Country: Italy
Location: Lake Como
Organization: The Rockefeller Foundation
Program: Bellagio Center Residency Program
Deadline: March 20, 2026, 5pm EDT
Duration: 26 days
About the Residency
The Rockefeller Foundation is accepting applications for the 2027 Bellagio Center Residency Program. This residency is designed for a global community of leaders developing ambitious ideas into solutions that can move the world forward. The Foundation states that, for nearly 70 years, the Bellagio Center Residency Program has supported innovators, trailblazers, changemakers, and champions working on specific breakthrough projects.
Held in Lake Como, Italy, the residency runs for 26 days. During this period, participants receive focused and uninterrupted time for their work while also joining an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural cohort. After the residency, participants stay connected to The Rockefeller Foundation as members of the Bellagio Network.
Residency Benefits
The official page states that the program includes 26 days at The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center in Lake Como, Italy, along with room and board and a private studio for working. It also provides travel funding and a shared community of up to 14 scholars, artists, and practitioners from around the world. In addition, residents gain future participation in an international network of Bellagio Center alumni committed to creating a better world.
Resident Profile
The Bellagio Center describes its residents as leaders with significant achievement and recognition in their field. Applicants are expected to be forward-looking and to have a track record of advancing breakthrough ideas or actions that have had tremendous impact. They should be aligned with The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission to promote the well-being of humanity, be open to giving and receiving feedback in a diverse cohort, and be interested in remaining active in the Bellagio Network after the residency.
What Kind of Work Is Sought
The program supports leading thinkers, doers, and creators from any discipline whose projects show clear social impact and work toward the betterment of humanity. The official description says the Foundation is looking for work that offers novel solutions, generates new knowledge, or inspires change for those who need it most, with emphasis on public, scholarly, and/or charitable benefit rather than private or for-profit gain.
The Foundation encourages applications that include at least one of these dimensions: unlocking solutions for vulnerable populations through unlikely partnerships, developing solutions that empower people and communities, and driving solutions at scale for those who need it most through innovative financing and technological advances.
Open Call Types
The residency selects leaders through two channels. The first is the General Open Call, which welcomes exceptional leaders from any field or area of practice. The second is the Thematic Open Call, through which The Rockefeller Foundation prioritizes residencies aligned with its listed themes.
Priority Themes
The official page lists the following themes for the program: Universal Energy Abundance, Food Systems and Nutrition, Economic Mobility, Health, Artificial Intelligence for Good, Catalytic Finance, and Climate and Development.
Who Can Apply
The Bellagio Center Residency Program is open to several categories of leaders, including academics and scholars, artists, and practitioners.
Academics and Scholars
This group includes academics, researchers, professors, and scientists based at universities and think tanks across any discipline. The official page explains that these projects frequently advance a scholarly discipline or field of study and often result in a published book or article.
Artists
Artists and writers are also eligible, including composers, fiction and non-fiction writers, playwrights, poets, video or filmmakers, dancers, musicians, and visual artists. The Foundation notes that these applicants should produce work that inspires change and action and should share in its mission of promoting the well-being of humanity. It also states that all applicants must explain how the work will ensure public access. Art projects may be in the research, production, and/or post-production stage.
Practitioners
Eligible practitioners include senior-level nonprofit leaders, journalists, private-sector leaders, and public advocates working across different sectors and fields. Their projects may include books, articles, organizational plans, and policy briefs that advance work for vulnerable populations and global challenges, particularly in underserved societies.
Application Deadline
Applications for the 2027 Bellagio Center Residency Program are now open. The deadline to join the 2027 cohort is March 20, 2026, at 5pm EDT. The Rockefeller Foundation also notes that all applications and participation are subject to the Bellagio Center Residency Program Terms and Conditions.
Bellagio Network
The official page states that the Bellagio Center welcomes approximately 100 residents annually on average. These residents come from around the world and represent a wide range of expertise.
