Search Through Arts Access & Participation Grants in the U.S.

Foundation Purpose

Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne seeks to contribute to the development of a vital culture of excellence in classical music and to help attract new audiences to the field. To achieve these objectives, the Foundation sponsors international academies and master classes conducted by established instructors.

In addition, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne supports outstanding event series or festivals with visionary programming and innovative modes of outreach and communication to foster the public’s engagement with classical music. In general, the Foundation focuses on the promotion of new and contemporary music, although projects on music from other eras are by no means excluded.

Focus Areas

Visual Arts

Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne’s concept of «Visual Art» encompasses not only the classical genres of art such as painting, sculpture, graphic art, drawing and photography, but also new forms of expression and media such as performance, experimental film and video. The Foundation provides funds for regular and special exhibitions as well as their accompanying catalogues at publicly accessible, well established museums and art collections provided that the exhibitions funded are international in their orientation, relevant from an art historical perspective, and carefully curated. Furthermore, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne supports innovative und interactive projects that explore new approaches to fostering art education so as to attract new audiences. In principle, the Foundation also provides funds for the involvement of modern media in the expansion or presentation of significant pieces of art in the context of major museum projects.

Music

Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne predominantly supports contemporary classical music projects. However, projects on music from other eras are not excluded as a rule. In its effort to contribute to the development of professional music culture, the Foundation supports international academies and master classes conducted by established instructors. Furthermore, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne supports various series of music events or festivals that explore new ways of fostering the public’s engagement with classical music in an attempt to attract new audiences. In principle, professional orchestras and ensembles or music centers may also submit a project request for the equipment of rehearsal rooms, the acquisition of instruments or other infra-structural needs.

Cultural Education

In the area of Cultural Education, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne supports projects that bear a significant relation to Visual Art or Music. The target group includes children and teenagers, particularly from underprivileged backgrounds, who are introduced to art and music in the context of curricular or extracurricular activities. In this way, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne offers support to teenagers in their personal development and, at the same time, trains the next generation of artists as well as a future audience. A project request can only be submitted provided that the programs are developed, conducted, and realized by a professional artist or a recognized public institution. Furthermore, the projects should have a long-term horizon and be accessible to as wide a group of participants as possible. Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne funds both expansion and continuation of ongoing projects as well as the launch of exemplary pilot projects.

Getty Foundation

What We Do

The Getty Foundation partners with people and organizations in Los Angeles and around the world by awarding grants that support art historical scholarship, conserve art and architecture, increase access to museum collections and archives, and train visual arts professionals.

Black Visual Arts Archives

Enhancing access and visibility of collections related to Black artists.

Goal

Black Visual Arts Archives is expanding awareness of the contributions of Black artists by activating archival collections related to their work.

Background

Libraries, universities, museums, and other public spaces all hold important records of Black contributions to the visual arts in the U.S., ranging from individual artist papers to institutional records about exhibitions, educational programs, and more. However, many of these archives have been historically difficult to research, often because records are dispersed, not easily discoverable, or not yet formally processed.

The Black Visual Arts Archives initiative provides grants to survey, process, and digitize materials related to Black art in the United States. Organizations are also encouraged to develop programming including exhibitions, digital projects, and community events to activate the archives for broader public engagement.

Approach

In 2025, we expanded Black Visual Arts Archives into a multi-year funding program and announced seven new grants. Grantees engage in a range of activities including the inventory, processing, rehousing, and digitization of collections. Grants support can also include training for staff and community members and public programming.

Grantees convene periodically to enhance knowledge sharing among participants and build a community of practice around the stewardship of Black visual archives.

Crankstart Foundation Grant

Crankstart is a San Francisco-based family foundation devoted to bolstering the foundations of a just society - wider access to better education, jobs with prospects for advancement, housing security, social welfare and the protection of civil rights. Crankstart also supports the arts, basic science and efforts to mitigate climate change. About 60% of grants go to groups in the San Francisco Bay Area.

While the Bay Area is our home, on occasion we have made commitments elsewhere – particularly in Chicago and the United Kingdom. The bulk of our grants fall between $100k - $1m. Once we have developed confidence in an organization, we lean toward making multi-year commitments for general support.

Crankstart envisions a vibrant, thriving Bay Area, where our region’s prosperity is strengthened and shared more equitably by all who live here.

Programs

• Economic Mobility - Everyone should have choices and opportunities that lead to economic stability and security. Crankstart focuses on root causes of economic disenfranchisement, particularly in low-income communities hurt by generational poverty.
  • We support work that:
    • Provides the tools and training needed for careers and economic security.
    • Strengthens safety net programs that provide food and health services.
    • Increases access to public benefits programs serving low-income people.
    • Mitigates the insidious effects of fines and fees that erode wealth.
• Education: Our public education system should provide every child and adult, regardless of circumstances, an opportunity to shape their lives.
  • We support work that:
    • Expands post-secondary access to academic and vocational studies, to help students develop the tools and resilience needed to pursue upward mobility.
    • Develops more opportunities for early childhood education and out-of-school learning, particularly in historically marginalized communities.
    • Strengthens the teacher pipeline, to recruit and retain excellent educators in public schools.
• Democracy: We envision a robust democracy in which elections are held securely and with integrity, every person has the information they need to fully participate in civic life, and the underlying structure of our electoral system is fair.
  • We support work that:
    • Protects voting rights through mobilization and engagement.
    • Supports immigrants, ensuring they have the opportunities they need to thrive.
    • Works to change harmful and unfair criminal justice policies.
    • Develops robust interventions to mitigate recidivism and provide economic opportunity.
• Housing Security: Housing security means all people have a place to call home. They have choices that promote economic well-being, health and safety.
  • Crankstart supports work in San Francisco and Oakland that:
    • Reduces homelessness through preventive measures and targeted services.
    • Provides affordable housing choices that allow people to live near work and become involved in their communities. We emphasize housing opportunities for those who are most affected by displacement and high housing costs.
    • Uses policy, law, public resources and good governance to promote economically integrated communities.
• Environment: Communities disproportionately affected by climate change should be partners and the primary beneficiaries of mitigation efforts.
  • We support work that:
    • Accelerates the transition to clean energy.
    • Restores and protects ecosystems in ways that benefit local communities.
• Medical Science & Innovation: Basic science is a foundation for knowledge and discovery based on facts, hypotheses and replicable results. This painstaking endeavor enhances our understanding of the world around us, which may translate into breakthroughs that benefit humans and life on earth.
  • We support work that:
    • Gives researchers funding and time to test novel hypotheses.

Program Outline

Grants will be made to organizations supporting Middle and High School students participating or interested in advanced STEM programs and who ultimately want to pursue a college degree in a STEM-related field. Organizations that have invested in careful planning and consideration of various elements of their STEM program who are providing students with a comprehensive and engaging educational experience and who meet some or all of the below objectives should apply:

•  Basic Objective:
  • The supported programs’ primary goals should include but are not limited to, fostering a love for STEM, preparing students for college and careers in STEM fields, and promoting problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Curriculum Development:
• Have developed or are developing a rigorous and integrated STEM curriculum that aligns with national and state standards and could offer a mix of core STEM subjects, including mathematics, science, technology, and engineering.
• Integrate hands-on, project-based learning to encourage students to apply their knowledge and solve real-world problems.
• Include interdisciplinary courses that emphasize the connections between STEM disciplines and careers.
• Grade Levels and Progression:
  • Programs that are designed with a curriculum that progressively builds on concepts and skills year by year.
• Specialized Tracks:
  • Programs that offer specialized tracks within their existing framework, such as computer science, biomedical science, environmental science, or robotics, based on student interests and local industry demands.
• Highly Qualified Teachers:
  • Programs that emphasize hiring and retaining experienced, certified STEM teachers who are passionate about their subjects and skilled in project-based learning methodologies.
• State-of-the-Art Facilities:
  • Programs that have access to well-equipped laboratories, maker spaces, and technology resources for hands-on experimentation and innovation.
• Partnerships and Externships:
  • Programs that forge partnerships with local universities, research institutions, and STEM-based companies to provide students with opportunities for internships, mentorships, and real-world experiences.
• Enrichment Activities:
  • Offer extracurricular activities such as STEM clubs, science fairs, hackathons, and robotics competitions to extend learning beyond the classroom.
• Professional Development:
  • Provide ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers to stay current with STEM advancements and teaching methodologies.
• Assessment and Evaluation:
  • Develop a system for assessing student progress and program effectiveness. Consider using a mix of standardized tests, project assessments, and teacher evaluations.
• Parent and Community Engagement:
  • Involve parents and the community in STEM education by hosting events, workshops, and STEM-related family activities.
• Resources and Funding:
  • Organizations seeking funding should be able to show a history of secure and adequate funding through grants, partnerships, and budget allocations to support the program's infrastructure, materials, and technology needs.
• Continuous Improvement:
  • Establish mechanisms for continuous program evaluation and improvement based on feedback from students, teachers, and stakeholders.
• College and Career Guidance:
  • Provide college and career counseling services to help students navigate STEM-related educational and career paths.
• Showcase Achievements:
  • Celebrate student achievements and projects through exhibitions, showcases, and publications to inspire and motivate others.
• Adapt to Technological Advancements:
  • Stay current with emerging technologies and trends in STEM fields and update the curriculum accordingly.
• Sustainability:
  • Develop a long-term sustainability plan to ensure the program's viability over time understanding that the success of funded programs will depend on a collaborative effort involving educators, administrators, parents, and the community. Organizations should be regularly assessing and adjusting their programs to meet the evolving needs and interests of their students.

