Cullman Center USA Fellowship 2027 of $90,000 for Scholars, Writers and Journalists in New York
International scholars, writers and journalists looking for substantial research funding in the United States can now apply for the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center Fellowship 2027–2028 at The New York Public Library.
The fellowship provides $90,000 for a nine-month residency in New York City, together with a private workspace and full access to the New York Public Library’s research collections. The Cullman Center normally selects 15 Fellows each year, bringing together academics and independent researchers with novelists, poets, playwrights, journalists, translators and other writers.
How Much Funding Does the Cullman Center Fellowship Provide?
Each selected Fellow receives a $90,000 stipend for the nine-month fellowship.
| Fellowship detail | 2027–2028 offer |
|---|---|
| Fellowship stipend | $90,000 |
| Number selected annually | 15 Fellows |
| Duration | Nine months |
| Fellowship period | September 7, 2027–May 26, 2028 |
| Location | New York City, USA |
| Working arrangement | In-person, Monday–Friday |
In addition to the stipend, Fellows receive an office with a computer and full access to the Library’s physical and electronic research resources.
Applicants should not automatically interpret the $90,000 as being separate from a full package of housing, airfare and living allowances. The official 2027–28 guidelines confirm the stipend and Library facilities but do not list separate accommodation or travel funding as standard benefits.
Can International Applicants Apply?
Yes. Foreign nationals are welcome to apply for the Cullman Center Fellowship.
Applicants may work in languages other than English, but they must be sufficiently conversant in English to participate in the Center’s intellectual community. Application materials must also be submitted in English.
Unlike a remote research grant, however, this opportunity requires a substantial physical commitment to New York.
Fellows are expected to work primarily at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building of The New York Public Library five days per week, Monday through Friday, throughout the fellowship term.
International applicants should therefore consider the practicalities of spending nine months in New York before applying.
Who Is the Fellowship Actually For?
The Cullman Center has an unusually broad applicant pool. Eligible profiles can include:
- Academics
- Independent scholars
- Journalists
- Novelists
- Playwrights
- Poets
- Translators
- Creative and nonfiction writers
- Visual artists working on projects that substantially use Library collections
What connects these very different candidates is not a particular university degree. Their proposed work must benefit directly from access to the research collections of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.
The Library’s collections are particularly extensive across areas including history, literature and languages, politics, anthropology, art, geography, philosophy, psychology, religion, sociology, popular culture, sports and urban studies.
Is This Fellowship Available to PhD Students or Postdocs?
This is not a scholarship for completing a master’s or doctoral degree.
The Cullman Center does not fund applicants whose proposed research leads directly to a degree, including graduate-school dissertation research. More unusually, the 2027–28 official guidelines state that fellowships will not be granted for academic projects to postdoctoral fellows.
That makes the programme quite different from fellowships such as Humboldt, which specifically target postdoctoral researchers.
Independent scholars and established academics can apply, but their project should stand on its own rather than function as degree-required research.
What Kind of Project Has the Best Fit?
The strongest project is one that genuinely needs New York Public Library materials—not merely one that would benefit from having a quiet office in New York.
The Cullman Center is built around projects drawing directly on NYPL research collections. Successful applicants should therefore be able to identify the archives, books, manuscripts, maps, periodicals, visual collections or other materials relevant to their work.
The Center places particular emphasis on top-quality writing and encourages intellectual exchange between scholarly and creative disciplines. Fellows pursue their own projects but are also expected to participate in the Center’s community and discuss their work with other Fellows and invited guests.
This makes the fellowship especially interesting for someone developing a serious book, scholarly project, historical study, literary work, translation or comparable long-form research-and-writing project.
What Do You Need to Submit?
Applications are made through the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center online application portal. The official 2027–28 guidelines require a completed application together with:
- Research proposal
- Curriculum vitae
- New letters of recommendation
- Creative-writing sample or artwork sample where applicable
The Center specifically says that existing dossier letters cannot replace newly prepared recommendation letters.
For applicants, the most important part of the proposal is likely to be the connection between the project and NYPL itself. Naming specific relevant collections will make a much stronger case than simply saying that access to a major research library would be useful.
Can Fellows Continue Their Normal Job at the Same Time?
Not as a major parallel professional commitment.
The Library states that Fellows may not undertake other major professional obligations during the fellowship. Limited previous commitments may be possible, but research trips, conferences and speaking engagements must remain short, and excessive absence can result in the stipend being reduced proportionately.
Applicants should therefore think of Cullman as a nine-month primary professional commitment, not a fellowship to add casually alongside a full-time position elsewhere.
Application Deadline
The last date to apply for the Cullman Center Fellowship 2027–2028 is September 25, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EDT. The Library expects to notify applicants in March 2027, with successful Fellows beginning their residency on September 7, 2027.
For international scholars and writers with a serious research or book project, the real attraction is not simply the $90,000 award. It is nine protected months inside one of the world’s major research libraries—but applicants must convincingly show why their project needs those collections and why the Cullman Center is the right place to complete it.