Do you have "exceptional promise" and a bold independent project you'd pursue if you had the time and space? The Hodder Fellowship at Princeton's Lewis Center for the Arts gives artists and writers a year of "studious leisure" to create significant new work, with a $93,000 stipend, and applications close on 8 September 2026. Youth Works Hub has laid out the full fellowship below so you can apply with confidence.
About the Fellowship
The full name is the Mary Mackall Gwinn Hodder Fellowship. It supports artists and writers of "exceptional promise" to pursue an independent project at Princeton for one academic year, selected "more for promise than for performance". Most successful fellows have already published a first book or achieved comparable early success. The fellowship began in the 1940s, and since 2013 it has been open to artists beyond writers.
Which Disciplines Are Open This Cycle
🎨 For this cycle, the Hodder Fellowship is open to dance, theater, visual arts and music artists.
✍️ Creative writing is considered next year — the disciplines rotate over time.
Suitable profiles include composers, choreographers, performance artists, visual artists, writers, translators and other artists and humanists.
What You'll Receive
💶 A $93,000 stipend for the ten-month academic year
🔬 An additional $5,000 for research expenses
🩺 Fellows are eligible for benefits during the fellowship
🏛️ Housing is not provided, but you have access to shared space; the award can also be administered through your home institution
Structure and Commitment
📅 One academic year, a 10-month Visiting Fellow appointment
🚫 No teaching is involved — this is dedicated time for an independent project
📍 You do not have to reside on or near campus, but a Hodder Fellow must be based in the US during the fellowship and is expected to spend significant time in the country
Eligibility
🎓 No advanced degree is required; there is no age limit
⛔ Former Princeton Arts Fellows cannot apply; those with a sustained relationship with Princeton are not eligible; the fellowship cannot fund work towards an advanced degree; and you cannot hold a concurrent teaching post
🔁 From this application cycle, you may apply for the Hodder Fellowship a maximum of twice in a lifetime (applications submitted before 2026 do not count)
🌍 International applicants: US citizenship is not required. As a paid appointment, work authorisation is required; the Davis International Center advises, but the visa application and costs are yours, and there is no sponsorship for an H-1B requiring consular processing.
🌱 Staying in the United States for your next move? Take a look at this postdoctoral research fellowship in 🇺🇸 the United States with Cornell Atkinson → https://youthworkshub.org/21047
Selection Process
👥 For this cycle, four Hodder Fellows are expected to be selected. The relevant programme's committee reads all applications. All applicants are informed of their status by the end of November, and all award decisions are announced during the spring academic term. No feedback is given to unsuccessful applicants.
Application Materials
Submitted through Interfolio:
📄 A resume
📝 A 500-word project proposal describing your artistic project and what you'll do during the ten-month appointment
🎬 Work samples plus a 150-word description of how they relate to your proposal, following the discipline specifications (for example, Visual Arts: 20 images, or a 10-minute video, or 10 images plus a 5-minute video)
Word limits are strict, and samples must be in English.
✍️ Interested in a writing-focused opportunity elsewhere? See this writing scholarship for African writers 🌍 from the Miles Morland Foundation → https://youthworkshub.org/21049
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is it paid? Yes, $93,000 for the ten-month year, plus $5,000 for research.
❓ Is there teaching? No, it is dedicated time for an independent project.
❓ Can international artists apply? Yes, but you must be based in the US during the fellowship and hold work authorisation.
❓ How many times can I apply? A maximum of twice in a lifetime (from 2026 onwards).
❓ Which disciplines this cycle? Dance, theater, visual arts and music; creative writing is considered next year.
Deadline
⏳ 08 September 2026, 23:59 (ET). The portal opened on 1 July 2026, and late applications are not accepted.
Links
🔗 Apply (Interfolio): https://apply.interfolio.com/184993
🔗 Programme page: https://arts.princeton.edu/fellowships/hodder-fellowship/
📩 Contact: lca-fellowships@princeton.edu
More funded fellowships like this, explained in plain language, are gathered on Youth Works Hub.
⚠️ Important Notice
Youth Works Hub is not the organiser, partner, or representative of the listed projects. This listing is shared for information only, based on details from the source. Deadlines, eligible countries, dates, and other details may change or be withdrawn at any time, and all funding, reimbursements, and allowances are set by the project coordinator or National Agency. Applications go directly to the coordinator or hosting organisation through the official link. Listings may include third-party links (ESC Portal, infopacks, forms) that Youth Works Hub does not control. Always verify the details on the official project page before applying.