Amount

Grant awards for the STEM Stars program are capped at $25,000 per grant.

About the Henry Luce Foundation

For more than 80 years, the Henry Luce Foundation has invested in knowledge makers and ensured that their work informs public discussion. This commitment to public knowledge derives from our founder: Henry R. Luce created Time magazine to disseminate the most important news, ideas, analysis, and criticism to a mass audience.

Today, the Luce Foundation carries on this work by supporting projects at universities, policy institutes, media organizations, and museums, among many others. What these organizations have in common is a commitment to putting knowledge in the hands of the individuals and communities that need access to it. Hundreds of organizations have received more than 5800 grants totaling more than $1 billion since the Foundation’s establishment in 1936.

Over that long history, the Foundation played critical roles in strengthening the field of Asian studies, encouraging interfaith dialogue, raising the visibility of American art in museums and in universities, and increasing participation by women in STEM research and teaching. We look forward to continuing our support of long-time areas of focus and to identifying new opportunities to strengthen public knowledge and understanding.

Responsive Grants

The Henry Luce Foundation believes that art museums are vital public knowledge organizations that serve as accessible forums for creative expression and public dialogue. Encouraging museums to center their collections in this work, the American Art Program’s Responsive grants support a wide range of projects that reconsider and reinvigorate collections through partnerships with diverse collaborators and communities.

What We’re Looking For

We welcome projects in the visual arts across all media and chronologies, including Native American art and cultural objects. Successful applicants will initiate or apply new research and fresh approaches to collection-focused documentation, publications, reinterpretation, reinstallations, and in-house or touring exhibitions. We encourage projects that address collection holdings that have been inadequately preserved, studied, shared, or presented. Preferred projects will exemplify ethical best practices, particularly with ethnically specific collections.

Established in 1957 and animated by the Jewish value of tzedakah (obligation to be charitable), the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation promotes social justice and human rights through six program areas:

• Strengthening Public Education seeks to improve outcomes and opportunities for students and the quality of teaching and leadership in the Baltimore City school system
• Arts and Culture nurtures a robust cultural scene and ensures that the arts are accessible to children and underserved audiences in the Baltimore region
• Health and Mental Health aims to expand access to quality, affordable health and mental health services for low-income residents of Baltimore City and create better health outcomes locally, regionally and nationally by addressing environmental threats to human health
• Strengthening Israeli Democracy works to support Israel as a pluralistic society by promoting shared society between Jewish and Arab citizens in the Negev, building the pipeline to higher education and workforce integration for Israel’s ethnic minorities, and protecting Israel’s environment
• Jewish Life focuses on keeping Judaism meaningful and responsive to contemporary concerns through “repairing the world”, furthering progressive and inclusive approaches to Judaism, and facilitating nuanced discourse among American Jews about Israel
• International Human Rights advances women’s and reproductive rights, and protects the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in the US and other countries

The Foundation supports organizations that: promote systemic change; involve constituent participation in identifying needs, planning and decision-making; encourage innovation; have clear goals, a process for evaluation and a long-range funding strategy.

International Human Rights Program Area

The Foundation’s program in International Human Rights reflects the commitment of its founders to the principles of universal rights. As President of the American Jewish Committee from 1949 to 1954, Jacob Blaustein worked to protect the civil and religious rights of Jews and other minorities and to promote intergroup tolerance. He was a lifelong advocate for human rights and helped to promote the idea of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, a position that was established more than twenty years after his death in 1970.

The Foundation funds a small number of grantees that work to advance international human rights. The Foundation generally supports US based organizations that address international issues, rather than those based abroad. The Foundation rarely provides support for programs or projects that focus on one country or region.

Internationally, the Foundation works in three areas:

• Advancing women's and reproductive rights. We do not provide support for domestic programs in this area.
• Protecting the rights of refugees and asylum seekers who seek refuge in the United States and other countries.
• Supporting cross-cutting programs that advance leadership development, capacity-building and training across issues. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals in this area.

In 1971, the Foundation created and endowed the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights at the American Jewish Committee. This is an independent entity with its own governance, programmatic priorities and grantmaking program.

Journalism & Media Grant

The Journalism and Media program seeks to promote and amplify just and inclusive news and narratives, based on the belief that accurate and compelling media plays an important role in informing, engaging, and activating individuals and groups to take part in democratic practices and processes.

To build and strengthen organizations creating and disseminating just, accurate, and inclusive news and narratives, the program supports work in three areas:

• Professional Nonprofit Reporting
• Nonfiction Multimedia Storytelling
• Participatory Civic Media

In each of the three areas, the program pursues the following objectives:

• Build strong, independent, and sustainable organizations and networks that exemplify leadership and innovation in a rapidly changing media ecosystem and comprise the media infrastructure required to meet the democratic ideals of a multiracial, multiethnic America.
• Address barriers that limit the creation of, access to, or participation in media activities, including the legal, safety, digital security, and technological challenges facing organizations and individuals.
• Promoting learning, leadership, innovation, and field-building opportunities that explore timely and emerging issues related to the production, dissemination, and engagement with journalism and media.

Our Journalism and Media program supports U.S.-based nonprofit institutions with national reach and influence. In a few cases, we support regional and place-based organizations that are exemplars in their fields and provide a model for others to replicate.

We also support journalism and media in Chicago, where the Foundation is located, and in 2021, in partnership with MacArthur’s Technology in the Public Interest Program, we began supporting a small portfolio of organizations and activities focused on combatting racialized disinformation and conspiracy.

Fellowships for Faculty

Citizens & Scholars offers three Fellowships for Faculty at the college or university level.

Career Enhancement Fellowship

More Diverse Campus Perspectives

The Career Enhancement Fellows are exceptional scholars whose work broadens the range of perspectives and understandings offered on college campuses and creates opportunities for crucial new scholarly voices to be heard in disciplines and institutions. Fellows are outstanding junior faculty committed to campus diversity and innovative research in the humanities and humanistic social sciences. Through the program, Fellows build a diverse academic community and system of support as they pursue careers as university faculty and administrators.

The program is funded by the Mellon Foundation and supports scholars working in the arts and humanities. Fellows receive stipends up to $35,000, funding for travel and research, and attend a retreat to connect with other scholars and mentors.

• The Challenge: Diverse perspectives have been historically excluded from higher education
• The Fellows: 235 Fellows have gained tenure, 44 Fellows have been promoted to full professor, and at least 13 hold joint academic and administrative positions as deans, provosts, and Vice Presidents
• The Impact: Young adults have increased access to a diversity of perspectives and deepen their understanding of people of all backgrounds

Career Development for Junior Faculty

Administered at Citizens & Scholars since 2001, the Career Enhancement Fellowship has supported more than 400 junior faculty members, creating a robust network of scholars committed to eradicating racial disparities in core fields in the arts and humanities. Fellows have gone on to serve in administrative and leadership roles, receive high honors like MacArthur Fellowships, and teach new generations of students.

Funding & Program Benefits

The Career Enhancement Fellowship provides each Fellow with a six-month or one-year sabbatical grant; a stipend for research and travel or publication; and participation in an annual conference/retreat. A total of 30 Fellowships are awarded each year.

• A stipend of up to $35,000 will be sent to the institution.
• A grant of up to $1,500 for research, travel, or publication will be sent to the Fellow.
• The Fellow’s institution is expected to supplement the Career Enhancement Fellowship stipend so that the Fellow receives his/her academic salary.
• The Fellow’s institution is expected to provide yearly health and benefits coverage

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

The Asian Cultural Council’s (ACC) Organization Grant program offers an opportunity for arts and culture organizations in Asia and the United States to pursue travel and activities that enable a deep cultural exchange experience for the organization, their staff, and other individuals and communities with whom they connect.

ACC’s Organization Grants support a range of activities that advance international dialogue, the sharing of practices and ideas, and the building of relationships across borders. Organization Grants may support travel to another country, territory, or region for their activities and/or hosting activity participants in the country, territory, or region where the organization is based. 

What do ACC’s Organization Grants offer? 

