MacArthur Fellowships
MacArthur Fellowships, annual monetary awards granted to exceptionally creative individuals who have shown the potential for making major breakthroughs in their fields. The number of awards made each year varies. Recipients of the prizes, awarded under the MacArthur Fellows Program, receive $500,000 over five years, tax free. The program is funded and administered by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
The MacArthur Fellows Program was started in 1981. “Talent scouts,” selected by the foundation's board of directors, recommend candidates for the fellowships. The board then decides who the recipients will be. The prizes are not like conventional fellowships and awards in that the recipients are free to use the prize money in any way they choose.