Independent Creative Production Grants

Who is eligible to apply?

Only University of Pennsylvania faculty (standing and non-standing) and staff are eligible to apply for Sachs Program Independent Creative Production Grants. Full-time Penn students who also work as staff or teach courses should apply in the Student Grants category.

What do the grants support?

Independent Creative Production Grants offer Penn faculty and staff members resources to support (partially or fully) the production of their own artistic work.
The timeline for use of grant funds can be flexible, but 2022–2023 grants cycle awards will not be disbursed until early summer 2023. Therefore, 2022–2023 grants cycle awards are intended to support activities taking place during or after summer 2023.
Examples of previously supported projects can be reviewed on our website.

How much can I apply for?

Applicants may request up to $8,000 and must seek approval by their department, program, or center to apply in this category. The applicant must identify a University of Pennsylvania department, program, or center to manage the grant funds if an application is successful.

What do I need to know to apply?

The deadline to submit a Grants Inquiry Form for Sachs Program Independent Creative Production Grants in the 2022–2023 grants cycle is December 2, 2022.
A link to the full online application (via SlideRoom) will be shared by email with each submitted inquiry.
Completed applications will be due at midnight on February 1, 2023.
Applicants interested in meeting with Sachs Program staff for advice on their application may request an appointment using the Grants Inquiry Form below. Appointments will be scheduled on Tuesdays between October 11 and December 13, 2022, from 12 noon–4pm. If Tuesday afternoons do not work for your schedule, we will do our best to find a more suitable time.

Can I submit a draft application for review?

If you would like to submit a draft of your application for review, you may send a copy as a Microsoft Word or simple text document to Sachs Program associate Tamara Suber at suber@upenn.edu.
Draft applications submitted for review must be received before midnight on January 6, 2023.
Draft applications should respond directly to the questions contained in the full online application. A link to the online application (via SlideRoom) will be sent to the email address provided with submission of the Grants Inquiry Form.

Grants Inquiry Form

You must submit a Grants Inquiry Form to receive a link to the full online application. A link to the online application (via SlideRoom) will be sent to the email address provided with submission of the Grants Inquiry Form.

The last day to submit a Grants Inquiry Form is December 2, 2022.

The Grants Inquiry Form for Sachs Program Independent Creative Production Grants is now closed for the 2022–2023 grants cycle.

Eligibility and Criteria for Applications

Only University of Pennsylvania faculty (standing and non-standing) and staff are eligible to apply for Sachs Program Independent Creative Production Grants. Full-time Penn students who also work as staff or teach courses should apply in the Student Grants category.
Applicants must seek approval by their department, program, or center, to apply for a Sachs Program Independent Creative Production Grant. The applicant must identify a Penn department, program, or center to manage any grant funds awarded if an application is successful. Questions about identifying an appropriate fiscal conduit can be directed to Sachs Program associate Tamara Suber at suber@upenn.edu.
Independent Creative Production Grants are intended to support the creative practices of individuals. Projects that are more programmatic in nature may be better suited to the Project Support Grants category.
Independent Creative Production Grants are not intended for course buyouts. However, if a leave has already been approved, Independent Creative Production Grants can support the production of work during that time, so long as the faculty member has plans to return to Penn at the end of their leave.
Independent Creative Production Grant applications do not need to include plans for the immediate presentation of works to be produced. However, it is important that applicants identify the intended audience for the work, explain why you are not yet ready to present the work, and to outline future aspirational plans for sharing the work.
Sachs Program grants are not intended for ongoing support. Priority may be given to applicants or projects that have not been supported by The Sachs Program previously. If a project has been supported by The Sachs Program or another Penn entity previously, the applicant must make a compelling case for why there remains a need for support.
Sachs Program funding is competitive and is not guaranteed.
Applicants with an open Sachs Program grant may apply for support for another project, but only if they have clear plans to finish the first project before the second one begins.
To be eligible for consideration, an application must be an appropriate fit for the category in which it’s submitted. If an application is not an appropriate fit for its category or does not align with Sachs Program priorities for grantmaking, The Sachs Program reserves the right to withdraw submitted applications.
If you are applying for support for equipment or software or other resources that may already be available to you through the University of Pennsylvania, a strong case must be made for why these purchases are necessary for the success of your project.
Applicants are encouraged to itemize the project budget and include notes about why each line item is important. It’s ok to include an honorarium for yourself in the budget, but like all other budget items, it’s important to indicate why this payment is important to your end-goals.
If you have any questions about the eligibility of your proposal, please contact Sachs Program associate Tamara Suber at suber@upenn.edu.

Evaluation Process

Independent Creative Production Grant applications are evaluated by a group of committee members, which may include former grantees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members. All deliberations will be guided by Sachs Program grantmaking priorities and criteria.

Award decisions for the 2022–2023 grants cycle will be made in April 2023.

Important Information

While grant application advisement meetings are optional, they are encouraged—particularly for individuals and groups who have not previously applied to The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation and for those who are unsure of which grant category might be most appropriate for their application or are having difficulty identifying a department, program, or center that will manage their grant.
Sachs Program staff will do their best to meet with all individuals and groups seeking advice on their application, but a Sachs Program review of an application does not guarantee funding and meetings are subject to scheduling availability.
The Sachs Program has limited resources and will therefore not be able to fund all requests.
The Sachs Program aims to support projects that meet criteria established for each grant category and align with our priorities for grantmaking. Should a proposal or application not meet the criteria and/or not align with our priorities, Sachs Program staff may recommend that a previously submitted application is withdrawn.
The Sachs Program supports a creative, culturally diverse, and pluralistic Penn community. We are committed to supporting individuals and groups from all races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, disabilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds.