For projects taking place AY 2024-25 and/or 2025-26

Upcoming Deadlines:

  • Letter of Intent (LOI): Monday, March 11, 2024
  • If invited to submit a full proposal: Monday, May 13, 2024

About:

Projects in Partnership (PiP) are large-scale projects that: activate the campus and community; increase arts engagement for students, faculty, staff, and the region; and leverage interdisciplinary partnerships for impact that could not be achieved effectively by one partner alone. Up to four projects will be selected annually that align with the mission, vision and goals of the Arts Initiative. Projects awarded will reflect a diversity of artistic, intellectual, and expressive modes, as well as audiences.

Priority will be given to projects that:

  • Clearly demonstrate strong institutional partnerships between two University of Michigan units/departments, as well as with a non U-M-affiliated community partner organization.
  • Promote deep student, faculty/staff, and community engagement
  • Promote engagement and the growth of new and diverse audiences
  • Align with the mission of the Arts Initiative 

Application Process:

In order to submit a full proposal, applicants must first submit a Letter of Intent (LOI). If approved, the applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. The purpose of this process is to ensure project ideas are eligible and in line with the partnership and funding opportunity before submitting a full proposal. 

The Arts Initiative may request a meeting with applicant partners prior to formally inviting applicants to submit a full proposal. Applicants will be notified by March 29 if they have been selected to submit a full proposal. Full proposals will be due by May 13, 2024. A full proposal preview application can be viewed here (subject to change). 

Award Amount:

The Arts Initiative’s contributions toward selected projects will range from $20,000 to $100,000. Funding amount will vary depending on the number of awardees and feasibility of the budget submitted. Awardees may not receive the total amount requested. We encourage applicants to apply only for what is needed. 

Eligibility:

Institutional involvement is required for the scope and scale of this funding opportunity. Individual projects are not eligible. U-M faculty and staff from Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn campuses are eligible to apply on behalf of project partners. Projects with at least 20-30% of budget support confirmed and/or pledged through other funding sources will be given priority. Budgets are only required as part of the full proposal process. A Project Lead/PI may only apply for one project per cycle.

Evaluation Criteria:

If Awarded:

In addition to funding support, selected applicants will enter into a partnership with the Arts Initiative team, which may include but is not limited to co-curatorial and thought partnership as well as staffing support for select project logistics. 

If invited to submit a full application, in addition to the application, the Arts Initiative will require a minimum of one signed letter of commitment from each of the two primary partners’ schools/units/departmental leadership (ideally from deans, department chairs, directors, etc.). The letters should explicitly state the school/unit/department’s support of the project, list the school/unit/department’s lead project personnel (PI and Research Process Administrator), describe the level of the school/unit/department’s commitment (both programmatic and financial), and the overall role of the school/unit/department as a major project collaborator. Similar commitment letters will be required from community partner leadership.


For questions, contact Kathryn Grabowski-Khairullah, Program Curator, at kgkhair@umich.edu.

Examples of past projects the Arts Initiative has supported that demonstrate the spirit of this program: