Brief
MacArthur Foundation announces 2026 fellowship class of 20 scholars and artists
The 2026 cohort includes sociologists, philosophers, economists, artists and scientists from the US and abroad.
By Felo News Desk · Published
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced on Tuesday its 2026 class of fellows, a diverse group of 20 individuals spanning the arts, humanities and sciences. Each recipient will receive an $800,000 grant to be used over five years, according to Independent.
What happened
The foundation released a list of the new fellows, highlighting their varied research and creative work. Selections range from Holly Jean Buck, a sociologist at the University at Buffalo studying community‑driven climate mitigation, to Christine Sun Kim, a Berlin‑based artist exploring deaf experiences through visual media.
What the reports add
Independent provided the full roster, naming each fellow and their institutional affiliation, such as Felipe De Brigard, a Duke University philosopher investigating memory and forgiveness, and Kaiyu Guan, an environmental scientist at the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign developing machine‑learning tools for crop yield prediction.
What was said
The article did not include direct quotations from foundation officials or the fellows.
How it came about
The MacArthur “genius” grants are awarded after a years‑long selection process that considers recommendations from a wide network of experts. Fellows do not apply for the award, and many reported feeling surprised by their selection, a pattern noted in previous Felo coverage of the 2026 class, such as the profile of saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins.
Key facts
- The MacArthur Foundation announced 20 fellows for 2026. (independent.co.uk)
- Each fellow will receive $800,000 over five years. (independent.co.uk)
- The cohort includes scholars, artists and scientists from the US and abroad. (independent.co.uk)
- Holly Jean Buck is a sociologist at the University at Buffalo focusing on climate change mitigation. (independent.co.uk)
- Christine Sun Kim is a Berlin‑based artist exploring deaf experiences. (independent.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “The MacArthur Foundation’s ‘genius’ fellows: The full 2026 class list”