Exploration and Exchange 

ACC offers Organization Grantees funding to conduct cultural immersion, research, and to increase access to artistic communities or cultural resources in a specific country, territory, or region, and exchange knowledge with peers.  Such programming supports relationship-building across borders, encourages more global and nuanced perspectives among organization staff and activity participants, and can develop capacity and inspiration for future cultural exchange opportunities.

Individualized Support

ACC support services are intended to enhance the proposed plan of activity, increase access to artistic communities and cultural resources in the chosen destination(s), and deepen the cultural exchange experience. Support services may include:

• Advice and recommendations related to the logistical or substantive aspects of the Organization Grantee’s activities
• Introductions to ACC alumni and other arts professionals and institutions that are relevant to the Organization Grantee’s research and cultural exchange objectives  
• Invitations to local ACC events and gatherings, where possible

Please note that ACC does not have offices and staff throughout Asia; therefore, some support services, such as making specific connections, may be limited. (ACC has its headquarters in New York City and affiliate offices in Hong Kong SAR, Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan ROC.) Please keep this possibly limited programmatic and logistical support in mind while developing your proposal. Proposals should be feasible, with or without additional guidance from ACC.  

Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts

The Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts initiative is jointly sponsored by the Teagle Foundation and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations to support statewide, regional, or consortial academic partnerships between public two-year and private four-year colleges to facilitate transfer and completion of the baccalaureate in the liberal arts. Grants up to $25,000 over 6-12 months for planning and up to $350,000 over 24-36 months for implementation will be made to institutions participating in this initiative. The size of the grant award will be based on the number of institutions involved and the scope of the project. Planning grants are strongly encouraged. We expect this grant program will remain open for approximately three to five years. 

Rationale

Community colleges now enroll roughly one-third all undergraduates nationally, most of whom aspire to transfer to four-year baccalaureate-granting institutions. Yet fewer than a third of those who hope to gain a baccalaureate degree transfer-in to a four-year institution, and only 13 percent actually earn their bachelor’s degree in six years. Policymakers have understandably focused on making provisions for transfer between two- and four-year institutions in the public sector. However, strengthening transfer pathways between public two-year colleges and private four-year liberal arts colleges remains an overlooked mechanism for enhancing access to the baccalaureate. Curricular bridge-building between public two-year colleges and private four-year colleges provides transfer students with more options to complete their education in a timely fashion. Small independent colleges in particular are especially well-suited to serve transfer students by providing personal attention to help them reach their goals. At the same time, community college students bring important benefits to private colleges in the form of diversity of background and lived experience, enhancing the educational environment for all students.

Students are often stymied by confusing curricula and guidelines on transferability that discourage them from taking the next step in their education and interfere with completing the baccalaureate on time, if at all. The prevailing state of affairs facing community college transfer aspirants can undermine the purposes of a college education: to help students cultivate the knowledge, skills and capacity for leading considered lives, to enable and encourage them to participate effectively in our democracy, and to pursue fulfillment in their professional and personal lives.

Goals

The Teagle Foundation and Arthur Vining Davis Foundations are jointly sponsoring Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts to bring the lifelong benefits of a liberal arts education to students who historically have been excluded from higher education—including low-income students, first-generation students, students of color, and immigrant students—who now constitute the “new majority” of undergraduates and depend on community college as their gateway to higher education.

The initiative aims to support building comprehensive curricular frameworks between community colleges and independent colleges and ensure alignment in learning objectives between lower and upper division coursework; transferability and applicability of credits; and timely completion of the baccalaureate in the liberal arts. We give priority to projects that involve multiple four-year independent colleges coming together with community college partners to develop statewide, regional, or consortial approaches to promote transfer in the liberal arts. Proposals for bilateral agreements between pairs of institutions will not be considered.

Transfer has academic, cultural, and financial dimensions. The academic dimension is paramount because it influences the other two dimensions. Nearly half of all transfer students lose more than ten percent of earned credits in the transition. This is especially discouraging for students who cannot afford to extend their time in college in order to earn additional credits for graduation. Such students often discover belatedly that credits that have been technically accepted by their new institution toward the overall graduation requirements in the form of electives may not be counted toward requirements within the student’s desired degree program. Such loss of credits prolongs time to degree, which can have a major impact on students’ financial aid eligibility and can make the cost of completing the baccalaureate appear financially daunting. Lack of clarity around how credits transfer also adversely influences the quality of academic advising and blunts the impact of other cultural practices that institutions might adopt to become more transfer-friendly, such as establishing centers on campus dedicated to transfer students. This is especially true for independent colleges, which historically have had little experience with recruiting community college transfer students and have designed their curriculum on the assumption that students will be on campus for four years.

This grant program is focused on addressing obstacles students face in the academic dimension of transfer and ensuring their coursework transfers and applies towards baccalaureate degree program requirements. These issues are directly within the control of faculty and influence the cultural and financial dimensions of transfer. Focusing on the academic dimension has a useful precedent in the public sector, on which independent colleges can base their own efforts by looking to curricular mechanisms to promote transfer to four-year public institutions that have been enacted as a matter of state policy. This work in the public sector provides a model for ensuring alignment in learning outcomes between lower- and upper-division coursework. Independent sector institutions would benefit from statewide, regional, or consortial frameworks to streamline academic requirements for transfer in order to provide a competitive alternative to public four-year institutions and raise their visibility as a transfer destination in the eyes of community college students.

About Us

Celebrate Urban Birds strives to co-create bilingual, inclusive, and equity-based community science projects that serve communities that have been historically underrepresented or excluded from birding, conservation, and citizen science. The project seeks to promote better science through equitable knowledge sharing, increased access, centering missing voices and experiences, and intentionally advocating for community ownership and scientific research leadership. Together with participating communities, the project has co-developed processes to co-design, pilot, and implement scientific research and programming while focusing on race and equity.

Mini-grants

Thank you for your interest in the Birds, Equity, and Culture mini-grants  from Celebrate Urban Birds! These mini-grants promote educational events centered on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in birdwatching and ornithology. We will prioritize community-led applications from underserved communities that share their local knowledge and expertise and emphasize culture and the arts.

Grant awards range from $250 to $2500. We award mini-grants to organizations from Canada, the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Here are the requirements for your proposals:

• Promote justice, equity, and inclusion
• Include bird observation
• Incorporate greening or habitat improvement for the birds
• The arts and culture should be integrated in a meaningful, inclusive, and authentic way
• The funds can only go to organizations (not to individuals)

Vision, Mission and Values

Inspired by our Founder, Craig H. Neilsen, the Foundation is committed to changing the world for those living with spinal cord injuries and we are driven by our Vision, Mission and Values. Our vision is a statement of what is possible, the picture of the future we want to create. Our mission speaks to our primary purpose. And our values provide the lens for decision-making and define how we will achieve our mission.

Our Vision

Individuals with spinal cord injuries, and those who care for them, live full and productive lives as active participants in their communities.

Our Mission

Craig H. Neilsen Foundation’s funding is dedicated to supporting both programs and scientific research to improve the quality of life for those living with spinal cord injury.

Community Support Grants - Key Information

Applicants should describe their request for funding of projects, program support, and/or capacity building within this context:

“Projects” are discrete initiatives designed to achieve a specific, identified goal during the funding period. Funding can be requested to develop, launch, or augment solutions that respond to a need or eliminate barriers to participation.

"Program support” funds the activities and services provided by organizations that serve the community. Funding may be requested to support or improve participation by persons with SCI. Priority is given to programs that have broad impact, affect people across the lifespan, demonstrate community partnerships and/or empower people with SCI by providing options and opportunities to achieve greater independence.

“Capacity building” supports an organization’s effectiveness, operations, and potential for long-term sustainability. Funding may be requested for specified needs such as equipment, alterations that promote access, strategic and/or collaborative planning efforts, staff training, and professional development. These funds are for established organizations and not intended to subsidize start-up costs. 

Topic Areas

• Arts, Sports and Recreation: e.g., community partnership initiatives, visual and performing arts programs, equipment, travel funds, event support, or wellness programs.
• Assistive Technology: i.e., access to a piece of equipment, device, or product system (e.g., an app) to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities.
• Education: i.e., programs to promote return to school/university, education readiness, literacy interventions, General Education Development courses, tutoring programs. Note: For educational activities used as a tool to advance employment, independent living, or rehabilitation, specify the respective programmatic goal, rather than Education.
• Employment: e.g., vocational training, local employment placement, return-to-work programs, employment initiatives.
• Independent Living: e.g., accessible housing to move people with SCI out of nursing homes, adaptive driving programs, consumer education focused on independent living, transition/ reintegration projects, companion animal services, and independent living centers.
• Rehabilitation: e.g., health/wellness literacy, patient/family education, patient assistance funds, and equipment used in inpatient or outpatient programs.

