Funding
There are a variety of departments and initiatives at Penn that provide support for projects, conferences, research and other activities to members of the Penn community. The Sachs Program has compiled a list of Funding Resources useful to those seeking support for arts-related activities, including some Funding Resources that are external-to-Penn.
Penn Resources
For Specific Areas of Focus
- Alice Paul Center for Research on Gender, Sexuality & Women Funding
The Alice Paul Center for Research on Gender, Sexuality & Women offers multiple grant opportunities to faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and staff, including support for: research, travel, and community engagement. - Campaign for Community
The Office of the Provost’s Campaign for Community Grants support events that promote understanding of and respect for multiple points of view on important topics related to the community, and encourage and allow for dialogue and discussion around those topics. - Conference Support
University Research Foundation’s Conference Support Program funds meetings convened on Penn’s campus that provide enrichment opportunities to faculty, students, and staff. They are particularly designed for disciplines where external funding is limited and hard to come by. - Course Development Grants
Funded by the Netter Center, Course Development Grants facilitate faculty in developing new and substantially restructured undergraduate and graduate level courses that engage students in real-world problem-solving projects in conjunction with schools and community organizations located in West Philadelphia. - First Year Experience Grants
First Year Experiences Grants support events run by Penn students and administration designed to impart academic support, financial literacy, and social and cultural awareness. - Global Engagement Fund
Penn Global’s Global Engagement Fund is intended to catalyze entrepreneurial research and partnerships in a global context. Specifically, Penn Global seeks to increase global activity and to promote research and engagement on the part of Penn faculty around the world. - Impact Seminar Grant
University Research Foundation’s Impact Seminar Grants provide support for a cross-School, cross-disciplinary event – a symposium, forum, or conference –that is open to the entire Penn community and should generate interest beyond the Penn community. - Late Night Events Grants
New Student Orientation Late Night Event Grants support opportunities designed to expose first-year students to the wide range of student groups at Penn. - Research Grant
The University Research Foundation provides grants to faculty members for innovative research and to pilot projects to a) determine feasibility and b) to develop a baseline for extramural grant applications. - Research Opportunity Grant
University Research Foundation’s Research Opportunity Grant program was designed to bring the trajectory of Penn’s research goals in direct dialogue with national and global research priorities. Applications must include faculty from 2 or more schools. - The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation
The Sachs Program provides grants to faculty, staff, students, departments, programs, and centers for projects and actives related to teaching, making, presenting, and experiencing the arts. - Theme Year Grants
The Provost’s Theme Year Grants support programming related to the current year’s theme. - Wolf Humanities Center
Wolf Humanities Center provides fellowships for Penn faculty and students who are interested in conducting research that relates to the Center’s current topic for exploration. - Travel Grant for Academic Conferences
Travel Grants support College students who wish to present their research at scholarly meetings off campus and may be used to defray the cost of travel and/or conference registration fees to participate in an academic conference. Grants may be awarded to College students who are presenting a research paper or a poster, mentored by a faculty member, at a scholarly meeting.
For Specific Community Members
- SAS Faculty Research
A Faculty Research Fund in the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) is allocated to support the work of a productive scholar while at SAS. - SAS Teaching Relief Awards for Lecturers
SAS offers semester-length Teaching Relief Awards each year to two individuals with the titles of: Senior Lecturer; Lecturer in Foreign Languages; Senior Lecturer in Foreign Languages; Lecturer in Critical Writing; or Senior Lecturer in Critical Writing. - SAS Travel Subvention
SAS offers up to $1,000 each fiscal year to Senior Lecturers, Senior Lecturers in Foreign Languages, Lecturers in Foreign Languages, Senior Lecturers in Critical Writing, and Lecturers in Critical Writing for attending professional meetings and conferences to present a paper or serve on a panel. - Alliance for Understanding
A program that teaches students about the fight for equality during the Civil Rights Movement from two integral groups: the African American community and the Southern Jewish community. Students in this program will have an opportunity to visit historical sites and meet important figures of the Civil Rights Movement in Georgia and Alabama during Spring Break.
External Resources
- The Leeway Foundation
The Leeway Foundation’s Art and Change Grants and Transformation Awards fund women and trans artists and cultural producers living in Greater Philadelphia who engage in art and social change work and have financial need. - Limited Submission Opportunities
The Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) coordinates the selection process for grant competitions in instances where a limited number of applications are accepted from the University of Pennsylvania. - The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage provides grants to support ambitious, imaginative, and catalytic work that showcases the region’s cultural vitality and enhances public life. - Philadelphia Cultural Fund
The Cultural Fund grants support to Philadelphia-based arts and culture organizations dedicated to creating, preserving and/or exhibiting visual, literary and performing arts, architecture, science, history and the humanities. - Project Stream
Project Stream makes competitive grants for innovative, community-based arts projects. Projects can include performances, exhibitions, readings or other arts projects in any genre, and must be open to the public. - SPIN Database
SPIN (Sponsored Programs Information Network) is a funding opportunity database that provides information on government and private funding sources in both the US and abroad. - Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation
The Bartol Foundation offers many grants each year to small arts organizations who are making a big impact, and presents regular professional training events to help teaching artists better share their gifts and support their careers.