The 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.).
- AWARD ACTIVITY
The selected Fellow will work with the Kennedy Center’s departments of International Programming and Arts and Wellbeing as an advisor and partner to develop a project that focuses on the intersection of performing arts, science, and wellbeing that will inform or reflect work being done at the Kennedy Center. The Fellow will have access to performances, rehearsals, special events, Kennedy Center programmers, artistic advisors, artists, staff of the education department and administrative staff as requested and approved. They will also be able to utilize connections that the Center has with other institutions, including but not limited to: NIH, The SoundHealth Network, Johns Hopkins University, and environmental organizations. The Fellow will be a part of the Kennedy Center team while in residence, with the hope that their work will influence what the Center presents and how it operates in the years to come. Strong applicants will be emerging or established experts in their fields, self-motivated, with experience and projects in the arts and/or sciences that align with the Kennedy Center’s mission, values, and goals.
- AWARD DETAILS
Location:
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is located at 2700 F St NW, Washington, D.C. The Kennedy Center campus contains nine dedicated theaters and numerous other flexible performance spaces, including rehearsal rooms, public art spaces, outdoor performance plazas, small pavilions, and galleries. The Fellow will work in the Center’s administrative staff offices in the Center’s main building. The Center will provide the Fellow with office space (a desk and desktop computer), access to printer/copy machine, email, and meeting rooms. The Fellow will also have access to the Center canteen and parking.
Award Length and Dates:
September/October – May/June (Minimum of 3 months, maximum of 10 months)
Grant Benefits
The selected participant will receive J-1 visa sponsorship, J-1 visa compliant health benefits, and round-trip international travel to the United States. The Fulbright visiting scholar will also receive a stipend to cover living expenses, settling in, and professional development allowances, and if applicable, a dependent allowance intended to offset the cost of required dependent health insurance. J visa compliant health insurance and travel costs for accompanying dependents are the responsibility of the participant. Additionally, recipients of this award will be invited to participate in Fulbright Scholar Enrichment Activities as well as Fulbright’s Outreach Lecturing Fund. Fellows will join a diverse, active, worldwide network of alumni who carry the impact of their transformational Fulbright experience far beyond the period of their exchange programs.
- ELIGIBILITY
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: Bangladesh, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Israel, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, Uruguay, or Zimbabwe. 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
- APPLICATION
The application for the 2025-2026 academic year closed on October 15, 2024.
Components:
The application is completed online through the Slate application system.
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.
Questions
Contact us at fulbrightkennedycenter@iie.org.
Application Deadline
The 2025-26 academic year application is closed.