About the Holloway Family Foundation

Located in North Central Texas, the Holloway Family Foundation was founded onthe core values of its founders, Graham and Carolyn Holloway, and continues to be driven by these principles today. The personal experience of drastically altering their financial circumstances through a good job, elevating their sense of self-worth via the arts and benefitting from a transformative relationship with a mentor were all components that molded Graham and Carolyn’s lives. Today, the foundation carries on their unique story in an effort to provide similar opportunities to others.

Our Mission

To enhance the quality of life for people in our communities regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or religion through:

• a comprehensive and holistic approach to financial security
• creative expression for children and youth from under resourced communities
• mentorship focused on individual development

General Funding Areas

• Pathways to financial stability through workforce development
• Creative expression for children from under resourced communities
• Mentorship for youth development

At the Holloway Family Foundation, we focus our philanthropic efforts in three intentional ways that speak to our family’s heritage.

Creative expression for children from under resourced communities

With Carolyn’s influence, the Holloway Family Foundation trusts in the transformative power of individual expression and acknowledges the multi-faceted developmental benefits for children who participate in artistic endeavors. Therefore, the foundation proudly supports non-profits that bring creative opportunities to families who are not in a position to provide them to their children on their own.

Pathways to financial stability through workforce development

Because of the founder’s strong work ethic and his intrinsic belief in the inherent value of work, the Holloway Family Foundation focuses on funding programs that provide career development training for individuals who otherwise would not have access to those prospects. The foundation recognizes that having a living-wage job not only provides economic stability to individuals and their families, but also gives people a sense of personal worth that comes from contributing to the greater good of society as a whole.

Youth mentorship

Readily admitting the powerful impact of a personal mentor during his youth, Graham actively sought opportunities to serve in this capacity for others throughout his life. For this reason, the foundation embraces one-on-one mentorship programs whose goals are to influence young people who are in need of guidance, often due to circumstances beyond their control.

About The Memorial Trust

In 1975, two years after his death, The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust was established in New York. The four original trustees were a member of the Snow family, a lawyer, a publishing associate and a corporate trustee, the Irving Trust Company, now BNY Mellow N.A.. The current Trustees continue this legacy being well aware of the donor and his beliefs, values and ideals. The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust strategically focuses funding within specific geographic regions of the United States across a range of program areas. They meet once a year, usually in June.

The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust

The Memorial Trust strategically focuses funding within specific geographic regions of the United States across a range of program areas (prioritized below and visually depicted here) while responding to the ever-changing needs of various segments of the population, especially to the needs of youth and people who are disadvantaged economically, emotionally, or physically.

Dating back to the inception of the Trust in 1973, the primary and overarching grant making priority has been and continues to be programs that focus on education.

• Education: Targets funds to organizations that provide educational opportunities or academic assistance to individuals who demonstrate an intellectual aptitude and a financial need. Examples include scholarships, fellowships, academic tutoring or counseling, literacy, and journalism.

Secondarily, the Trust considers proposals within the areas of Arts and Culture, Community Initiatives, and Youth Programs. The Board’s objective is to extend the primary educational focus by providing funding support within these additional program areas.

• Community Initiatives: Provides funding for programs or services that directly improve the quality of life within the geographic focus areas that we serve. Examples include support for libraries, food pantries and shelters, and neighborhood revitalization. Generally, the Trust does not seek proposals for health care initiatives or animal welfare programs.
• Arts and Culture: Offers grants that promote arts education and appreciation, particularly for young adults, via the development of educational curriculum and professional instruction including visiting artists and performance support for targeted populations.
• Youth Initiatives: Offers grants that provide character education or enrichment opportunities via mentoring or after-school programming

As a third priority, the Trust does consider proposals in the areas of Disabilities and Universal Access, Environmental, and Historic Preservation. As these are not core focus areas, funding is often limited. Priority will be given to proposals with an educational focus.

• Disabilities and Universal Access: Offers grants to organizations in complying with ADA requirements within their facilities (e.g. elevator, handrails, automatic doors, and ramps) or offering services targeted for individuals with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.
• Environmental: Provides funds for organizations that strive to protect strategic parcels of land and bodies of water as well as programs that educate the general public on key environmental issues such as conservation and water management.
• Historic Preservation: Provides funding for organizations that preserve historical artifacts (e.g. sites, structures, objects) and accounts (e.g. events), and educate the greater community on their significance. Examples include museums, historical societies and educational programming.

Mission

The mission of the Tri-M Foundation is to cultivate and promote the production and presentation of regional performing and media arts, through grants and gifts to new and established arts organizations and educational institutions, and through our own salons and publications.

We focus on traditional theatre, music, dance, and motion pictures, as well as new and innovative works in new and experimental forms of media.  We are interested in the development and production of new works and individual emerging artists; bringing performance and discussion to regional communities; and the study, research, and publication of information about these art forms.  Although we recognize the important work of artists in the traditional cultural centers of the country, we also believe that vital work is developed and performed in other regions, and seek to encourage artists and audiences in those areas.

In 2025 – 2026, we are awarding grants in the disciplines of Theatre (plays) and Dance.

Performing Arts Grant Program

The purpose of the Program is to support the development and presentation of innovative, high-quality performing arts projects by regional non-profit arts organizations.

Grant Program Priorities: What We're Looking for in a Proposal

Proposed projects must comply with the applicant’s established mission and vision, be a featured project in the organization’s season, and demonstrate detailed planning. We want to see projects that encourage artists to produce their best work, enthrall audiences, and provoke important discussions. Ideal projects for this grant take a unique regional perspective and address a location's culture, history, aesthetic, or character.

We invite organizations to submit proposals for projects that address sensitive topics, controversial politics, and uncomfortable subjects.  Grantees must make their programs open and accessible to all members of the public, regardless of sex, race, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual preference, or gender expression.

Award Information

Award Range: $3,000 – $10,000.

Project Periods: Maximum of 12 months following the award; at this time, the Program does NOT fund multi-year projects.

Anticipated Number of Awards: 5 - 7 awards per year.

Mission

Founded in 1956, the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts fosters the development and exchange of diverse and challenging ideas about architecture and its role in the arts, culture, and society. The Graham realizes this vision through making project-based grants to individuals and organizations and producing exhibitions, events, and publications.

Grantmaking Focus

Architecture and related spatial practices engage a wide range of cultural, social, political, technological, environmental, and aesthetic issues. We are interested in projects that investigate the contemporary condition, expand historical perspectives, or explore the future of architecture and the designed environment.

We support innovative, thought-provoking investigations in architecture; architectural history, theory, and criticism; design; engineering; landscape architecture; urban planning; urban studies; visual arts; and related fields of inquiry. Our interest also extends to work being done in the fine arts, humanities, and sciences that expands the boundaries of thinking about architecture and space. In an effort to bridge communities and different fields of knowledge, we support a wide range of practitioners (such as architects, scholars, critics, writers, artists, curators, and educators) and organizations (such as non-profit galleries, colleges and universities, publishers, and museums).

Open discourse is essential to advance study and understanding, therefore our grantmaking focuses on the public dissemination of ideas. With our support, the work of individuals and organizations reaches new audiences, from specialized to general, and creates opportunities for critical dialogue between various publics.

Priorities and Criteria

For organizations, funding priorities are to:

• Assist with the production and presentation of significant programs about architecture and the designed environment in order to promote dialogue, raise awareness, and develop new and wider audiences
• Support efforts to take risks in programming and create opportunities for experimentation
• Recognize the vital role organizations play in providing individuals with a public forum in which to present their work
• Help organizations to realize projects that would otherwise not be possible without Graham Foundation support

Overall, the Graham Foundation is most interested in opportunities that align with the above priorities, further the mission of the Foundation, and enable critical support at key points in the development of a project or career.

Criteria for Evaluation

Projects with the greatest potential for funding directly connect to the Graham Foundation's mission to explore ideas in architecture and fulfill the following criteria:

Originality: the project demonstrates an innovative, challenging idea; critical, independent thinking; advanced scholarship; a new or experimental approach

Potential for impact: the project makes a meaningful contribution to discourse and the fields of architecture and design; expands knowledge; is a catalyst for future inquiry; raises awareness of an understudied issue; promotes diversity in subject matter, participants, and audience

Feasibility: the project has clear and realistic goals, timeframe, work plan, and budget

Capacity: applicant possesses strong qualifications and/or knowledge; demonstrates ability to carry out the project successfully; has access to necessary resources outside of the grant request

Grant Types

The Graham Foundation offers Production and Presentation Grants to organizations. 

These grants assist organizations with the production-related expenses that are necessary to take a project from conceptualization to realization and public presentation. These projects include, but are not limited to, publications, exhibitions, installations, films, new media projects, conferences/lectures, and other public programs. 

Projects must have clearly defined goals, work plans, budgets, and production and dissemination plans. 

Grant amount:

Production and Presentation Grants to organizations do not exceed $30,000 and are likely to be much less. Given the demand for funding, the Graham Foundation is not always able to fund grantees at the full request amount. 

