Kurt Weill Foundation Grant Program: Kurt Weill Dissertation Fellowship

Kurt Weill Foundation Grant Program: Kurt Weill Dissertation Fellowship

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Kurt Weill Foundation for Music
Last Updated: October 30, 2025

Summary

The Kurt Weill Dissertation Fellowship supports doctoral candidates conducting research on the works of Kurt Weill, Lotte Lenya, and Marc Blitzstein. This fellowship aims to foster significant contributions to the field, particularly addressing research gaps. Candidates are selected based on their potential, as evidenced by strong academic recommendations. The fellowship is part of the Kurt Weill Foundation's commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts, having awarded over $5 million since 1983.

Overview

NOTE: The annual fall application deadline is for proposals for projects and performances taking place in the New Year and before 1 July of the year following. An additional summer application deadline is primarily intended for College/University Performance grants for productions taking place in the following academic year. About the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music Chartered in 1962 as a not-for-profit private foundation, the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music preserves and perpetuates the legacies of composer Kurt Weill (1900-1950) and his actress-singer wife Lotte Lenya (1898-1981). Based in New York City, it encourages an appreciation of Weill’s music through support of performances, recordings, and scholarship, while nurturing talent more generally in the creation, performance, and study of musical theater. It maintains the Weill-Lenya Research Center; the annual Lotte Lenya Singing Competition; Weill-Lenya Artist Sponsorships, the Julius Rudel/Kurt Weill Conducting Fellowship, and the Harold Prince/Kurt Weill Directing Fellowship. It has prepared and co-published twelve volumes of the Kurt Weill Edition, with more in preparation. It awards biennially the Kurt Weill Prize for scholarship about music theater. The Foundation’s ongoing communications include its semi-annual Kurt Weill Newsletter, monthly E-News, and lively presence on multiple social media platforms. Since 2012, the Foundation has also administered the musical and literary estate of Marc Blitzstein. The Foundation's eight-member staff happily assists individuals and institutions on a daily basis in response to inquiries about licensing, casting, performing materials, historical and biographical information, and other resources. Overseen and energized by a distinguished and diverse fourteen-member board of trustees, the Foundation functions imaginatively and responsibly as the heir, custodian, and administrator of the rights of Weill, Lenya, and Blitzstein. Grants Program & Collaborative Initiatives The Foundation's Grant and Collaborative Initiatives Programs award financial support to individuals and not-for-profit organizations for projects related to Weill, Lenya, or Marc Blitzstein. Since 1983 the Foundation has awarded more than $5,000,000 in grant funding to hundreds of organizations and individuals worldwide. Its Grants and Collaborative Initiatives Programs reflect the Kurt Weill Foundation's commitment to principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As such, the Foundation ensures that its grant funding is awarded to organizations who have demonstrably committed to and implemented policies ensuring non-discrimination, diversity, and equality in its practices. The Foundation's Grant Program accepts proposals in the following categories: Professional Performance, College/University and Amateur Performance, Media, Scholarly Symposia and Conferences, Publication Assistance, Research & Travel, and the Kurt Weill Dissertation Fellowship. Kurt Weill Dissertation Fellowship Doctoral candidates may apply for dissertation fellowships to assist in research activities on Weill, Lenya and/or Blitzstein-related topics. Fellowships are reserved for candidates with extraordinary potential for contribution to the field evidenced by recommendations from the academic community. The applicant’s project should address significant lacunae in Weill, Lenya, and/or Blitzstein research. Applications are reviewed by an independent advisory panel per the KWF’s Evaluation Procedures and Criteria.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Doctoral candidates may apply for dissertation fellowships to assist in research activities on Weill, Lenya and/or Blitzstein-related topics.Applications for support of major professional productions/festivals/exhibitions, etc., may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis without application deadlines.