The Mycelia Fellowship 2026 is an opportunity for United States residents working in storytelling, arts and humanities, research, civic engagement, or related fields. The fellowship is designed to support individuals who already have an ongoing project and want to deepen, document, refine, or scale their work through financial support, professional advising, and increased visibility.
The Mycelia Fellowship will select only two fellows for its inaugural cohort. Selected fellows will participate in an eight-week remote programme from November 1 to December 31, 2026, and each fellow will receive a $2,000 stipend.
The Mycelia Fellowship 2026 application deadline is September 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM.
Mycelia Fellowship 2026 Overview
The Mycelia Fellowship is organized by Social Resonance Lab (SRL), a collaborative research studio focused on ethical storytelling and human connection.
The fellowship supports practitioners who are already advancing storytelling or arts-humanities projects grounded in intersectional practice. Rather than supporting projects that are only at the idea or start-up stage, the Mycelia Fellowship 2026 focuses on work that is already underway.
Through financial resources, structured advising, consultancy support, and opportunities to share their work publicly, fellows will be encouraged to strengthen their existing projects and contribute to broader conversations around ethical storytelling.
Mycelia Fellowship 2026 Details
- Fellowship: Mycelia Fellowship 2026
- Organization: Social Resonance Lab
- Number of fellows: 2
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Fellowship dates: November 1 – December 31, 2026
- Location: Remote
- Stipend: $2,000 per fellow
- Eligible applicants: United States residents
- Application deadline: September 13, 2026
- Application status: Open
Benefits of the Mycelia Fellowship 2026
The Mycelia Fellowship 2026 provides selected fellows with financial, professional, and public-facing support.
Key benefits include:
- 💰 $2,000 stipend for each selected fellow.
- 🤝 Direct advising from the Social Resonance Lab team.
- 📊 Project management support to help fellows strengthen ongoing work.
- 📈 Evaluation expertise to support project development and impact assessment.
- 🎨 Communications and design support for presenting and communicating projects.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Community storytelling expertise from the SRL team.
- 🎙️ Podcast opportunity through participation in an episode of SRL’s upcoming ethical storytelling podcast.
- 📝 Publication opportunity through a written contribution to the SRL Substack.
- 🎤 Workshop leadership through co-leading a workshop.
- 🌎 Public visibility through a presentation and dialogue with practitioners and the public.
What Does the Mycelia Fellowship Support?
The Mycelia Fellowship is particularly interested in projects examining storytelling, power, communities, technology, civic participation, and ethical practice.
The fellowship is built around the idea that stories operate like mycelium: they connect, spread, change, and influence wider communities.
Applicants should therefore consider questions about who has the right to tell a story, who receives credit when stories change hands, what responsibilities come with retelling another person’s narrative, and how communities can develop sustainable storytelling practices.
Mycelia Fellowship Thematic Tracks
Applicants for the Mycelia Fellowship 2026 must indicate which thematic track best fits their project.
Track A – Arts as a Civic Tool
This track supports projects using art and narrative as forms of civic participation.
Potential projects may involve:
- Artistic engagement with local community issues.
- Creative approaches to democracy and civic participation.
- Projects addressing ongoing injustice, resistance, or disidentification.
- Digital campaigns focused on creative placemaking in specific US communities.
- Projects combining artistic and humanistic practices with innovative civic solutions.
Track B – AI & the Digital Landscape
The second Mycelia Fellowship track focuses on the relationship between technology, digital infrastructure, storytelling, and power.
Potential projects may include:
- 💻 Digital archives and oral-history initiatives.
- 🗂️ Community-led narrative preservation projects.
- 🔐 Counter-surveillance documentation tools.
- 🤖 Projects examining AI and algorithmic influence on narratives.
- 🌐 Creative platforms supporting community narrative autonomy.
- 📚 Projects protecting local knowledge from algorithmic erasure.
Mycelia Fellowship Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for the Mycelia Fellowship 2026, applicants must meet the programme’s eligibility requirements.
Applicants should:
- Be individuals already active in storytelling or arts-humanities work.
- Have an existing project rather than a completely new, start-from-scratch initiative.
- Demonstrate an intersectional approach to their work.
- Be strong writers and researchers.
- Demonstrate leadership and community-building ability.
- Be residents of the United States or its territories.
- Have activities based domestically within the United States or its territories.
- Be able to complete a W-9 form.
- Be able to receive the stipend through a domestic US bank account.
The Mycelia Fellowship 2026 is currently limited to United States residents.
Mycelia Fellowship Selection Criteria
Applications for the Mycelia Fellowship will be evaluated according to several criteria.
Creativity
Applicants should demonstrate originality in their approach, ideas, and storytelling voice.
Leadership
Candidates should show that they have the ability to independently lead and advance their projects.
Previous Execution
The fellowship is looking for evidence of completed or ongoing work. Applicants should demonstrate that they have already taken meaningful steps toward developing their project.
Research Alignment
Applicants should demonstrate an understanding of the Social Resonance Lab research agenda and thematic focus.
Track Fit
The proposed work should clearly fit either Arts as a Civic Tool or AI & the Digital Landscape.
Mycelia Fellowship Required Deliverables
Selected fellows will complete several activities during the eight-week Mycelia Fellowship 2026.
Each fellow will be expected to:
- 📝 Produce one written piece for the SRL Substack.
- 🎙️ Participate as a guest in one episode of SRL’s upcoming ethical storytelling podcast.
- 🎤 Co-lead a workshop.
- 📢 Deliver a 30-minute presentation about their work.
- 💬 Participate in dialogue with SRL practitioners and the public.
The fellowship will be conducted remotely through a lightweight virtual kickoff, semi-regular check-ins, and online presentations.
Mycelia Fellowship 2026 Key Dates
Important dates for the Mycelia Fellowship 2026 include:
- 📅 Application opens: August 31, 2026
- ⏰ Application deadline: September 13, 2026
- 🔎 Application review: September 14–27, 2026
- 🗣️ Interviews: Late September – early October 2026
- 🏆 Final selection: October 23, 2026
- 🤝 Fellow onboarding: October 27, 2026
- 🚀 Fellowship period: November 1 – December 31, 2026
How to Apply for the Mycelia Fellowship 2026
Interested applicants should review the complete programme overview before submitting the Mycelia Fellowship application.
The application asks candidates to provide information including their email address, city or town of residence, US state or territory of residence, and information relevant to their eligibility and proposed work.
Applicants should carefully explain their existing storytelling or arts-humanities work and demonstrate how it connects with one of the two Mycelia Fellowship 2026 thematic tracks.
VISIT THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE AND APPLICATION FORM:
Final Thoughts
The Mycelia Fellowship 2026 offers a focused opportunity for US-based storytellers, researchers, artists, humanities practitioners, and community builders who are already developing meaningful projects. With a $2,000 stipend, professional advising, communications support, publication opportunities, and opportunities to engage with the public, the fellowship provides both financial and professional support.
Only two fellows will be selected for the inaugural cohort, making the Mycelia Fellowship a competitive opportunity for applicants with strong existing work and a clear connection to ethical storytelling.
If you are eligible, prepare your application carefully and submit it before the September 13, 2026 deadline.
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