Grant period:

Production and Presentation Grants must be completed within two years of the project start date. Applicants should allow sufficient time to plan, implement, close out their project, and, if funded, acknowledge Graham Foundation support in all published media.

Applications for Publication Support: Unless the applicant is a publisher, an organization applying for a publication grant must have a committed publisher for the work, confirmed by a signed publication agreement.

Our Mission 

The Green Family Foundation believes societies flourish when enriched with access to the arts, culture, education, and healthcare. We accomplish this by supporting grassroots initiatives and sustainable programs that foster thriving communities through prevention, education, and meaningful care.

Funding Priorities

At the Green Family Foundation, we believe in the power of community-driven solutions to create lasting change.

Our mission is to foster thriving societies enriched by access to the arts, culture, education, and healthcare. To achieve this, we partner with organizations that share our vision of building sustainable and inclusive communities.

We are proud to fund initiatives that prioritize equity, innovation, and collaboration in four key areas: Global Health and Development, Community Empowerment, The Arts, and Education and Leadership Development. These funding priorities reflect our commitment to addressing systemic barriers, amplifying historically excluded voices, and creating opportunities for individuals and communities to flourish.

We encourage grantseekers to review our four funding priorities thoroughly and ensure their proposed projects align with our mission. We are particularly interested in programs that demonstrate measurable impact, sustainability, and community-centered approaches.:

Global Health & Development:

The Green Family Foundation funds initiatives that address poverty by bridging gaps in education, healthcare, job access, and community engagement. We support holistic, sustainable programs that empower diverse communities to achieve long-term self-sufficiency. Priority is given to projects that provide equitable access to essential healthcare, deliver education and training, conduct community-led research, and implement sustainable development practices.

Community Empowerment:

From teaching digital skills to promoting civic participation, the Green Family Foundation invests in initiatives that strengthen community capacity, build social cohesion, and empower individuals to shape their futures.We support programs that equip individuals and communities with the tools, skills, and knowledge to drive meaningful change. Our focus areas include:

• Access to technology and digital literacy training
• Community-based advocacy and civic engagement
• Programs that amplify historically excluded voices and foster social equity

The Arts:

The Green Family Foundation champions programs that use the arts to inspire. We fund initiatives that encourage individuals to creatively express their ideas, explore their identities, and engage with their communities in positive and impactful ways.These programs should prioritize accessibility, skill-building, and personal development, offering individuals an opportunity to gain confidence, develop their talents, and envision successful futures through creative exploration.

Education and Leadership Development: 

By broadening horizons and nurturing leadership potential, the Green Family Foundation invests in the next generation of changemakers. We support educational programs that challenge young people to think critically, explore diverse perspectives, and expand their understanding of social issues, health equity, governance, and effective communication. Priority is given to initiatives that:

• Encourage young people to develop leadership skills
• Foster cross-cultural understanding and collaboration
• Empower young people to become informed and engaged citizens

Grant Size

Typical grants range from $1,500 - $30,000.

About the Henry Luce Foundation

For more than 80 years, the Henry Luce Foundation has invested in knowledge makers and ensured that their work informs public discussion. This commitment to public knowledge derives from our founder: Henry R. Luce created Time magazine to disseminate the most important news, ideas, analysis, and criticism to a mass audience.

Today, the Luce Foundation carries on this work by supporting projects at universities, policy institutes, media organizations, and museums, among many others. What these organizations have in common is a commitment to putting knowledge in the hands of the individuals and communities that need access to it. Hundreds of organizations have received more than 5800 grants totaling more than $1 billion since the Foundation’s establishment in 1936.

Over that long history, the Foundation played critical roles in strengthening the field of Asian studies, encouraging interfaith dialogue, raising the visibility of American art in museums and in universities, and increasing participation by women in STEM research and teaching. We look forward to continuing our support of long-time areas of focus and to identifying new opportunities to strengthen public knowledge and understanding.

Henry Luce Foundation American Art Exhibition Competition Grants

The American Art Program supports scholarly loan exhibitions that contribute significantly to the study and understanding of art of the United States, including all facets of Native American art. These grants advance the Program’s efforts to empower art museums to reconsider accepted histories, amplify the voices and experiences of underrepresented artists and cultures, and facilitate important dialogue with diverse collaborators and communities.

What We’re Looking For

In our review process, we give the highest consideration to the cultural significance of the art, the intellectual rigor and originality of the exhibition’s conceptual framework, and the organizational capacity for the successful execution of the project. We secondarily consider geographic and institutional diversity. While accompanying publications and additional tour venues are not required, they can enhance a project’s strength.

Mission Statement

NPN contributes to a more just and equitable world by building artists’ power; advancing racial and cultural justice in the arts; fostering relationship-building and reciprocity between individuals, institutions and communities; and working towards systems change in arts and philanthropy.

We envision a world in which:

• artists have greater power and resources for meaningful, sustainable careers;
• strong networks maximize their collective wisdom, resources and leadership;
• cultural infrastructure reflects deeper partnerships and more equitable practices;
• and communities have greater opportunity and capacity for civic engagement, representation and joy.

Creation & Development Fund

The Creation & Development Fund supports the creation, development and mobility of new artistic work that advances racial and cultural justice and results in live experiential exchange between artists and community.

The fund provides a framework for relationships to develop, over time, among diverse artists, arts organizations, and communities. Through the investment of commissioning funds from arts organizations and NPN direct subsidies, each project is eligible for multi-level support.

Phase I - Creation Fund

Vision & Purpose

The Creation Fund supports artists creating a new work in its earliest stages, fostering relationships between artists, presenters, and communities. It provides a minimum of $15,000 in unrestricted funding to support the process and labor that goes into creating a new artistic work. Projects are eligible to receive multi-level support through co- commissioners and direct NPN subsidies.

The Creation Fund:

• Fosters Equity:
  • Promotes racial and cultural justice within the arts.
• Supports Artist Development:
  • Provides comprehensive support for the entire creative process.
• Expands Access:
  • Increases access to commissioning opportunities, ensures equitable funding distribution, and addresses geographic disparities.
• Cultivates Meaningful Partnerships:
  • Encourages long-term relationships and fosters new, authentic collaborations between artists, communities, and commissioners.
• Strengthens Organizations:
  • Builds the capacity of organizations to develop artistic work.
• Maximizes Impact:
  • Leverages additional funding, presentation opportunities, and national recognition to amplify the impact of supported projects

Phase II - Development Fund

Additional Development Funds are earmarked for every Creation Fund Project. NPN invites artists who have received Creation Fund support to apply for development support through the Development Fund. 

Phase III—Public Engagement

Once a work is developed, co-commissioners support artists through a public engagement of the new work, focused on an in-person, virtual, or hybrid exchange between artists and communities. NPN offers access to, but does not guarantee, Artist Engagement Funds for NPN Partners to support artist fees for Phase III. NPN remains flexible with the definition of public engagement.

The Huo Family Foundation

Since its inception in 2009, The Huo Family Foundation has pledged over $75 million to support projects in the UK, US and China.

The Foundation’s mission is to support education, communities and the pursuit of knowledge. Its current areas of focus are education, the arts, and science.

Through its donations, the Foundation hopes to improve the prospects of individuals, and to support the work of organisations seeking to ensure a safe and successful future for all society.

Call for Proposals: Effects of the Usage of Digital Technology on Brain Development, Social Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Young People

A long-standing interest of HFF has been the effect and impact of usage of digital technology on young people. The rapid rise and use of this technology has permeated much of society and transformed the way many humans interact.  There has been a broad array of research efforts that mostly have involved relatively crude measures of the amount of usage of digital technology (e.g. total screen time) and the observed effects and impact on health. Despite these efforts, the full implications – both positive and negative – on human physiology, psychology, behaviour, well-being and mental health remain unclear.  

We believe there is an opportunity to help advance the research and the field of knowledge in this area, both by strengthening existing as well as creating new methods and approaches to better model and unpick the complexities of this topic.

We welcome applications for Huo early-career fellowships, junior faculty research grants and special projects. We are keen to support multi-disciplinary work. We want to help train the next generation of exceptional scientists in this rapidly evolving field.  Applications should attempt to understand mechanisms, causal pathways and directions.

Huo Early Career Fellowships

The Huo Family Foundation invites applications for early-career fellowships to support talented and promising postdoctoral researchers on the path to independence. These fellowships are to allow early-career researchers to design, plan and deliver their own innovative research project, and to make the transition to independent researcher.

Proposals should be tackling key questions within the broad topic of the effects of usage of and exposure to digital technologies on brain development and function (including physiological responses), social behaviour and interactions, and mental health of children and young people.

