The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation 2027 grant cycle opens in the fall of 2026 and culminates in a grant awards announcement celebration in the spring of 2027. Design by Elaine Lopez.
The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation is pleased to announce the opening of our 2027 annual grant cycle. We will be accepting applications September 21–November 20, 2026, for Sachs Program 2027 grants.
There are six categories of grant opportunities during our 2027 grant cycle.
- Artist Residency Grants
- Community Partnership Grants
- Curricular Support Grants
- Independent Creative Production Grants
- Project Support Grants
- Student Grants
Sachs Program grants support innovative arts activities at the University of Pennsylvania, aligned with our mission to inspire and advocate for creative practices and practitioners across the university and Penn’s extended community.
How to Apply
The first step to apply a 2027 Sachs Program grant is to review the grant opportunities described on our website and complete a short inquiry form for the type of grant that best fits your request.
Important Deadlines
- November 6, 2026, midnight
Deadline to submit a grant inquiry form from the Sachs Program website for all grant categories. This is a required first step for all applications! - November 20, 2026, midnight
Application submission deadline for all grant categories.
If you have applied for a Sachs Program grant before, please note that both deadlines are earlier than in previous years.
Information Sessions
The Sachs Program will host a series of information sessions to review our 2027 grant opportunities during the month of October 2026. All interested applicants are encouraged to attend for a chance to learn about each opportunity in discussion with Sachs Program staff and previous grantees.
Sachs Program 2027 grant cycle information sessions will be held in the Annenberg Center lobby on the following dates. Each session is scheduled from 12:00 to 1:30 pm.
- Annual Grants Information Session
Tuesday, October 6 - Student Grants Information Session
Thursday, October 8 - Community Partnership Grants Information Session
Wednesday, October 14 - Student Grants Information Session
Monday, October 19 - Artist Residency Grants Information Session
Thursday, October 22 - Community Partnership Grants Information Session
Tuesday, October 27 - Annual Grants Information Session
Wednesday, October 28
Applicant Meetings
Each information session will close with time for brief micro meetings, where applicants can meet with Sachs Program staff or a board member to discuss their application and ask questions. Meetings will last about 5 minutes on a first-come, first-served basis. A sign-up sheet will be made available at the beginning of each session.
Student Grants
Sachs Program Student Grants are offered annually for University of Pennsylvania students and student groups.
- Student Grants provide up to $3,500 to undergraduate and graduate students and student groups to support creative practices, from independent projects to thesis and dissertation-related work to programs and initiatives intended to engage the student body or broader public.
Annual Grants
The Sachs Program 2027 Annual Grants include a range of opportunities supporting University of Pennsylvania faculty and staff, departments, programs and centers, and collaborations with community partners.
- Artist Residency Grants provide up to $25,000 to departments, programs, and centers to bring artists, curators, and collectives (formal or informal) to Penn as artists- or curators-in-residence.
- Community Partnerships Grants provide up to $15,000 to support collaborations between Penn faculty (standing and non-standing), staff, departments, programs, and centers in partnerships with community arts and civic organizers and non-profit organizations. For the 2027 cycle, the Penn Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts and the Sachs Program are co-sponsoring Community Partnership Grants.
- Curricular Support Grants provide up to $3,500 to non-standing faculty for the implementation of arts-based activities in a course that is currently running or expected to run, or for research or professional development related to a course they are teaching.
- Independent Creative Production Grants provide up to $7,500 to faculty and staff to support (partially or fully) the production of their artistic work.
- Project Support Grants provide up to $7,500 to faculty and staff, departments, programs, and centers to support engagement with the arts and humanities through projects directed towards the Penn community or broader public, including but not limited to public programming, performances, exhibitions, and non-curricular opportunities for learning and making.
For More Information
Sachs Program grant opportunities and eligibility requirements can change from year to year. For more information about our current grant opportunities and application guidelines, please email Sachs Program Associate Director Chloe Reison at reison@upenn.edu.
