The grants, awarded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, will be announced publicly on Tuesday, September 20th. The names of the awardees will be available on a password protected website on Friday, September 16 (info below).
Awarded to talented individuals in a variety of fields who have shown exceptional originality in and dedication to their creative pursuits, MacArthur Fellows receive $500,000 grants that are bestowed with no conditions – recipients may use the money as they see fit. Nominated anonymously by leaders in their respective fields and never notified of their candidacy, the recipients will learn of their selection only when they receive a call from the MacArthur Foundation to notify them of their selection. There are a total 25 recipients for the 2005 Fellowships, awarded for work in other such areas as the environment, technology, geology, urban revitalization, economics, computer science, arts, music, and literature.
Available for interviews: Call Vicki Robb, 202-457-8100 to schedule.