Remit, Definitions and Expectations

• We are interested in research on the effects of usage of and exposure to digital technologies on brain development and function (including physiological responses), social behaviour and interactions, and mental health of children and young people.
• Study designs should attempt to understand causal pathways and directions.
• Digital technology typically means digital devices, systems, tools and resources that generate, process and store data. 
  • For this call, digital technology refers to devices, systems, tools and services used by children and young people. 
  • For example, this would include smart phones, tablets, computers/laptops, gaming consoles, online games, the internet, social media, other digital environments, instant messaging, video-sharing, etc.
• The research should focus on children and/or young people within the age range of 7-24 years old.
• We encourage the use of existing population (epidemiological) cohorts and data sets.
  • We also encourage precision and deep-dive studies within these existing cohorts and data sets.
• We encourage randomised approaches to studying the effects of the use of digital technologies on the brain, mind, physiological responses, and behaviour of children and young people. 
  • This may include the use of Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT) methodology.
• Given the scarcity of longitudinal evidence, we encourage work that involves follow-up and repeated observations.
• We will consider mechanistic studies of smaller, well-defined participant groups.
• Public and Community Involvement, Engagement and Participation (PCIEP): proposals are expected to involve and engage young people (children, adolescents and/or young adults) in the study design and during the delivery of the proposal.
• We are keen to support multi-disciplinary work to help advance the research and the field of knowledge.
  • Applications are welcome from researchers from all relevant fields, which may include but is not limited to neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, epidemiology, public health, computer science, social science, economics.
  • We welcome applicants with training in one or more of these or related disciplines.
• We want to support the training of the next generation of exceptional scientists in this rapidly evolving field.
• Studies should produce new knowledge that contributes to the understanding of the occurrence, distribution, causes, mechanisms and impacts (e.g. social, behavioural, physiological, health and well-being, economic) of the effects of the usage of digital technology on children, adolescents and young adults.

Examples of Research We Want to Support

We have identified various scientific areas and approaches that are of particular interest to the Foundation:

• Pathways and mechanisms of the effects of the usage of or exposure to digital technology on brain development and function, social interactions and behaviour, and on mental health.
• The effects of usage of or exposure to digital technology on key processes such as arousal, attention, learning, reward system, resilience, sleep.
• How different developmental time windows (childhood, adolescence, early adulthood) might involve different neurodevelopment processes that can give rise to different susceptibilities.
• Developing and using new tools for more accurately measuring exposure (i.e. usage information) for different forms of digital tech and environments to reduce bias and improve precision to look at causal pathways and relationships.
• Sufficiently powered studies, and those that take appropriate account of potential confounding effects.
• Work that involves data-sharing partnerships with digital tech companies to have access to better data.
• Combining disciplines and approaches.
• Using the latest methods, such as machine learning/AI to help analyse data to make better inferences/predictions that will generalise.

Funding

Fellowships are for up to a three-year term. The fellowship amount is up to £130,000 / US$169,000 per year.

The fellowship is intended to support (or contribute) to the fellow’s salary (including on-costs fringe) and to provide research costs for them to develop their own research project.

Fellowship funds may be used by the fellow for any expense judged supportive of the fellow’s research including staffing, lab expenses, equipment and access charges, and professional travel.

The Huo Family Foundation

Since its inception in 2009, The Huo Family Foundation has pledged over $75 million to support projects in the UK, US and China.

The Foundation’s mission is to support education, communities and the pursuit of knowledge. Its current areas of focus are education, the arts, and science.

Through its donations, the Foundation hopes to improve the prospects of individuals, and to support the work of organisations seeking to ensure a safe and successful future for all society.

Call for Proposals: Effects of the Usage of Digital Technology on Brain Development, Social Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Young People

A long-standing interest of HFF has been the effect and impact of usage of digital technology on young people. The rapid rise and use of this technology has permeated much of society and transformed the way many humans interact.  There has been a broad array of research efforts that mostly have involved relatively crude measures of the amount of usage of digital technology (e.g. total screen time) and the observed effects and impact on health. Despite these efforts, the full implications – both positive and negative – on human physiology, psychology, behaviour, well-being and mental health remain unclear.  

We believe there is an opportunity to help advance the research and the field of knowledge in this area, both by strengthening existing as well as creating new methods and approaches to better model and unpick the complexities of this topic.

We welcome applications for Huo early-career fellowships, junior faculty research grants and special projects. We are keen to support multi-disciplinary work. We want to help train the next generation of exceptional scientists in this rapidly evolving field.  Applications should attempt to understand mechanisms, causal pathways and directions.

Huo Junior Faculty Research Grants

The Huo Family Foundation invites applications for junior faculty research grants to support early career researchers to develop further their own research vision and help establish a research group. These grants are to support new lecturers/assistant professors at the start of their careers to foster their independence and gain experience of managing and leading research projects and teams.

Proposals should be tackling key questions within the broad topic of the effects of usage of and exposure to digital technologies on brain development and function (including physiological responses), social behaviour and interactions, and mental health of children and young people.

Remit, Definitions and Expectations

• We are interested in research on the effects of usage of and exposure to digital technologies on brain development and function (including physiological responses), social behaviour and interactions, and mental health of children and young people.
• Study designs should attempt to understand causal pathways and directions.
• Digital technology typically means digital devices, systems, tools and resources that generate, process and store data. 
  • For this call, digital technology refers to devices, systems, tools and services used by children and young people. 
  • For example, this would include smart phones, tablets, computers/laptops, gaming consoles, online games, the internet, social media, other digital environments, instant messaging, video-sharing, etc.
• The research should focus on children and/or young people within the age range of 7-24 years old.
• We encourage the use of existing population (epidemiological) cohorts and data sets.
  • We also encourage precision and deep-dive studies within these existing cohorts and data sets.
• We encourage randomised approaches to studying the effects of the use of digital technologies on the brain, mind, physiological responses, and behaviour of children and young people. 
  • This may include the use of Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT) methodology.
• Given the scarcity of longitudinal evidence, we encourage work that involves follow-up and repeated observations.
• We will consider mechanistic studies of smaller, well-defined participant groups.
• Public and Community Involvement, Engagement and Participation (PCIEP): proposals are expected to involve and engage young people (children, adolescents and/or young adults) in the study design and during the delivery of the proposal.
• We are keen to support multi-disciplinary work to help advance the research and the field of knowledge.
  • Applications are welcome from researchers from all relevant fields, which may include but is not limited to neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, epidemiology, public health, computer science, social science, economics.
  • We welcome applicants with training in one or more of these or related disciplines.
• We want to support the training of the next generation of exceptional scientists in this rapidly evolving field.
• Studies should produce new knowledge that contributes to the understanding of the occurrence, distribution, causes, mechanisms and impacts (e.g. social, behavioural, physiological, health and well-being, economic) of the effects of the usage of digital technology on children, adolescents and young adults.

Examples of Research We Want to Support

We have identified various scientific areas and approaches that are of particular interest to the Foundation:

• Pathways and mechanisms of the effects of the usage of or exposure to digital technology on brain development and function, social interactions and behaviour, and on mental health.
• The effects of usage of or exposure to digital technology on key processes such as arousal, attention, learning, reward system, resilience, sleep.
• How different developmental time windows (childhood, adolescence, early adulthood) might involve different neurodevelopment processes that can give rise to different susceptibilities.
• Developing and using new tools for more accurately measuring exposure (i.e. usage information) for different forms of digital tech and environments to reduce bias and improve precision to look at causal pathways and relationships.
• Sufficiently powered studies, and those that take appropriate account of potential confounding effects.
• Work that involves data-sharing partnerships with digital tech companies to have access to better data.
• Combining disciplines and approaches.
• Using the latest methods, such as machine learning/AI to help analyse data to make better inferences/predictions that will generalise.

Funding

Grants are for up to a three-year term. The grant amount is up to £200,000 / US$260,000 per year.

The Huo Family Foundation

Since its inception in 2009, The Huo Family Foundation has pledged over $75 million to support projects in the UK, US and China.

The Foundation’s mission is to support education, communities and the pursuit of knowledge. Its current areas of focus are education, the arts, and science.

Through its donations, the Foundation hopes to improve the prospects of individuals, and to support the work of organisations seeking to ensure a safe and successful future for all society.

Call for Proposals: Effects of the Usage of Digital Technology on Brain Development, Social Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Young People

A long-standing interest of HFF has been the effect and impact of usage of digital technology on young people. The rapid rise and use of this technology has permeated much of society and transformed the way many humans interact.  There has been a broad array of research efforts that mostly have involved relatively crude measures of the amount of usage of digital technology (e.g. total screen time) and the observed effects and impact on health. Despite these efforts, the full implications – both positive and negative – on human physiology, psychology, behaviour, well-being and mental health remain unclear.  

We believe there is an opportunity to help advance the research and the field of knowledge in this area, both by strengthening existing as well as creating new methods and approaches to better model and unpick the complexities of this topic.

We welcome applications for Huo early-career fellowships, junior faculty research grants and special projects. We are keen to support multi-disciplinary work. We want to help train the next generation of exceptional scientists in this rapidly evolving field.  Applications should attempt to understand mechanisms, causal pathways and directions.

