Civita Institute Fellowships

The 2023 Civita Institute Fellowship Application period is now closed.
Applications were due by March 12, 2023.

Please visit this page for complete information about how to apply.

We encourage you to review project samples from our past Fellows: 
Click to view our past Civita Institute Fellowship recipients »

2023 FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE:
March 12, 2023 — 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time — NO EXCEPTIONS
Contact email: fellowships@civitainstitute.org 

The Civita Institute 2023 Fellowships are open to architects, planners, designers, artists, writers, and other professionals residing within the United States. The ability to communicate effectively in English is required and a basic knowledge of Italian is encouraged. The Fellowships provide a unique opportunity for recipients to undertake a project of their own choosing and that is relevant to current or anticipated professional work or research, in which exemplar results may be obtained from this highly unique setting, far from routine obligations. It is required that projects resonate with the Mission, Vision and founding principles of the Civita Institute. 
 
Fellowships will be scheduled around the idea of “seasons” to cluster creative minds together, generating greater opportunities for cross-disciplinary exchange, and strengthening a sense of community. The following seasons are available for 30-day fellowship stays:

  • June 21–August 20, 2023
  • February 1–March 31, 2024

The Drexler Family Diversity Fellowship
The Civita Institute Drexler Family Diversity Fellowship intends to award one fellowship in 2023 to an applicant who self-identifies as an under-represented group. The award includes a one-month stay at the facilities of the Civita Institute and a stipend in the amount of $2,000.00 payable in two disbursements. Applicants must have three years of experience in their field and meet the Civita Institute criteria for fellowship selection. It is required that proposals advance the Mission, Vision and founding principles of the Civita Institute. Read more about the Drexler Family Diversity Fellowship.

Partners in Design Climate Action Fellowship
The Civita Institute Partners in Design Climate Action Fellowship is a sponsored fellowship that intends to award one fellowship in 2023 to an applicant who will explore Climate Action through architecture, landscape, art, photography, activism, storytelling, or research. The award includes a one-month stay at the facilities of the Civita Institute and a stipend in the amount of $1,750.00 payable in two disbursements. Applicants must have three years of experience in their field and meet the Civita Institute criteria for fellowship selection. It is required that proposals advance the Mission, Vision and founding principles of the Civita Institute. Read more about the Partners in Design Climate Action Fellowship.

Civita Institute Cultural Landscape of Civita di Bagnoregio Fellowship
For this fellowship the Civita Institute is seeking architectural, engineering or scientific fellowship proposals, from both American and Italian candidates, which will complement the UNESCO candidacy of Civita di Bagnoregio as a World Heritage Site by emphasizing its five criteria regarding the geomorphology of Civita and preservation of its architecture, history and culture. The award includes a one-month stay at the facilities of the Civita Institute and a stipend in the amount of $1,750.00 payable in two disbursements. Read more about the Cultural Landscape of Civita di Bagnoregio Fellowship.

HOUSING
Fellows must be able to attend the full one-month program. Fellows are expected to reside at the facilities of the Civita Institute for their entire 30-day Fellowship period unless the approved Fellowship project stipulates that overnight travel elsewhere is necessary for completion of the project. Family members, partners or pets cannot be accommodated unless the Fellowship proposal clarifies that their presence is required for completion of the project. Visitors are limited to a two-night stay that must be pre-arranged per Civita Institute Visitor Conditions and paid for in advance.

Applicants will be asked to indicate in which season(s) they are available to participate. Each Fellow will be housed in one of three Renaissance-era tufo stone houses with a restored kitchen, bath, bedroom and workspace at the Civita Institute's historic properties and grounds in Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy. Read more here about the facilities of the Civita Institute.

STIPENDS
Each Fellow will receive a stipend to be disbursed in two installments: 50% will be provided one month prior to the scheduled stay and the remaining 50% will be disbursed after anticipated deliverables are received by the Civita Institute (see the ‘Fellowship Deliverables’ section below).

APPLICATION FEE

  • $0.00 for current members of the Civita Institute at the time of the application’s due date—3/12/23
  • $45.00 for non-members of the Civita Institute. Fee is non-refundable and includes a one-year membership in the Civita Institute which enables Fellows to stay in the facilities of the Civita Institute upon award of a Fellowship.

