Preparing a Competitive Application
The quality of the presentation is very important. Make sure to proofread all materials before submission as reviewers do not look favorably at applications filled with misspelled words, typographical and/or grammatical errors. A poorly prepared application will cause reviewers to have reservations about recommending an applicant even if they see the project and its subject in a positive light. Make it easy for reviewers to find key information, and do not refer readers to materials that are not part of the application.
Please do not submit any additional information than what is requested; it will not be reviewed. In addition, application materials submitted as PDF or Word attachments through the online application system must be prepared in 12-point type with 1” margins.
The application consists of the following:
The following instructions for Dropbox (maximum file size 2GB) and YouSendIt (maximum file size 50MB) are for composers, multimedia artists, video/filmmakers, and visual artists (with files over 4MB each), to submit their work samples:
Dropbox Instructions (PDF)
YouSendIt Instructions (PDF)
Project Summary (250 word limit for all Academic Writing and Literary Arts Residencies, including poetry, and playwriting; 500 word limit for all other applicants)
The Project Summary provides you with an opportunity to explain the main points of your project as clearly and succinctly as possible. Delineate what you intend to do at Bellagio and to what extent you believe your work will have an impact. Avoid extensive statements about the broad context of your research that are not directly connected to your project. Include your conceptual framework as appropriate. Describe ways in which the Bellagio Residency will enhance your project. To the extent possible, show how your project relates to the Rockefeller Foundation’s mission and priorities.
Project Proposal (no more than 1,250 words)
The Project Proposal should identify for the reviewers the key issues addressed by the project and how it fits into and differs from existing scholarship or artistic traditions. Your task is to persuade the reviewers that your project is innovative and that it will have a significant impact in your field and/or a particular problem. If relevant, explain how it fits with the Rockefeller Foundation’s current focus areas: social & economic security, basic survival safeguards, urbanization, climate and environment, and global health.
It is essential to explain your proposed activities at the Bellagio Center and the suitability of Bellagio as a place to work on your project. If the project will not be completed during the residency, be sure to describe the phase of the larger project that you will be working on at Bellagio. You should also address the anticipated outcomes from the residency including plans for dissemination (i.e., publications, exhibitions, etc.). The Project Proposal is a key part of a successful application and it therefore requires careful preparation.
Note: Visual & Performing Artists (composers, multi-media artists, video/filmmakers and visual artists) do not have to submit a Project Proposal.
Abbreviated CV (no more than 4 pages)
Provide an abbreviated CV with career highlights, including publications, awards, exhibitions, and performances. Please do not submit professional bios in lieu of a CV.
Work Samples
Choose work samples carefully and submit those that demonstrate your ability to undertake and complete a project of the magnitude being proposed. The work samples should support the purpose and goals outlined in the description of the project. Work samples must be received by the application deadline, and they will not be returned.
For Academic Writing Residencies (maximum of 20 pages) Submit one published chapter or article no more than 20 pages in length published in the last five years. If none of your previous work is published in English, please provide either a translation or summary of the work in English.
For Arts & Literary Arts Residencies
Literary Artists*
Fiction / Non-Fiction Writers and Poets
A selection from a book published in the last five years (maximum 20 pages in length). The selection must be submitted online as a PDF or Word document.
Playwrights
A selection from a play produced in the past five years (maximum 20 pages in length). The selection must be submitted online as a PDF or Word document.
*Note for all Literary Artists: If your published work is not in English, two recently published reviews in English must be submitted.
Visual and Performing Artists
Composers
Work samples consist of a score and three audio file copies of that score completed in the past five years. Please note that applicants who would like the reviewers to listen to something other than the first ten minutes of a submitted work sample should clearly mark the score and indicate the track where the excerpt begins.
Ways to submit audio samples (choose one):
1) Three CDs of the same work via post
2) Upload files to Dropbox or YouSendIt
Ways to submit the score (choose one):
1) Unbound 8 ½ x 11 (or A-4) paper via post
2) Upload PDF document to the online application
3) Upload file to Dropbox or YouSendIt
Multi-Media Artists
Work samples consist of ten images created in the past five years (maximum height or width 1240 pixels, file format must be .jpg or .gif, 300 dpi resolution, file size should be no larger than 1.2 MB), and an image list. This list should include the image number, title, size, medium and date of work. Please submit the image list electronically through the online application or through Dropbox / YouSendIt.
Ways to submit images (choose one):
1) Three copies of a CD or DVD (compatible with Mac or PC) via post
2) Upload files through the online application
3) Upload files through Dropbox / YouSendIt
Video/Filmmakers
Work samples consist of three DVD copies of two different videos/films produced in the past five years. If running time exceeds 20 minutes, you should include a 5 minute excerpt from each selection.
Ways to submit videos/films (choose one):
1) Three DVD copies of both videos/films sent via post
2) Upload files to Dropbox / YouSendIt (please note we must be able to reproduce these files)
Visual Artists
Work samples consist of ten images created in the past five years (maximum height or width 1240 pixels, file format must be .jpg or .gif, 300 dpi resolution, file size should be no larger than 1.2 MB), and an image list. This list should include the image number, title, size, medium and date of work. Please submit the image list electronically through the online application or through Dropbox / YouSendIt.
Ways to submit images (choose one):
1) Three copies of a CD or DVD (compatible with Mac or PC) via post
2) Upload files through the online application
3) Upload files through Dropbox / YouSendIt
Statement for Previous Bellagio Residents
Former Bellagio residents must also submit a statement of no more than 250 words describing what was accomplished during the previous residency, the specific outputs and/or outcomes, the critical response and what has been accomplished since then.