Special Projects

The Huo Family Foundation invites applications for special projects. These larger and longer-term research awards would allow researchers of all career stages, collaborating as a multi-disciplinary team with different expertise and skills, to take an integrated approach to tackle the more difficult questions in this domain.

Proposals should be tackling key questions within the broad topic of the effects of usage of and exposure to digital technologies on brain development and function (including physiological responses), social behaviour and interactions, and mental health of children and young people.

Remit, Definitions and Expectations

• We are interested in research on the effects of usage of and exposure to digital technologies on brain development and function (including physiological responses), social behaviour and interactions, and mental health of children and young people.
• Study designs should attempt to understand causal pathways and directions.
• Digital technology typically means digital devices, systems, tools and resources that generate, process and store data. 
  • For this call, digital technology refers to devices, systems, tools and services used by children and young people. 
  • For example, this would include smart phones, tablets, computers/laptops, gaming consoles, online games, the internet, social media, other digital environments, instant messaging, video-sharing, etc.
• The research should focus on children and/or young people within the age range of 7-24 years old.
• We encourage the use of existing population (epidemiological) cohorts and data sets.
  • We also encourage precision and deep-dive studies within these existing cohorts and data sets.
• We encourage randomised approaches to studying the effects of the use of digital technologies on the brain, mind, physiological responses, and behaviour of children and young people. 
  • This may include the use of Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT) methodology.
• Given the scarcity of longitudinal evidence, we encourage work that involves follow-up and repeated observations.
• We will consider mechanistic studies of smaller, well-defined participant groups.
• Public and Community Involvement, Engagement and Participation (PCIEP): proposals are expected to involve and engage young people (children, adolescents and/or young adults) in the study design and during the delivery of the proposal.
• We are keen to support multi-disciplinary work to help advance the research and the field of knowledge.
  • Applications are welcome from researchers from all relevant fields, which may include but is not limited to neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, epidemiology, public health, computer science, social science, economics.
  • We welcome applicants with training in one or more of these or related disciplines.
• We want to support the training of the next generation of exceptional scientists in this rapidly evolving field.
• Studies should produce new knowledge that contributes to the understanding of the occurrence, distribution, causes, mechanisms and impacts (e.g. social, behavioural, physiological, health and well-being, economic) of the effects of the usage of digital technology on children, adolescents and young adults.

Examples of Research We Want to Support

We have identified various scientific areas and approaches that are of particular interest to the Foundation:

• Pathways and mechanisms of the effects of the usage of or exposure to digital technology on brain development and function, social interactions and behaviour, and on mental health.
• The effects of usage of or exposure to digital technology on key processes such as arousal, attention, learning, reward system, resilience, sleep.
• How different developmental time windows (childhood, adolescence, early adulthood) might involve different neurodevelopment processes that can give rise to different susceptibilities.
• Developing and using new tools for more accurately measuring exposure (i.e. usage information) for different forms of digital tech and environments to reduce bias and improve precision to look at causal pathways and relationships.
• Sufficiently powered studies, and those that take appropriate account of potential confounding effects.
• Work that involves data-sharing partnerships with digital tech companies to have access to better data.
• Combining disciplines and approaches.
• Using the latest methods, such as machine learning/AI to help analyse data to make better inferences/predictions that will generalise.

Funding

Grants are for up to a four-year term. The grant amount is up to £300,000 / $390,000 per year.

About Us

We partner with 501(c)(3) nonprofits, with annual budgets typically under $5 million, that provide ways for people to forward their careers, maintain or improve their health, be creative, and/or actively participate in a community. They might be living with a disability. They might be living in a new land. They might be living on the street. Or they might be your neighbor—of any age, of any culture, of any lifestyle.

Founding Precepts

• To preserve the applied educational values and ideals of its founder by promoting more innovative and nontraditional postsecondary lifelong learning alternatives to help novice and challenged people find and develop skills towards redefining their purpose and passion.
• To preserve the entrepreneurial values and ideals of its founder by promoting more applied field training and design laboratory and tinkering facilities to help everyone develop their talents in pursuit of rewarding vocations.
• To preserve legacies of leadership first by collecting stories about past and present successful leaders and then by using them to inspire the next generation to learn from history and apply its lessons for greater innovation, research and discovery of novel ways to improve business, art and health.

Building for Better Belonging

This is our primary funding opportunity, intended to kick-start fresh initiatives that enrich daily life for people sidelined by profoundly limited functional abilities.

Project Criteria

We seek new projects that accommodate people sidelined by profound functional limitations due to chronic disability, illness, or injury. Our goal is to increase meaningful community interactions by facilitating access to work, school, and social settings.

Specifically, projects should ensure access for this group in one of four focus areas:

Adaptive Resources and Technology

Physical tools and technology needed to engage fully in society.

Fully Integrated Artistic Creations

Training or assistance to freely participate in any phase of artistic production.

Accessible Careers and Technical Education

Pathways that improve academic success, career training, and physical access.

Improved Health and Well-Being

Activities that increase exposure to nature and outdoor recreation.

The ideal project will request $50,000–$100,000 from us (minimum $25,000) to cover no more than half of the total project cost over a term of 1–2 years, in conjunction with at least two (2) other secured or strong prospective funding sources covering the remainder.

The Center for Cooperative Media, a grant-funded program within the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University was founded in 2012 in response to the downsizing of New Jersey news organizations and the changes in the ownership of regional public media. These shifts in the news and information landscape hurt the volume of local news available in a state that has historically had limited news coverage, due to its proximity to the major metropolitan areas of New York City and Philadelphia. With 564 municipalities packed into a densely populated state, New Jersey was—and is—ripe for innovation in local journalism.

The mission of the Center for Cooperative Media is to grow and strengthen local journalism and support an informed society in New Jersey and beyond. The Center coordinates statewide and regional reporting, connecting more than 300 local news and information providers through its flagship project, the NJ News Commons. We offer innovative professional development seminars, with training sessions on topics such as data and investigative journalism, fact-checking, OPRA, podcasting, video production, digital sales, and business planning, among many others. We also offer one-on-one coaching. The Center’s research agenda is focused on issues impacting local journalism, especially collaboration and sustainability questions.

About Civic Science Media

At its core, civic science media is created when journalists and other storytellers work intentionally with diverse community members and scientists to collaboratively address issues of shared interest. Civic science media serves as an important bridge between scientists or scientific organizations and the people most impacted by scientific discovery, and promotes a dynamic conversation between scientists, media, and the public. The goal is both to inform and support active participation in solving or addressing community-identified concerns related to science, including climate change, public health, and artificial intelligence.

Civic Science Media Project Funding

The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University is delighted to announce a funding opportunity for civic science media projects, thanks to support from the Rita Allen Foundation. The awards aim to accelerate civic science media collaborations across the United States with funding and coaching.

This is the second open call for pilot awards in support of projects that can bridge the gap between scientists, media, and communities, with a focus on increasing public participation in science, expanding public deliberation about emerging science and creating opportunities for science to be informed by diverse communities.

• The award builds on a global research project conducted in 2020 and 2021 by the Center that studied how and why journalists and civil society organizations around the world collaborate to achieve and increase impact. Led by Dr. Sarah Stonbely and funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the research showed that journalists have become more willing to partner with civil society organizations in order to achieve tangible impact on issues such as corruption, governance, climate and environment, and human rights.
• With new openness among journalists and media makers to partner with civil society and community organizations, rapid advances in scientific discovery and debate, and increased polarization across communities, there is an urgent need to create a culture of civic science — where all people feel a sense of belonging in, and benefit from, the practice of science so they can inform meaningfully deliberation about society's most pressing problems.
• Rita Allen Foundation recently published the industry’s first in-depth analysis of civic science media, in a report that highlights a broad range of civic science media initiatives from across the country. The landscape scan showcases a range of civic science media projects and insights from leaders in this emergent field; potential award applicants should familiarize themselves with the paper.

The Award

A total of 10 awards up to $15,000 each are available. This opportunity is not meant to fund long-term, multi-year partnerships, but rather short-term pilots that:

• Foster ongoing, multidirectional dialogue between media organizations, scientists, and local communities.
• Include direct community participation in the scientific and/or media-creation process, ensuring that local concerns and perspectives substantially influence the conversation.
• Enhance science literacy by making complex scientific topics more accessible and engaging.

In addition to funding, participants will receive hands-on coaching, including regular check-ins, peer-to-peer meetings, and tailored support to align goals, address challenges, and ensure robust and impactful community engagement.

Priority areas include artificial intelligence, climate science, and neuroscience, which align with the broader goals of the Rita Allen Foundation’s overall civic science program.

