PUB: Scholarly Residencies :: The Rockefeller Foundation

The Bellagio Center

A quiet setting for focused work.  A place to connect with dynamic innovators from across the globe.  A multi-sectoral community committed to solving the greatest challenges facing our world.  

The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center, through conferences and residency programs, supports the work of scholars, artists, thought leaders, policymakers and practitioners who share in the Foundation’s pioneering mission to “promote the well-being of humanity.”  The Center has a record of major impact, from meetings that led to the Green Revolution and the Global AIDS vaccine initiative, to residencies that furthered Michael Ondaatje’s work on The English Patient and Bill T. Jones’ choreography.  This legacy, the serene work environment on the shore of Lake Como in northern Italy, the diverse groups of people, and the promise of future achievements makes Bellagio an inspiring and productive forum for fostering positive change.

The Bellagio Experience

The Bellagio Residency program offers scholars, artists, thought leaders, policymakers and practitioners a serene setting conducive to focused, goal-oriented work, and the unparalleled opportunity to establish new connections with fellow residents, across a stimulating array of disciplines and geographies. The Bellagio Center community generates new knowledge to solve some of the most complex problems facing our world and creates art that inspires reflection, understanding, and imagination.

The Center sponsors three kinds of residencies—for scholars, creative artists and practitioners. Scholarly residencies last four weeks. We are especially interested in applicants whose work connects in some way with the Rockefeller Foundation’s issue areas, and we also select each cohort for diversity to ensure that interdisciplinary and international connections remain an integral part of the Bellagio experience. In addition, the Center offers collaborative residencies for two to four people working on the same project.

Collegial interaction with other residents is an essential dimension of the Bellagio experience. Meals and informal presentations of residents' work afford an opportunity for dynamic discussion and engagement within and across disciplines. During special dinners, residents often interact with participants in international conferences hosted in other buildings on the Center's grounds. 

Selection Process and Criteria

The Foundation seeks applications from scholars at all career stages with a record of significant achievement in their field. Applicants from developing countries are particularly encouraged to apply.

Decisions are based on:

  • the quality of the proposed project,
  • how innovative the project is and how likely it is to have broad impact or influence,
  • the ability of the applicant to articulate the project’s purpose and goals,
  • the professional qualifications and achievements of the applicant, and
  • the suitability and value of the Bellagio Center for the proposed activity.

In addition, reviewers will also take into consideration:

  • the relevance of the project to the Foundation’s mission (including related social, political, economic, cultural and gender issues)
  • personal qualities that are likely to make an applicant a contributing member of an international, interdisciplinary community—curiosity, breadth of interests, ability to honor other viewpoints and sensitivity to other cultures.

Because the Center aims to host an international mix of residents, the geography and nationality of those invited may be taken into account.

See full application requirements

Facility Information

Residents are housed in two main buildings and each resident is given a private room with a bath and a study/studio, either adjoining the bedroom or on the grounds. High-speed Internet access is available free of charge in all bedrooms and most studies. A small library includes basic reference books and online research tools; the works of many former residents and those resulting from Bellagio meetings are also available.

Spouses/life partners may accompany residents. Accommodations are not available for children, other family members, friends or pets. Room and board are provided to all residents and their spouses/partners, but they are responsible for their airfare and local transportation to and from Bellagio. However, the Foundation does have a limited travel assistance program, based on income level of invited residents.

Several resident suites are available for those with restricted mobility, and several of the buildings now include an elevator. Nonetheless, prospective applicants should be aware that the hillside setting of the facility and the surrounding area restricts the mobility of persons who have difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

The Center is not equipped to provide medical services or assisted care. The nearest major hospital is in Lecco, a 40-minute drive away.

via rockefellerfoundation.org