Arts Initiative Project Support

Project Support Grants range from $2,000–$10,000. Funding amount will vary depending on the number of applications and 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. 

• Typically 5-8 projects per cycle are awarded, over three cycles per academic year.

Applications will be accepted from all U-M Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint staff and faculty (tenured, tenure-track, research-, clinical- and practice- faculty, lecturers). Projects with at least 20-30% of budget support confirmed through other funding sources will be given priority. Those holding a current open project from any Arts Initiative program cannot apply.

Students are not eligible to apply, but can be members of project teams.

Note: Applicants may only apply for one type of Arts Initiative funding at a time. Applicants can apply for new funds only when prior awarded projects have closed and final reports and documentation have been submitted.

Projects should demonstrate:

• Clarity, imagination, and quality of the proposed project;

• Demonstrates for outcomes that increase access to the arts and impact on cultural issues relevant to our time

• Feasibility of budget and timeline with preference for programs and projects with cost sharing

• And one evaluation criteria specialized to each of the four project-type categories: 

  • public access to the arts through performances and exhibitions

    • Evidence of substantive community, campus, and/or student participation or engagement

  • collaboration and new ways of working across units or disciplines through the arts 

    • Evidence of new disciplinary partnerships or novel interfaces for collaboration 

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

    • Evidence that the proposed project aligns with wider artistic goals of the practitioner.

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

    • Evidence of increased arts access for non-arts-designated communities or general public

Priority will be given to projects that:

• Emphasize activity that contributes to the AY 26-27 theme area in the university's Vision 2034: Environmental Justice.

• Strengthen and develop the university’s engagement with campus communities and the broader public 

• Demonstrate a value for and support arts access and civic engagement

• Inspire conversation and dialogue engaging with the urgent issues of our time

• Engage students actively with participatory and/or art making experiences and provide the campus community with creative learning opportunities

• Leverage the power of the arts to make meaningful change

• Build capacity for the arts on campus and in the region

• Indicate a need for funding and show how additional support from the Arts Initiative will lead to greater impact

The Arts Initiative invites applications for arts programs and projects led/coordinated by U-M faculty and staff. Three times per year, in the Fall, Winter, and Summer, awards will be distributed that reflect a range of artistic, intellectual, and expressive modes, as well as audiences. Examples of projects may include artmaking workshops, public performances, lectures, exhibitions, installations, filmmaking projects, symposia, etc. that promote the idea that art is for all.

The 2025–2026 academic year welcomes applicants to submit proposals according to these funding cycles:

Fall 2025
Opened: August 15, 2025
Deadline: October 16, 2025
Notifications: By December 3, 2025 for projects occurring January 1, 2026–December 31, 2026.

Winter 2026
Opens: December 15, 2025
Deadline: February 18, 2026
Notifications: By March 31, 2026 for projects occurring July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027.

Summer 2026
Opens: April 3, 2026
Deadline: June 1, 2026
Notifications: By July 15 for projects occurring September 1, 2026–August 31, 2027.

All applicants will be notified by the published notification date. Due to the high volume of applications, program staff are not able to send individual feedback for applications after decisions are made.

1. Apply online through the AIPS Application Form in slideroom (available August 15).

2. Applications will be reviewed and scored by a committee.

In prior cycles, around 15% of applications were awarded due to the high volume of requests.

Application:

• Applicants will select one project category most relevant to their proposal:

  • public access to the arts through performances and exhibitions; 

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

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

• Project proposal and description (1-2 pages)

• Feasibility Plan, including 

  • Budget (use provided template)

  • Timeline of project phases

• Communications or Marketing Plan

  • Outline support with unit marketing staff or equivalent

  • Include strategies for raising awareness of public-facing aspects of the project and documentation of its outcomes 

• Relevant media or examples 

Optional, if relevant: 

• Cost-sharing letter of commitment 

• Project team with description of project roles

If Awarded:

• Awardees must receive clearance from their unit to conduct the work for this project within the scope of their position, or to work on the project outside of regular work hours.

• The PI and their Business Office staff, as stewards of the funds transferred to the project lead’s unit, are responsible for any contracts or sole source justifications required for execution of the proposed project. 

• Arts Initiative staff will not execute transactions on behalf of PIs (paying invoices, booking travel, etc). The project lead’s unit is responsible for stewarding awarded funds to achieve activities outlined in the grant proposal/budget.

• The Arts Initiative may help promote projects and share information about related events, but will not provide any programmatic support for these projects.

• All awarded projects must provide a post-award report with relevant documentation to use for Arts Initiative impact reports and website archive.

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

If you have additional questions please contact Alison Rivett at alibyrne@umich.edu. Appointments to discuss project ideas are welcome.