Call for Submissions
Cosmic Consciousness Literary Residency
The SETI Institute is accepting proposals for the Cosmic Consciousness Literary Residency for 2025/2026.
Submission deadline: 1 July 2024.
The AIR Program | The Cosmic Consciousness Residency | What we provide | Expectations during the residency | Application process
The SETI Institute Artist in Residence (AIR) Program
The SETI AIR program expands upon the SETI Institute's mission to explore the origin and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe and to share this knowledge with the world. The SETI AIR program connects contemporary artists with SETI Institute researchers and facilitates an exchange of ideas to catalyze new perspectives, insights, and modes of comprehension.
The SETI AIR program comprises of five residencies: Planetary Futures (public art), Algorithmic Imaginings (AI art), Speculative Life (bio-art), Cosmic Consciousness (literary arts), and Beyond Silos (interdisciplinary education). These research-creation residencies allow artists to experiment with new approaches, materials, and concepts. The SETI AIR program favours artists whose creative practice is research-based and whose projects theorize and reflect on the scientific research that takes place at the Institute. We expect that artists come to the program with a research question that connects to the residency’s theme and artistic discipline.
The Cosmic Consciousness Residency
This residency invites writers and poets working in the areas of literature, speculative fiction/sci-fi, experimental poetry, and philosophy. The artworks resulting from this residency should reflect and expand on the SETI Institute’s “Intelligence and Consciousness” research division, whose central science questions are: ‘What is the nature of consciousness?’ and ‘What is the nature and evolution of intelligence?’ At the end of the residency, the resulting texts will be published (print and/or digital) and may be presented at a special event that includes readings by the authors.
Areas of creative research may engage with the following topics:
- Experiments in language and consciousness
- Alien intelligence and cultural exchange
- Transhumanism and posthuman consciousness
- AI and consciousness
- Multisensory poetry and multiple intelligences
- The SETI Institute funds two Literary residencies per year: one 18-month for mid-career artists with a stipend of $10K, and one 12-month residency for emerging artists with a stipend of $5K.
- Writers will be connected with SETI Institute scientists and partners in order to develop their projects.
- Projects and Events will be promoted through the SETI Institute media outreach, including but not limited to social media platforms.
- This is a remote residency. Artists will connect with the scientists and residency advisors online. We welcome visits to the SETI Institute, but funding for travel and accommodation must be arranged by the artist.
- We encourage selected writers to apply for traditional travel and project funding as necessary. If necessary, the AIR Program will be pleased to assist with letters of support.
Expectations during the Residency
- Resident artists are expected to develop a project (not necessarily a book) on the theme of the residency.
- Be willing and interested in consulting with SETI Institute scientists and partners.
- For Open Applicants, the Residency begins on 1 January each year. Open Applicants will provide a Project status update in July, including a public presentation to the SETI Institute AIR program of their work direction, issues, and opportunities. The project will complete by January of Year 2, to be presented in a public SETI Institute event in July Year 2.
- For Emerging Applicants, the Residency begins on 1 July each year. Emerging Applicants will provide a Project status update in January, including a public presentation to the SETI Institute AIR program of their work direction, issues, and opportunities. The project will complete by July Year 2 and be presented in a public SETI Institute event in July Year 2.
Applications Process
All submission must include, in the following order:
- Name, Pronouns, Address, Phone Number
- If you would like to self-identify, please do so (Queer, IBPOC, those with other varying social, cultural, or neurodiverse perspectives)
- Artist Bio (approx. 150 words)
- Artist Statement outlining an overview of your practice/interests (max. 500 words)
- Residency Proposal outlining your intended area of research/experimentation/creation (max. 500 words or filmed proposal)
- Summary outlining a brief, condensed version of your proposal (2 sentences, max. 50 words)
- Current CV (max. 2 pages)
- Outline of anticipated technical equipment and support needed
- Writing Samples (max. 10 pages) including previously published work, works in progress, or images of work (with accompanying Image List)
Submissions must be saved as a single PDF file and be emailed to setiair@seti.org, with “Cosmic Consciousness Submission” in the subject line.
Deadline to submit: 1 July 2024, 11:59pm EST (Eastern Standard Time)
This Call for Submissions is open globally.
Please ensure that all the required info listed above is included in your application, and that word counts are adhered to. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Residency Advisors
Gregory Betts, Cosmic Consciousness Residency Advisor
Bettina Forget, Director, SETI AIR Program
