Macarthur Fellows
MacArthur Foundation each year to typically 20 to 40 citizens or residents of the U.S., of any age and working in any field, who "show exceptional merit and promise for continued and enhanced creative work." According to the Foundation website, "the fellowship is not a reward for past accomplishment, but rather an investment in a person's originality, insight, and potential." The current amount of the award is $500,000, paid in quarterly installments over five years. As of 2007, there have been 756 recipients who have received a total of more than $350 million.
The Fellowship has no application.
People are nominated anonymously, by a body of nominators who submit recommendations to a small selection committee of about a dozen people, also anonymous. The committee then reviews every nominee and passes along their recommendations to the President and the board of directors.
Most new MacArthur Fellows first learn that they have even been considered when they receive the congratulatory phone call. A New York Times Op-Ed by MacArthur fellow Jim Collins describes the experience.
List of MacArthur Fellows
MacArthur Fellows organized by the year of their awards:
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
References in popular culture
In the television show Will and Grace, during episode 6.17, Grace says to Will: "If the MacArthur Foundation gave out Evil Genius Grants, you would so win one."
In the Family Guy episode "Petarded," Peter takes an IQ test to determine if he is eligible for a MacArthur grant, believing himself to be a genius; however, the test results show that he is mentally retarded.
In the television show Friends, during episode 9.20 (The One With the Soap Opera Party), Charlie (Aisha Tyler) says to Ross when describing her first boyfriend, "He did win the MacArthur Genius Grant though" in response to all of her boyfriends winning Nobel Prizes except one.
In the movie Little Miss Sunshine, Frank says that he attempted suicide after his rival was awarded a genius grant for his studies of Marcel Proust.
In the series The L Word, season 5 episode 9, Molly tells her mother, Phyllis, "Shane is not gonna win a MacArthur Genius Grant any time soon."
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