MacArthur Foundation

The MacArthur Foundation has announced its 2026 class of MacArthur Fellows, the fellowships widely known as genius grants. The awards go to individuals across arts, sciences, and public life, each carrying a substantial no-strings-attached stipend. The announcement draws attention each year as the Foundation reveals the new fellows and their fields of work.

University of Chicago physicist Vincenzo Vitelli has been named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow, receiving the so-called 'genius grant' from the MacArthur Foundation. The fellowship recognizes exceptionally creative individuals across fields with a substantial no-strings-attached award. Vitelli is known for work in theoretical condensed matter physics, and the University of Chicago announced the honor in its news outlet.

The MacArthur Foundation has announced this year's class of MacArthur Fellows, its so-called genius grants. Among the winners are researchers whose work combines scientific research with social justice goals, according to NPR's coverage of the announcement. The fellowship awards unrestricted prizes to individuals across arts, sciences and advocacy, and the emphasis on justice-oriented science is drawing attention to this year's cohort.

Two Illinois-based researchers are among the latest MacArthur Fellows. A University of Chicago physicist and a University of Illinois environmental scientist each received the so-called 'genius grant', a no-strings-attached award given each year to people showing exceptional creativity in their fields. Local coverage in Chicago highlights the recognition for the state's universities, though details of the winners' specific research have not yet been widely reported.

Vincenzo Vitelli, a physicist based in Chicago, has been selected for a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, the prestigious award often called a 'genius grant' that recognizes exceptionally creative individuals with a no-strings-attached stipend. The honor places the University of Chicago-affiliated researcher among a select group of fellows across the arts and sciences recognized this year for outstanding merit and future promise.

A University of Chicago theoretical physicist has been named a MacArthur Fellow, joining the 2025 class of the so-called 'genius grant' winners. The MacArthur Foundation awards the fellowship, which carries a substantial no-strings-attached stipend, to individuals showing exceptional creativity and promise across the arts, sciences and public life.

The MacArthur Foundation has announced its 2026 class of MacArthur Fellows, honoring 20 individuals with its prestigious 'genius grant.' The fellowship awards unrestricted stipends to people across arts, sciences, and public life in recognition of exceptional creativity and promise. Coverage is focused on who made the list and what each fellow's work involves.