Female experts in cyber harassment, slavery and climate change have been awarded hundreds of thousands of pounds as part of an annual fellowship recognising 26 young "geniuses".

Since 1981, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s so-called “genius” fellowship grants are awarded annually to individuals, not institutions, to “pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations,” according to the foundation. Criteria for the awards include “exceptional creativity” the “promise for important future advances based on a track record of significant accomplishments,” and a potential to produce new work. The foundation has named 1,040 geniuses since 1981.

The grants are not conditional or relative to specific projects, however; the quarterly stipend supports recipients’ abilities to “exercise their own creative instincts for the benefit of human society.”

“From addressing the consequences of climate change to furthering our understanding of human behaviour to fusing forms of artistic expression, this year’s 26 extraordinary MacArthur Fellows demonstrate the power of individual creativity to reframe old problems, spur reflection, create new knowledge, and better the world for everyone", MacArthur president John Palfrey said in a statement. “They give us reason for hope, and they inspire us all to follow our own creative instincts.”

Fellows include geochemist and paleoclimatologist Andrea Dutton and theoretical geophysicist Jerry X Mitrovica, whose works explore sea level rise, and marine scientist Stacy Jupiter, who studies conservation strategies to protect ecosystems and coastal communities.

Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty Show all 14 1 /14 Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty Jellyfish (Pelagia noctiluca) and plastic, Sicily, Italy, 2018 Oceana: the largest international advocacy organisation dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-third of the world’s wild fish catch. With over 200 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution and killing of threatened species like turtles and sharks, Oceana’s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that one billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal, every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit www.eu.oceana.org Oceana/Enrique Talledo Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty Panda keeper gives a cub a health check at the Wolong Nature Reserve in China, 2015 Ami Vitale: a photojournalist who has been to more than 100 countries, witnessing not only violence and conflict, but also surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit. She is a five-time recipient of World Press Photo awards, including 1st Prize for her 2018 National Geographic magazine story about a community in Kenya protecting elephants. www.amivitale.com/ Ami Vitale Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty PhotoVoice Just because I am a transgender women I am not invisible I am not a threat to others and I am not here to 'make' people homosexual I am not illegal - I have rights I am not judgemental and I don't want to be judged I want to be accepted and find peace with everybody. PhotoVoice: designs and delivers tailor-made participatory photography, digital storytelling, and self-advocacy projects for socially excluded groups. Photography crosses cultural and linguistic barriers and is suitable for all abilities. It's both art form and way to record facts. It can describe realities, communicate perspectives, and raise awareness of social and global issues. photovoice.org/ Ariana/PhotoVoice/International HIV/AIDS Alliance Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty Wings of Support Wings of Support is an initiative that aims to achieve a sustainable improvement in the quality of children's lives. Like in this image sports training for children at primary schools around Cape Town in South Africa. The training increases self-awareness and motivation. Jouke van der Meer/Wings of Support Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty Oceana Fishing nets entangled in a shipwreck with an edible crab (Cancer pagurus) trapped at Borkum Stones, The Netherlands. North Sea Expedition, August 2017 Oceana/Carlos Minguell Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty Amy Vitale Suyian was the first elephant rescued by the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Northern Kenya. Reteti is part of the Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy and is the first community-owned and run elephant sanctuary in Africa. The Matthews Range where Namunyak is situated is home to Africa's second-largest elephant population. Community-based wildlife keepers there are working to rehabilitate abandoned and orphaned elephants in order to eventually return them to the nearby wild herds. Amy Vitale Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty PhotoVoice It is hard enough to be a Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer (LBQ) woman in Uganda, but to be HIV+ too, we face double discrimination. Many hide their pain in alcohol and drug abuse. Discrimination from the community leads to self-stigmatisation and we struggle to access the services and support we need. Even the LGBTI community see us as a problem, and turn us away so that we become someone else's problem. By understanding our mental health needs and providing effective support, HIV+ LBQ women can lead healthy lives. STOP THE STIGMA Phyl/PhotoVoice/International HIV/AIDS Alliance Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty Wings of Support Training for children at primary schools around Cape Town Jouke van der Meer/Wings of Support Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty Oceana Deckhand Adolfo de los Ríos collecting a big piece of plastic from the seabed during his free time. Santa Maria Salina, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy, 2018 Oceana/Enrique Talledo Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty Amy Vitale Here, an orphaned baby reticulated giraffe embraces wildlife keeper Lekupania. This giraffe will be rehabilitated and return to the wild, as a number of others have done before him. Right now, giraffes are undergoing what has been referred to as a silent extinction. Current estimates are that giraffe populations across Africa have dropped 40 percent in three decades, plummeting from approximately 155,000 in the late 1980s to under 100,000 today. The decline is thought to be caused by to habitat loss and fragmentation and poaching, but because there haven't been long term conservation efforts in the past, it's hard to know exactly what is happening. Reticulated giraffes themselves number fewer than 16,000 individuals. Scientists are now undertaking major studies to better understand why giraffes are disappearing and what can be done to stop it. Ami Vitale Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty PhotoVoice The HIV prevalence in people who inject drugs is almost 3 times higher than the general population, but most people who use drugs (PUDs) boycott public HIV and health facilities through fear of arrest, stigma and discrimination. The extension of HIV services to drug hotspots and dens has the power to increase uptake of HIV services across PUD communities in Uganda. Make HIV services affordable and accessible to all - Support don't Punish Malcolm/PhotoVoice/International HIV/AIDS Alliance Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty Wings of Support Training for children at primary schools around Cape Town Jouke van der Meer/Wings of Support Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty Amy Vitale In 2014, I witnessed a group of Samburu warriors encounters a rhino for the first time in their lives at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. None of the warriors had ever seen a rhino in their life and some had never even seen a photo of a rhino. Their eyes got wide and they became very protective of them. The young warriors from Northern Rangelands Trust community conservancies had been visiting to learn about conservation practices such as sustainable land use, grazing programs, and endangered species conservation. Indigenous communities are the frontlines of the poaching wars. Ami Vitale Photos exposing our planet's problems – from climate change to poverty PhotoVoice At the age of 15, Carol got pregnant and contracted HIV after being convinced by her teacher that sex relieves menstrual cramps. Misinformation is harmful. Comprehensive Sexuality Education must be legalized in schools. Naskmariz/PhotoVoice/Frontline AIDS/PITCH

