About the Open Call

The inaugural 2026 theme is Extinction & Persistence—exploring disappearance, survival, adaptation, and the emotional and ecological dimensions of change. Each year, NCEAS will invite one visual artist and one musician/composer to Santa Barbara for a weeklong Ideas Summit. Fellows engage in deep conversation with scientists, field excursions, and collaborative experimentation. Over the following year, Fellows and scientists connect through quarterly virtual dialogues, culminating in a public exhibition and performance series in Santa Barbara.

What is Offered

$10,000 stipend, travel, lodging, and per diem for both the Summit and final public program, and access to the NCEAS research community and resources.

Requirements

Open to U.S.-based visual artists and musicians/composers with a strong body of work and interest in interdisciplinary inquiry.

How to Apply

Submit application materials as a single PDF to air@nceas.ucsb.edu. Full details and application guidelines are available in the program call at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ywGB6YJDLRKoXM-1V1NgnGCLQiV6jt3iSW9w6xWZEAY/edit?usp=sharing.