All 2023 Fellowships awarded are to be completed either in the June 21–August 20, 2023 season or the February 1–March 31, 2024 season. Fellowships may be postponed only by prior Civita Institute Board of Director approval and only under extraordinary circumstances, but in any event must be completed within two years after notice of the award, or the Fellowship offer will be rescinded. The membership benefits of your application fee will be extended, at no cost to you, to cover the allowable timeframe for your Fellowship.

Fellowship applications will be assessed for their compatibility with and illumination of the Mission, Vision and founding principles of the Civita Institute. Fellowship proposals will be evaluated by an independent jury consisting of three to five professionals or persons with relevant expertise, who are not affiliated with the Civita Institute, and two members from the Civita Institute Board of Directors moderated by a non-voting director of the Board. The jury will decide upon finalists for presentation to the Board of Directors which has the responsibility to ratify finalists and award fellowships. The decision of the Board shall be final.

EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS
The following criteria will be used by the jury in the fellowship selection process.
Please note that all proposals must meet the first two threshold criteria before receiving further consideration:

  • Relevance of the fellowship proposal to the Civita Institute Mission, Vision, and/or foundational principles (Threshold Criterion: see About the Civita Institute below)
  • Applicant’s fit with the fellowship’s unique requirements (Threshold Criterion: view the links included in each fellowship's description above)
  • Abstract of the fellowship proposal
  • Feasibility of proposed methodology
  • Final form of the fellowship proposal
  • Demonstrated ability to complete the fellowship proposal within a realistic timeframe
  • Relevance of the applicant’s experience
  • Authenticity and strength of the Statements of Support
  • Potential for the fellowship experience to beneficially impact the applicant’s professional trajectory or stated goals
  • Potential for the fellowship experience to benefically impact the Civita institute's mission, vision or founding principles

FELLOWSHIP DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTATIONS

  • Satisfy the originally approved fellowship proposal or, if an unforeseen situation prevents conducting your approved proposal, have your new proposal approved by the Board of Directors prior to activation.
  • Provide a short-written description and a digital image of your fellowship project within 30 days of your fellowship stay in Civita
  • Provide documentation of your fellowship project in a digital medium best suited to the Civita Institute within 3 months of your stay
  • Provide the deliverable(s) as noted in your application for the Archive and Collections of the Civita Institute within 3 months of your stay
  • Present your fellowship project at a Civita Institute hosted event, either in person or via virtual media within 2 years of your stay
  • Presentation of fellowship projects to the local community prior to departure is optional but encouraged.
  • Completion of all deliverables will activate the final fellowship disbursement
  • The Civita Institute shall be clearly credited as the sponsor of the Fellowship in any display, exhibit, or publication (whether online, in print, physical exhibit, or otherwise) that includes all or part of the product(s) of the Fellowship.
  • The Civita Institute shall be permitted to publish all or part of the product(s) of the Fellowship in its nonprofit communications, marketing, publications, and events (live or otherwise), giving credit to the Fellow who originated the work, but without the necessity of obtaining additional permissions.

ABOUT THE CIVITA INSTITUTE
Founded in 1981, the Mission, Vision and founding principles of the Civita Institute are to:

  • Inspire and foster an interdisciplinary understanding of the unique qualities of Italian hill towns that remain pertinent to our contemporary experience through the promotion of historic preservation, education and scholarly research, artistic creation, cultural exchange, and professional explorations. (Mission)
  • Inspiring creative excellence, education, and cultural exchange through exploration of the unique qualities of Italian hilltowns. (Vision)
  • Explore the principles that architecture and preservation, environmental stewardship, agricultural heritage, and cultural exchange are all linked, and that Civita and other hill towns of Italy provide a unique setting to experience these connections. 
    (Founding Principles)

Located 75 miles north of Rome, the historic Civita Institute facilities provide a unique basecamp for program participants to explore dozens of significant hill towns, cities and cultural sites between Rome and Florence. Situated in the ancient hill town of Civita di Bagnoregio, facilities of the Civita Institute are nestled into the pedestrian-only, historic town that is accessed via foot bridge. The town is well-known for its surrounding natural beauty, its intact historical and architectural splendor, its central piazza, historic church, geological museum, high-quality restaurants and local shops and is a candidate for consideration as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site. The Civita Institute 
provides an excellent architectural library with a large presentation monitor plus access to a scanner and printer with pre-approved assistance. Each private residence has a small studio workspace, small libraries, modern baths and kitchens and access to washing machines.