Grants & Fellowships

Arts Research Institute Grants

The Arts Research Institute at UC Santa Cruz backs faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students in creative research, scholarship, and publicly engaged practice. We prioritize fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and engagement with off-campus partners. Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we elevate arts visibility, manage strategic planning and fundraising, and administer faculty grants to support innovative exploration and meaningful impact.

Arts Dean Fund for Excellence and Equity 

The Arts Dean’s Fund for Excellence and Equity (ADFEE) supports the dissemination of student research with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Quarterly application deadlines ensure ongoing support for projects within the Arts Division. Students can receive up to $1000 per fiscal year for expenses related to presenting at conferences, exhibitions, or publications. A final report detailing how the fund supported the project is required, and applications must include a budget proposal and a letter of support from a faculty advisor.

Committee on Research Grants 

The Committee on Research (COR) oversees research policies and advises administrative offices supporting faculty research. It makes recommendations on establishing Organized Research Units (ORUs) and awards Faculty Research Grants (FRGs), Special Research Grants (SRGs), and Scholarly Meeting Travel (SMT) grants. COR meets biweekly to discuss campus research matters and facilitate support for faculty endeavors.

Graduate Financial Aid Applications

UC Santa Cruz offers various financial support options for graduate students through the Division of Graduate Studies. Additional support may be available from individual departments.

Institute of Arts and Sciences Graduate Fellowships

The Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS) at UC Santa Cruz offers research and professional opportunities for MFA and PhD students to deepen their engagement with the arts. These opportunities include Research Fellowships, ranging from year-long positions to shorter fellowships in curation, arts education, and arts administration. Additionally, select graduate students participate in Curatorial Fellowships, collaborating with IAS curators and faculty advisors to develop exhibitions based on their expertise, such as “Barring Freedom” and “Strange Weather.” Calls for applications are announced on the IAS website and circulated to departments during the spring quarter.

Arts Research Institute Research and Fellowships for Faculty

The Arts Research Institute provides grants primarily for Arts Division faculty research and practice, serving as seed funding to initiate projects to secure external support. Additionally, ARI offers workshops like “Finding Funding and Proposal Writing 101,” tailored for graduate students and early career faculty seeking to refine their grant-seeking skills, featuring insights from Arts faculty members.

Hellman Fellowships for Assistant Professors 

The Hellman Fellows Program, established at UCSC in 2011, aims to bolster the research efforts of promising assistant professors exhibiting potential for significant distinction in their fields. Initially established at thirteen institutions, including nine UC campuses, the program addresses challenges faced by junior faculty when initial start-up funding expires before securing subsequent grants. Eligible applicants must be assistant professors at UC Santa Cruz, having served between six and eleven quarters in that rank at the time of fellowship commencement on July 1 of the award year, and those nearing tenure are ineligible. Funding, typically ranging from $10,000 to $25,000, can be utilized for various research-related expenses, with a maximum award of $50,000, and may also cover up to one summer month of the fellow’s salary and benefits.

If you would like to learn more about our grants and fellowship opportunities please contact our Arts Development Office and we will be happy to help you!