Carnegie Corporation of New York is a major American philanthropic organization that supports higher education in Africa. For over two decades, its mission has centered around deepening and expanding the continent’s advanced academic communities, networks, and universities. It also focuses on promoting policies that inform the growing higher education sector, aiming to transform it into a cornerstone for knowledge-based economies with research-active academics trained relevant to the African context.
The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program supports high-caliber humanities and social sciences research focusing on key societal issues. Initially, it funded a broad spectrum of topics, but since 2023, it has honed in on understanding and addressing political polarization in the United States. The program underlines the importance of exploring the causes, manifestations, and potential solutions for the increasing divides affecting American society. It emphasizes the need for work that not only deepens understanding of this polarization but also proposes ways to foster societal cohesion. Eligible scholars, authors, journalists, and public intellectuals are nominated by select leaders in academic and research institutions, receiving up to $200,000 for one or two years to produce impactful work, such as books or major studies, with the aim of reaching a wide audience. Research comparing U.S. polarization with that in other countries is also considered, provided it can offer insights applicable to the U.S. context.