Notes on Translation Projects
If you are submitting a Proposal to translate an author that you have translated previously, please submit samples of that work. If this is your first translation work, please include your qualifications to do so in your Proposal.
The Project Proposal
Information presented here is intended to suggest things you should consider as you develop and write your Project Proposal. Please keep in mind that the Project Proposal should not exceed 1,250 words. As a reminder, visual and performing artists do not need to submit a Project Proposal.
Activities while at Bellagio
- Present a 4-week work plan that outlines the activities that you will undertake during the residency
- Describe how the specific work you will do at Bellagio fits into the larger scope of your project
Example of a well organized Project Proposal’s sub-headings:
- Scholarly or artistic context
- Importance and potential impact of the project
- Specific outputs and intended outcomes
- Target audience and planned means of dissemination
- Phase of the work proposed to be undertaken at Bellagio
Note: If applicable, include a summary of accomplishments gained during another residency program (supported by an organization other than The Rockefeller Foundation)
Tips for Academic Writing Project Proposals
- Place the research in context
- Address its significance and potential impact on your field or on key problems facing the world
- Address the specific outputs and/or intended outcomes
- Explain the methodology
- Describe the target audience and plans for dissemination
If your research is on a subject that has been focused on by other scholars, be sure to explain what makes your research different or innovative. Do not provide an extensive discussion of the broader topic on which your research focuses. If a book is the outcome, include a cohesive, substantive outline that is not simply a list of chapter titles.
Tips for Literary Arts Project Proposals (fiction / non-fiction writers, poets, and playwrights)
The Project Proposal should present a concise description of the work that conveys its essential aspects. It should also discuss its goals and purposes, its significance and potential impact, the specific outputs and/or intended outcomes, and identify the primary target audience for your work. You are welcome to submit a chapter outline as part of your Project Proposal, but please note it will count towards the 1,250 word maximum.
Recommenders
Recommenders provide the reviewers with an assessment of an applicant’s ability to undertake the project successfully as well as a sense of whether the applicant has the personal qualities to be part of an interdisciplinary, international community. They may also provide an expert opinion on the quality of the project and its impact or outcomes.
Choosing Your Recommenders:
- Choose three recommenders that know you and your work well rather than individuals who are big names in your field who do not know you well
- Use only one person from the same organization or institution as a recommender
- Do not choose editors, agents, or others that have a financial interest in your success in being invited for a residency, and who might benefit financially from your having a residency
- Do not ask more than one contributor to a volume you edited to provide a recommendation
Recommenders Should Address:
- Your professional accomplishments
- The quality of your project and your ability to carry it out. To that end, be sure to send your recommenders a copy of your Project Proposal in advance
- Your personal qualities that will make you a good member of an international community
Some Practicalities:
- Contact the recommenders in advance to determine their willingness and availability to write on your behalf
- Confirm the e-mail address that they want used and make sure all of their contact information is entered correctly in the online application
- Recommenders will receive a message upon submission of the online application that provides instructions on how to send their recommendation letters
- Recommenders have two weeks to send their letters from the date the application is submitted
Examples of when letters are due:
If the application is submitted November 6, recommendation letters are due by November 20.
If the application is submitted December 1, recommendation letters are due by December 15.
Please note that applicants are responsible for follow-up with their recommenders to ensure timely submission.
A Collaborative or Team Proposal (2-4 people)
The Rockefeller Foundation welcomes collaborative projects for groups of 2-4 people. The Bellagio Center accepts applications for team projects that bring residents together from different geographies, institutions or disciplines since this reinforces the Center’s goals of establishing new connections.
When submitting a collaborative proposal, make clear the role of each team member. Keep in mind that the credentials of all of the members of the team will be part of the evaluation. If the professional accomplishments of some members of the team are not equal to those of the lead person(s) for the project, this may be a negative factor in the review of the application.
For all collaborative teams, each team member must fill out the online form and provide the same project summary. Teams may submit work samples that are the product of previous collaborative work. If you are a new collaborative team, separate work samples should be submitted. Collaborators may list the same references only if the references are familiar with each applicant, but the referee must write separate letters for each applicant.
In addition to instructions above, teams of three or four are asked to submit a separate document stating your intention to apply as a collaborative group and list all team members.
The Review Process
Applications are reviewed by external panelists who are experts in their disciplines. In evaluating applications, the reviewers will consider:
Quality of the project
- Its innovation
- Its significance or impact on the betterment of mankind
The quality of the proposal
- Whether the proposal provides a compelling presentation of the project and its purposes, goals and outcomes
- Explains the suitability of the Bellagio Center as the venue for the proposed activities
Professional qualifications and achievements
- The applicant’s record of scholarly publications or artistic achievements
Ability to be a contributing member of an international, interdisciplinary community
- Respect for other viewpoints
- Curiosity and breadth of interest
- Ability to communicate with a geographically diverse group of people
Timeline of the Review Process
Once you submit an application, you will receive an automated email confirming receipt of it. If we find that there is a problem (i.e. uploaded files do not work), we will reach out to you. In addition, you will receive an email once all three of your recommendation letters are in. You will not hear from us again until the decisions have been made. The entire review process takes about four months.
Before You Submit
Carefully review all parts of your application for completeness and appearance, and ask yourself whether it is clear and covers the essential points in the application instructions.
- Did you include your Project Summary?
- Did you include your Project Proposal (if applicable)?
- Did you include the appropriate work samples and an abbreviated CV?
- Do you have the names and contact information for your three recommenders?
- If you are a previous resident, did you include the additional statement?
Be thorough in your explanation of your project and anticipate a reviewer’s perspective in understanding its purpose. For example, an applicant proposes to use a particular approach to the subject, but he/she does not explain why. Remember, each part of the application should relate to the whole and build support for your candidacy.