Computer scientist Joshua Tenenbaum uses artificial intelligence and computer modelling to better understand how the mind works; neuroscientist Vanessa Ruta investigates how physical stimuli shape those innate and learned human behaviours.

Several of this year’s fellows study the role and impacts of the criminal justice system, from its roots in slavery to modern-day immigration detention practices, and how to better fight crime on- and offline.

Historian Kelly Lytle Hernandez studies the history of border patrol in the US as well as the history of incarceration in Los Angeles County.

Saidiya Hartman traces the impacts of slavery in America, most recently in her 2019 book Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments, which details the lives of young black women who fled the US South and moved northeast at the turn of the 20th century. Danielle Citron, a legal scholar studying cyber harassment, has worked with state governments to combat online abuse.

Attorney sujatha baliga’s work focuses on expanding survivor-centered justice programmes and breaking cycles of recidivism impacting communities of colour. Lisa Daugaard developed Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, which replaced punitive policing with public health and harm reduction services in the Seattle, Washington area.

Graphic novelist Lynda Barry, guitarist Mary Halvorson, writers Valeria Luiselli and Ocean Vuong, and visual artists Mel Chin, Jeffrey Gibson and Walter Hood are among this year’s rank of creative arts fellows.

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MacArthur grant recipients are named by an anonymous and rotating pool of nominators who represent a diverse range of career backgrounds and interests. A selection committee then reviews those nominees, who are finally submitted to the foundation’s president and board of directors.