FUNDING | ARTS INITIATIVE

Course Connections

Grants up to $750

Applications are closed.

Overview

Course Connections funding supports faculty who are seeking to incorporate arts-based learning into the curriculum of any undergraduate course at U-M. These funds may be used for admission to museums and performances, for workshops by visiting artists, and for class projects, such as performances, exhibitions, or publications by your class.

The program supports ideas that facilitate and strengthen one or more of these areas:

  • public access to the arts through performances and exhibitions;

  • collaboration and new ways of working across unit or discipline through the arts;

  • arts research/creative projects either in early stage development (seed funding) or completion funding (documentation, dissemination, or subvention);

  • connecting artists (existing members of the U-M community or external visiting artists) with campus communities.

  • Up to $750 may be obtained through Course Connection grants to support course-related arts learning activities. For projects that are integrated into more than one course, funding of up to $1,000 will be considered.

    Funds may be used for:

    • Admissions to museums and performances

    • Workshops by visiting artists

    • Course projects, such as theatrical performances, exhibitions, etc.

    Note: Grant funds cannot be used to pay for refreshments.

    When planning ongoing or annual activities for your classes, speak with your department about incorporating those elements into the curriculum and/or being supported by course or lab fees. Course Connections is designed to fund activities that will complement the core curriculum and expand upon the traditional classroom experience. If an activity is a mandatory or central element in the curriculum for a recurring course, it may not be the best fit for Course Connections funding.

  • Course Connections applications are reviewed at several deadlines throughout the academic year, and a limited amount of funds are available each round. Applications may be submitted at any time, but will be reviewed the week after the closest application deadline. Recipients will receive notification of funding no later than the listed notification date. To be eligible during a cycle, your application must be received before the application date of that cycle, and your proposed event/activity must be scheduled for a date after the Notification date. We are not able to fund retroactively.

    Dates for 2026–2027 will be announced in Fall 2026.

  • Instructors (faculty, staff, and graduate student instructors) for undergraduate-level classes in any department from all three U-M campuses are eligible to apply for Course Connections funding.

    Note: Applicants may only apply for project funding twice each semester.

  • Applicants must complete/upload information in four areas:

    • Statement of Plans and Related Questions (series of questions with word-limited text boxes for response)

    • List of Recent Work (NOT a cv, one-page limit)

    • Work Samples (two document uploads: one-page overview of submitted samples, one PDF file containing excerpts, images, and/or video links, as appropriate)
      NOTE: The review panel will not review work samples in excess of the stated guidelines for submission.

    • Feasibility Plan (three items: one-page budget, one-page budget justification/explanation, one-page timeline/schedule)

    There are an additional three items that applicants should complete as appropriate.

    • Acknowledgment of Application for Course Release Form

    • Contextualizing Collaborators

    • Letters of Commitment
      If the project has significant collaboration with any internal/external collaborators/partners, within or beyond U-M then applicants must submit letters of commitment (as of the 2025 2026 ARIA funding round, applicants are required to submit letters of commitment from organizations/institutions and/or individual collaborators who are essential to the project’s success)

    1. Apply online through the Course Connections Application Form.

    2. If granted funding, we will request the appropriate shortcodes from your departmental administrator.

    3. Funds will be transferred directly from the Arts Initiative to your department and a record of the transfer will be sent to the administrator. Please allow 4 weeks from the time you apply to complete this process. Applying early is the best way to receive your funds on time!

    We ask you to incorporate the Arts Initiative logo in any printed or web material (flyers, posters, programs, websites, etc.) associated with your Course Connections funded activity. Logos can be obtained from our marketing page.

    You and the student participants will be asked to complete brief Course Connections feedback forms. These forms allow us to continue our grant funding programs.

  • Feedback is the most important way we learn about the progress of programs we funded. There are two feedback forms: a faculty feedback form for those who applied for funding, and a student feedback form for those who participated in the funded activity, as audience members, visitors and participants.

    • Faculty Feedback Form

    • Student Feedback Form

  • For questions about Course Connections funding, contact courseconnections@umich.edu.