Getty Conservation Guest Scholars Program in the USA 2026

The Conservation Guest Scholars Program brings established conservation professionals to the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles to pursue their own research. It is a residency for people already deep in the field rather than an entry route into it.

Who can apply

The programme is open to applicants of all nationalities and is aimed at professionals, with a minimum of seven years of relevant experience. The field is left open, which reflects how conservation works in practice: the discipline spans science, art history, architecture and materials, and the Institute selects on the strength of the project rather than the department it comes from.

What the award provides

Scholars are in residence for three months, in one of three fixed blocks running September to December, January to March, or April to June. The grant is $21,500. Beyond the money, the award includes a workstation at the Conservation Institute, an apartment in the Getty scholar housing complex, research assistance, a travel stipend, and an available healthcare option. Housing inside the Getty complex is the part that changes the experience most: it removes the Los Angeles rental problem, which would otherwise consume a large share of the grant.

Deadline

The deadline for submission of application materials is 5:00 pm Los Angeles time on October 1, 2026. Note both the hour and the time zone: a submission timed by your own working day rather than by Los Angeles will arrive late.

Before you apply

Choose the residency block deliberately, since the three-month period is fixed and cannot be spread out. Then make the case for why the work needs the Getty specifically, which means naming the collections, the laboratories or the colleagues that make the residency necessary rather than merely convenient.