships in the United States, attracting applicants from around the world.

Cullman Center Fellowship 2026

Each year, the program selects approximately 15 fellows from a diverse pool of applicants. These fellows represent a wide range of disciplines, including academic scholarship, independent research, journalism, fiction writing, poetry, playwriting, translation, and visual arts. The fellowship is open to international candidates who are proficient in English, reinforcing its global academic and creative reach.

The fellowship is explicitly designed for individuals whose projects require sustained engagement with the NYPL’s research holdings. The library’s collections span anthropology, history, literature, philosophy, politics, sociology, religion, art, urban studies, popular culture, and other fields. Applicants are evaluated in part on whether their proposed work clearly depends on access to these materials, emphasizing the program’s focus on deep archival research rather than general writing support.

A key requirement of the fellowship is full-time residency. Fellows are expected to work on-site at the Cullman Center within the Schwarzman Building five days per week for the duration of the fellowship, which runs from September through May. Remote participation is not part of the program’s structure, as the fellowship is designed to immerse participants in the physical collections and intellectual environment of the library.

Cullman Center Fellowship 2026

In addition to access to one of the world’s leading research libraries, each fellow receives a $90,000 stipend, a private office equipped with a computer, and full access to the NYPL’s physical and digital resources. This combination of financial support and institutional access is intended to allow fellows to devote themselves entirely to their research or creative projects without the distractions of external employment obligations.

The Cullman Center places strong emphasis not only on research output but also on intellectual exchange. Fellows participate in a collaborative environment where they share ideas and provide feedback across disciplinary boundaries. One of the central features of the program is a regular series of informal presentations, during which each fellow discusses their ongoing work with peers and invited guests. These sessions are intended to encourage dialogue, critique, and cross-disciplinary engagement, rather than formal academic presentation.

Fellows are also encouraged to contribute to broader programming at the library, which may include public talks and events. This aspect of the fellowship underscores its dual role: supporting individual scholarly or creative work while also fostering public engagement with research and ideas.

The selection process is highly competitive and focuses on the quality and originality of applicants’ work. The fellowship seeks individuals capable of producing high-level writing that contributes meaningfully to scholarly discourse or the literary and artistic world. Importantly, the program is not intended for those pursuing degree requirements or dissertation-related research. Instead, it supports established or advanced professionals working on independent projects with potential for publication or public dissemination.

Cullman Center Fellowship 2026

The fellowship also includes a partnership component with the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), through which up to five additional fellowships may be awarded annually. Applicants for these joint positions must submit separate applications to both organizations, reflecting the program’s integration into broader academic and research networks.

Past fellows have frequently described the Cullman Center experience as transformative, citing the combination of uninterrupted research time, access to rare materials, and intellectual community as central to their productivity. The program is designed to create an environment in which major projects—such as books, translations, and long-form research studies—can be developed or completed.

By bringing together scholars and writers from across disciplines and geographies, the Cullman Center fosters a unique intellectual ecosystem within the historic setting of the Schwarzman Building. Fellows benefit not only from the library’s extensive collections but also from sustained interaction with peers working at similarly high levels of inquiry.

Applications for future fellowship cycles are highly competitive, with only a small fraction of applicants selected each year. The program continues to emphasize excellence in writing, originality of research proposals, and demonstrated need for the library’s resources.

Through this fellowship, the The New York Public Library reinforces its longstanding mission of supporting research, creative work, and public scholarship, while positioning the Cullman Center as a global hub for intellectual production and exchange.

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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.