Graduate Division: Opportunities and Grants

Opportunities for the 2022-2023 Academic Year
 

Graduate Dean Professional Development Award

Graduate students who have been invited by recognized organizations or conferences to present their work may apply for partial travel assistance or related expenses from the Graduate Dean.
Average awards are $400–700.

Timeline

There are five deadlines annually. Decisions are made within four weeks of each deadline. 

Eligibility

Graduate students in any year of study, enrolled in any program at SAIC are eligible to receive the Graduate Dean Professional Development Award.
Students may submit more than one application each year, and more than one application per deadline.
Students working together on the same presentation or exhibition must apply as a team. The collaborative team should select one representative student to submit the proposal on behalf of the team. If the grant is awarded, the lead student will be the sole recipient of the grant payment. All students on a collaborative team must be eligible for the team to be considered.

Students are not eligible to receive the Graduate Dean Professional Development Award if any of the following conditions are true:

• They will have graduated at the time of travel.
• They are on a leave of absence at the time of applying or at the time of travel.
• They are not in good academic standing.
• They have received a Graduate Dean Professional Development Award in the current academic year.
• They have received World Less Traveled or SAIC Travel Grants in the current academic year.

Graduate Dean Professional Development Awards do not support any of the following:

• Travel for any purpose other than presentation or exhibition of student work.
• Residency tuition.
• Travel occurring before the date of the application deadline.

Evaluation Criteria

Graduate Dean Professional Development Award funds are limited, and grants are highly competitive. Each year, the Graduate Dean receives far more requests than can be honored. Often, extremely worthy applicants cannot be supported. The Graduate Dean considers the following criteria when evaluating proposals:

• The significance of the travel or exhibition opportunity.
• The relationship of the opportunity to the student's studies at SAIC.
• The relationship of the opportunity to SAIC's Core Values.

Optional Faculty Endorsement

The Graduate Dean requests that faculty assist applicants in expressing the worth of the travel opportunity and the suitability of the opportunity for the student. By endorsing a proposal, a graduate coordinator, faculty advisor, or instructor certifies the importance of the opportunity at this time in the student's professional development. Students should attach a brief endorsement letter or email from an instructor to the application.

Application Form:
 

Other Opportunities

James Nelson Raymond Fellowships
Two $10,000 fellowships will be awarded to graduating masters degree students of exceptional promise. These awards are to support the artist’s career and travel in the year following graduation. 

The application process for AY23 opens February 1st via slideroom here. Submissions are due March 15th.

Municipal Art League Fellowship
The Municipal Art League of Chicago Award for Excellence provides three $2,000 awards to graduating MFA students whose work is concentrated in drawing, illustration, painting or sculpture on the basis of merit.

The application process for AY23 opens February 1st via slideroom here. Submissions are due March 15th.

Institut für Alles Mögliche Residency in Berlin, Germany

The SAIC Berlin Residency is awarded to two graduating graduate students annually through an open competition. One award is reserved for an MFA student in the Photography department, one is Open to All Programs. Awarded MFA students spend two months in Berlin at the Institut für Alles Mögliche. SAIC pays for the awarded student's residency fee only. Basic accommodations and studio space are included in the residency. The residency will be August 1-September 30 for the Photography residency and October 1-November 30 for the Open Program residency. International students are responsible for any necessary visa arrangements.

For more information about the residency program visit: https://www.i-a-m.tk/

Application opens April 1 via slideroom at: https://saicscholarships.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/71869
Deadline: May 1st

Gallery MOMO Residency in Johannesburg, South Africa

The SAIC Gallery MOMO Residency is awarded to one graduating graduate student annually through an open competition. The award is available to students in all programs. The awarded student will spend one month in Johannesburg at Gallery MOMO. SAIC pays for the awarded student's residency fee only. Basic accommodations, studio space, networking opportunities, and a space for a final exhibition are included in the residency. The residency will begin in September, exact dates to be determined by the recipient. International students are responsible for any necessary visa arrangements.

For more information about the residency program visit: https://www.gallerymomo.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/GalleryMOMOSA/

Application opens April 1 via slideroom at: https://saicscholarships.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/71872
Deadline: May 1st

Clay Morrison Scholarship
The Clay Morrison Scholarship for graduate students was established in 2011 to support continuing SAIC graduate students from any department or program who are studying art created independently from the academic mainstream, including self-taught or non-mainstream art, popular culture, and/or folk art from any culture(s). Two winning students receive a $1,500 scholarship toward tuition in the fall of their final year of study.

The application process for AY23 opens April 1st via slideroom here. Submissions are due May 1st.

AICAD Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship
As a member of the Associated Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), SAIC participates in the AICAD Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship, which provides significant professional practice opportunities to high-achieving recent graduate alumni who are underrepresented in higher education. The fellowship consists of a one-year full-time (or near full-time) teaching load at an AICAD institution, salary commensurate with starting salary for full-time faculty, mentorship, and professional development support.

Graduating MFA students and recent alumni are nominated in the fall semester by the departments and will be notified of eligibility to apply.
 

UofC Arts & Sciences Collaboration Grant
Funding is available to support transdisciplinary research between graduate students in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Propose a project for two or more students, at least one in the arts and one in the sciences, to work together to investigate a subject from the perspectives offered by each discipline. Selected teams will receive up to $3,000 in grant support. The 2022-23 grant is open to graduate students at The University of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).

Applications Period: Now - October 31, 2022 @ artsscienceculture.uchicago.edu

MassMoCA Residency 
The Studios is MassMoCA's artist and writers residency program situated within the museum's factory campus surrounded by the beautiful Berkshire Mountains. Operated by MassMoCA's Assets for Artists department, the residency runs year-round and hosts up to 10 artists at a time. Artists of any nationality can apply for stays of 2-8 weeks. For more information, visit www.assetsforartists.org.

Applications Period: November 8, 2022 - January 8, 2023 

SAIC x ACRE Alumni Scholarship
Fun ACRE has partnered with The School of the Art Institute of Chicago to create a scholarship opportunity to accepted residents are are also Master's level graduates from SAIC. Eligibility for the SAIC Alumni Scholarship will be based on successful completion of an SAIC Graduate Program within 12 months of the start date of the summer residency. Both traditional and Low Residency MFA candidates are eligible. Questions can be directed to info@acreresidency.org

Applications open early spring @ https://www.acreresidency.org/application/scholarships