The Fulbright / Kennedy Center Fellowship for Performing Arts And Science

he John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts preserves the legacy of John F. Kennedy and is the National Cultural Center as well as a living monument to the late president. The Kennedy Center is committed to raising public awareness about the benefits of engaging with the arts, facilitating a platform for related health and medical research, and hosting programs for the public to engage in arts-related activities for the purposes of healing. In the interest of communal wellbeing, the Kennedy Center is also committed to raising public awareness about the environment through the arts. The department of International Programming has committed over the next ten years to programming environmentally themed festivals, exhibits, and other events and is exploring ways in which the Center itself can operate in a more sustainable way.

The Fulbright / Kennedy Center Fellowship for Performing Arts And Science, a component of the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, provides an opportunity for a Fulbright visiting scholar to connect with artists, staff, educators, and audiences at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. This fellowship is made possible through a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the Kennedy Center’s departments of International Programming and Arts and Wellbeing. The award was established to support research and innovative multidisciplinary projects addressing the connection between the performing arts, the environment, health, and wellbeing from the point of view of artists and/or scientists. Wellbeing can be defined as communal wellbeing (focusing on climatology, sociology, anthropology, etc.) or individual wellbeing (tapping into medical fields such as neurobiology, psychology, audiology, kinesthesiology, etc.).

Eligible candidates will be researchers or professionals in the performing arts, research science, or a related field, and be a citizen of and resident in one of the following countries: Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Morocco, Turkey, or South Korea. U.S. Citizens or U.S. permanent residents, including dual citizens, are ineligible for Fulbright Visiting Scholar Awards.

A Master’s degree or equivalent professional experience is required for candidates applying from the performing arts; a Ph.D. or equivalent professional experience is required for applicants whose primary discipline is in the sciences.
Past experience with large cultural institutions and/or developing large-scale performances is preferred.
Applicants must be regularly practicing in their fields, with a strong, demonstrated curiosity in the cross-section of art, science, the environment and wellbeing (as defined above).

Disciplines

The Fulbright / Kennedy Center Fellowship for Performing Arts And Science is open to scientists and/or artists and the below lists are intended to be suggestive rather than exhaustive.

Neuroscience
Biology | Ecology
Engineering |Civil Engineering Environmental Science Acoustics | Acoustic Ecology Anthropology
Psychology
Performing Arts (including but not limited to instrumental music, vocal performance, dance, theater, performance art, spoken word/storytelling, comedy, multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary performing arts)
Public Health
Sociology
Sustainability | Sustainable Development
Urban Studies | Urban Planning

Areas of Research

Sustainability in the arts and in cultural centers: use of resources and reuse of waste.
Use of materials respectful to the environment and use of renewable energy in the performing arts
Environmental awareness through the arts
Sustainable arts practices
Mental health
Community building for positive health outcomes
Dissemination of health-related information
Effects of arts on the body
Effects of arts on health
Social prescriptions + therapeutic usage of the arts

The application for the 2024-2025 academic year is found at apply.iie.org/fvsp2024

Once you have started your application, make sure to select Fulbright / Kennedy Center Fellowship from the Award drop-down menu on the Country Information page.

The Fulbright / Kennedy Center Fellowship is only available to applicants from select countries (see Eligibility above). If your country is not participating you will not be able to select nor apply for an award.

Components:

Applicants will be required to provide:

Biographical Information
Academic & Professional background information
Curriculum Vitae
English Language Skills Self-Assessment
Project Proposal (3-5 page essay)
Bibliography (1-3 pages of references that are relevant to the proposed research)
Letter of Support must be included from the applicant’s Home Institution
(2) Letters of Recommendation

PROJECT STATEMENT

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is unique given its proximity to government as well as its vast programming across all arts genres and multiple theaters under one roof. Its status as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy also gives it a meaningful and special standing in the U.S. capital city. Successful candidates for this award will ensure their Project Statement describes the following:

The academic and professional context of the research area
What academic and professional experience prepared you for this type of program.
Why the research needs to be done; what significance it holds for your discipline, your personal and professional development, and how it fits into the Kennedy Center’s ongoing projects.
Why the project is uniquely suited to the Kennedy Center and/or why the Kennedy Center is uniquely suited to amplify and enhance the proposed project.
How your project will contribute to international collaborations in the Performing Arts and Science build relationships with U.S. experts and institutions.
What you bring as a cultural ambassador and how the outcomes of your project could impact both the Kennedy Center community and your home community.

In the Project Statement section within the application: Enter your Project Title in the Project Title field. The project title must be in English. Make sure it is written in AP style: no abbreviations, not all caps; all words of four or more letters should be capitalized, no Oxford commas.

For the Brief Summary of Project Proposal section: Enter a summary of your Project Proposal in the text box (maximum of 700 characters)

REFERENCES:

It is recommended that you provide your references with a copy of your project statement. References should be from persons able to evaluate your professional work; the abilities you bring to your project; your ability to adapt; and the merits of the project. Do not ask someone for a letter of reference unless the person is well acquainted with your qualifications. A pro forma letter from a well-known scholar, a contact abroad or a prominent government official will carry less weight than a realistic assessment of your abilities from someone who knows you and your work well. References must be written in or translated into English.

References should address:

How long and in what capacity they have known the applicant.
The applicant’s credentials, potential and record of academic or professional accomplishments, ability to work in groups and leadership skills.
Relevance of applicant’s previous research, training, and experience to proposed project.