The awards are intended to cover the cost of the applicant’s and co-collaborator’s time, project materials, equipment, and associated production/editing costs to complete the project. Audience participation incentives are also encouraged; applicants should ensure they are not being extractive when it comes to involving members of the public.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Housing Assistance Council (HAC), with To Be Done Studio, are excited to announce the Request for Applications to the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD). Rural communities are invited to submit applications to receive design support and technical assistance to host a virtual and on-site local Design Workshop (if local public health guidelines allow) or participate in the Design Learning Cohort.

About CIRD

The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) is a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Housing Assistance Council. Focusing on communities with populations of 50,000 or less, CIRD’s goal is to enhance the quality of life and economic viability of rural America through planning, design, and creative placemaking.

CIRD is intended to empower local citizens to capitalize on unique local and regional assets in order to guide the civic development and future design of their own communities. The CIRD program goals include:

• Building design capacity in rural communities to plan comprehensive revitalization strategies;
• Introducing creative placemaking, arts, culture, and design strategies as drivers of economic development in rural America;
• Facilitating a network of rural communities for design idea exchanges and peer learning; and
• Preparing communities to be ready and competitive for arts- and design-related state and federal funding opportunities.

Since 1991, the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) has provided design assistance to more than 100 rural communities in all regions of the United States, empowering residents to leverage local and regional assets in order to guide the civic development and future design of their own communities. 

The CIRD program consists of two different opportunities via a single application:

Opportunity 1) Local Design Workshops

Up to four (4) communities will be selected to participate in an on-site rural Design Workshop. (Based on timing and in accordance with local health guidance, this workshop may be a hybrid virtual and in-person program.) With support from a wide range of design, planning, and creative placemaking professionals, the workshops bring together local residents and local leaders from non-profits, community organizations, and government to develop actionable solutions to a specific design challenge. Examples of potential design challenges include but are not limited to:

• Historic preservation and adaptive reuse of community buildings
• Designing quality affordable housing that supports livable and equitable communities; including housing and other amenities that support young people, families, and/or the elderly and aging in place
• Creating public or civic spaces that support and integrate cultural expression and local identity and/or play and active recreation
• Developing recreational trails for mobility, active transportation, and economic development
• Redesigning Main Street as a local street versus state highway/thruway
• Designing spaces and places that improve access to healthy food and local food systems
• Leveraging Main Street or local businesses for economic development, including branding, wayfinding, façade improvements, and streetscape design
• Integrating cultural identity into the built environment to drive heritage tourism.

Selected communities will receive additional support including customized follow-up support leading up to and after the workshop as well as access to and web-based resources, webinars, and peer learning through the Design Learning Cohort.

Opportunity 2) Design Learning Cohort

Up to fifteen (15) rural communities will be selected to participate in a Design Learning Cohort. Rural community leaders from government, non-profits, local business, and civic organizations are invited to:

• Participate in virtual trainings and sessions on design, planning, community engagement, facilitation and fundraising techniques;
• Connect and exchange design ideas with peers from other rural communities in the cohort
• Receive technical assistance and coaching from experienced design professionals tailored to their particular community design challenge; and
• Receive support in navigating funding opportunities to make their community’s vision a reality;
• Applicant organizations can indicate on their application if they only want to participate in the Design Learning Cohort (and not be considered for the hybrid local Design Workshop opportunity).

Both opportunities within the CIRD program connect rural residents and community leaders with resources and ideas for developing locally driven solutions to community design challenges.

PARTICIPATION BENEFITS 

Local Design Workshop Communities

• Four(4) communities will be selected to do a deep dive into a pressing design challenge that is impacting their community. Each workshop includes:
  • $6,000 stipend to the host community for workshop staff time and related expenses
  • A tailored virtual design process working with a dedicated resource team, including goal setting, and online sessions with design experts to assist with project visioning and advancement toward implementation
  • Potential site visit from a local/regional designer, if local public health guidelines allow.
  • A Design Book and action plan following the workshop, with project-specific design and planning recommendations, created by the CIRD resource team
  • Ongoing technical assistance related to project 
  • Design Workshop communities will have access to all events and opportunities offered to the Design Learning Cohort.

Design Learning Cohort

Up to 15 communities from the applicant pool will be invited to participate in the Design Learning Cohort. The opportunity allows up to four (4) leaders from each selected community to participate in virtual training in design, planning, community engagement, and facilitation techniques; engage with peers from rural communities; and receive support in navigating funding opportunities to make their vision a reality. The Design Learning Cohort opportunity includes roughly a dozen engagements, specifically:

• A series of online learning sessions led by nationally recognized field experts, tailored to engage cohort members and activate peer learning
• A series of public webinars and private breakout sessions that connect cohort members to design experts
• Technical assistance through office hours, one-on-one coaching, optional in-person convenings, and online resources
• Additional opportunities to socialize and share best practices and experiences with rural peers from around the country.

Background

Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) is soliciting Expressions of Interest (EOI) for collaborative, multidisciplinary research at any time and for any location and year identified as an area of operation for R/V Falkor (too). EOIs and full proposals are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed twice per year. Investigators may request R/V Falkor (too)’s full berthing allotment for science in an EOI or may be partnered with additional projects at the full proposal stage to maximize the use of the vessel.

SOI provides investigators and teams with free access to the full range of the capabilities of R/V Falkor (too), its onboard scientific facilities, analytical tools, and lab equipment, as well as pertinent technical, operational, communications, and informational services. A requirement of this asset and support is the timely sharing of the data, research and development outcomes, and real-time sharing of expedition research.

SOI expects that investigators will provide the funds and associated resources to bring forth their research program and to meet the objectives of projects conducted aboard R/V Falkor (too). This includes salary, travel, shipping, and research analysis. Limited support is available for the provisioning of robotic platforms, sensors, instrumentation, high-performance shipboard computing, and open-source publication.

Research Priorities & Locations

Schmidt Ocean Institute’s (SOI) mission is to catalyze the discoveries needed to understand our Ocean, sustain life, and ensure the health of our planet through the pursuit of impactful scientific research and intelligent observation, technological advancement, open sharing of information, and public engagement at the highest levels of international excellence. SOI’s Strategic Framework describes seven topical areas for support aboard R/V Falkor (too): 

• Mapping the Seafloor: Including systematic mapping of uncharted regions, plate boundaries, deep sea floor environments and seamounts.
• Frontiers of Biodiversity: Including discovery and preservation of life, extreme environments, deep sea biodiversity, and microbiology.
• Stability of Ocean Health: Including research into poorly monitored marine gases and nutrient cycles, ocean carbon cycle, deoxygenation, and microplastics.
• Power of Nature: Including boundary layer dynamics, dynamical features, fine-scale physical processes, and vertical mixing.
• Exploring the Deep: Including full ocean depth exploration, trench and back-arc basins, volcanoes and hydrothermal vents, seamounts and deep-sea coral.
• Technologies for the Future: Including autonomous, remotely operated, coordinated robotics, biorobotics, biomimicry, brain-computer interface, smart, miniature, efficient technology, virtual and augmented reality, and intelligent use of data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
• Human Effect: Including characterization of the high-seas and deep-ocean, research and mitigation of marine pollutants, scientific study of deep sea resources, and solutions for mitigation of extreme anthropogenic climate impacts.

SOI is committed to supporting the fundamental representation of the populations from the geographies in which R/V Falkor (too) operates and strongly encourages the teams assembled for EOIs to meaningfully engage these communities in research planning, execution, outreach, and data-sharing activities.

Maximizing Vessel Utilization

Submitted EOIs should request the berthing required to meet research project goals, up to 25 science party members, including students. In cases where projects do not fully utilize all of the available berths aboard R/V Falkor (too), those projects, in collaboration with the investigators, may be matched with other proposed projects to maximize the use of the vessel. Those matched projects will be invited to submit a combined full proposal leveraging their strengths and meeting the objectives of all participants.

Data Management

The open sharing of data is a pillar of SOI’s Mission. All data collected by the suite of systems aboard R/V Falkor (too) will be openly shared by SOI. We encourage investigators to consider how all types of data sets collected during the proposed research cruise will be processed post-cruise, managed, and shared with the public. At the full proposal stage, investigators will be required to document their open data-sharing policies, plans, and commitments regarding any additional data collected by systems they bring aboard R/V Falkor (too).

Expedition Outreach

SOI will provide communications support, including the collaborative development of an expedition outreach plan aligned with SOI’s goals and the science team’s objectives. Investigators are invited to propose innovative outreach opportunities that complement SOI’s communications support, such as: 

• Citizen science projects, especially those with a regional focus.
• Technology development for outreach (e.g. websites, 3-D modeling, image tagging, AR/VR).
• Related curriculum or lesson plan development.
• Collaborations with educators, education institutions, museums, and aquariums.
• Collaborations with artists, art installation projects, or related arts-based activities.
• Featured stories or articles in magazines, papers, television programs, or documentaries.
• Multidisciplinary outreach programs or projects.