Fellowships
Artist Development Fellowships
Artist Development Fellowships are awarded annually by the Council on the Arts, a standing committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to support student development in the practice of the arts. Fellowships are available to individuals for any of the following purposes:
- For research and development of unusual artistic projects that are in the early stages of development.
- For domestic or international travel and housing in order to apprentice and/or work with individual artists, programs, and/or companies.
- To support artistic projects with a strong link to the curriculum and/or to a special concentration, thesis, or independent study.
- For interdisciplinary work—not necessarily work that combines art forms, but work that links the artistic/creative process to a wholly different field in a way that sheds new perspective on and/or understanding of each.
For further information about Artist Development Fellowships and application dates, see the Grants and Subsidies section in the Office for the Arts at Harvard website.
George Peabody Gardner Traveling Fellowship
Provides a year of purposeful postgraduate travel for Harvard students to supplement their formal education through immersion in a foreign culture. For further information about the Gardner Traveling Fellowship as well as other traveling fellowship application dates, see the Fellowship Calendar.
Fellowships Outside of Harvard
- IFP Marcie Bloom Fellowship in Film: Application ordinarily due in spring
Prizes
Albert Alcalay Prize
Artist Albert Alcalay, former Faculty member of the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies, established this prize in 1986 to be awarded to the best student in Visual and Environmental Studies workshop studios as judged by a departmental committee of painting, sculpture, and drawing Faculty. The competition is open to all undergraduates enrolled in Art, Film, and Visual Studies workshop studios. Projects will be considered without special application by students. Further information may be obtained from the Director of Undergraduate Studies in AFVS.
Rudolf Arnheim Prize
The Rudolf Arnheim Prize was established in 1974 upon his retirement as Professor of the Psychology of Art. The prize is for the most outstanding project that achieves excellence through interdisciplinary effort or to the project which demonstrates excellence in scholarly research integrated with visual communication. The competition is open to all undergraduates enrolled in courses in the Department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies and working on individual projects. Projects will be considered without special application by students. Further information may be obtained from the Director of Undergraduate Studies in AFVS.
Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize Thesis Competition
In 1982 a fund was established, from a bequest by Thomas T. Hoopes ’19, to grant awards to undergraduates on the basis of outstanding scholarly work or research. Mr. Hoopes directed that the prizes be given for the purpose of “promoting, improving and enhancing the quality of education ... in literary, artistic, musical, scientific, historical or other academic subjects ... under faculty supervision and instruction ... [and] promoting excellence in the art of teaching.” The Hoopes Prize was created to recognize excellence in teaching as well as excellence in undergraduate work and requires the nomination of a faculty member. Further information may be obtained from the Director of Undergraduate Studies in AFVS, as well as The Hoopes Prize website.
Chris Killip Prize
Established in 2019 to commemorate the work and service of photographer Chris Killip, former Professor of Visual and Environmental Studies, the Chris Killip prize shall be awarded for work in lens-based media, including but not limited to photography, film and video. The competition is open to all undergraduates enrolled in Art, Film, and Visual Studies courses, including theses and senior projects. Projects will be considered without special application by students and will be judged by a committee of departmental faculty. Further information may be obtained from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Sydney M. Williams Jr. Traveling Fund for Visual Art Summer 2024
The Sydney M. Williams Jr. Traveling Fund supports up to five students to make original works of visual art. Award recipients will use funds for travel outside the U.S. to support visual art projects.
Projects should be closely related to an ongoing or proposed creative project – they can include visiting museums and monuments, and can be any type of experience or research project provided that it does not involve taking formal classes. A faculty committee will be selecting awardees with an impressive portfolio of visual work.
It is the responsibility of students to ensure their ability to complete the programs for which they are applying for funding.
We encourage you to apply for all funding sources for which you are eligible. If you receive funding from another source, you must notify us immediately.
Please note that Harvard College students can only accept one funded summer experience each summer. For the latest information, see Harvard College’s Summer Funding Policy.
Mignone Center for Career Success awards are not transferable. If your project proposal or location changes, you need to seek the approval of our office to be funded for your opportunity. Similarly, funding for one type of opportunity (such as a visual arts project) cannot be moved to another type of opportunity (such as an internship with a third-party internship provider or study abroad). If there are any changes to your project proposal (i.e. type, format, location, duration, etc) and you do not inform us, your award may be rescinded.
The Mignone Center for Career Success can only fund students who are:
- Traveling outside the US to pursue a visual arts project
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In good academic standing at time of application and at the end of the spring semester
- MCS funding is targeted to support students in good academic standing. Students not in good standing at the time of applying for MCS funding will only be considered for that funding if they have an endorsement from their Resident Dean prior to the application deadline. An endorsement consists of an email from the student’s Resident Dean stating that the Resident Dean supports the application for MCS funding. The endorsement email must be submitted to summerfunding@fas.harvard.edu.
- Current Harvard College undergraduates, sophomore through 1st semester senior during Spring 2024
- Enrolled full-time during Spring 2024
- Enroll in direct deposit. See direct deposit instructions
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Apply in CARAT to “Sydney Williams Jr Traveling Fellowship SU24” by Thursday, February 15, 2024 with the following materials:
- 400-word proposal
- One-page resume, PDF format (we recommend using our templates)
- Portfolio of your work (link to Google Drive or personal website)
- Proof of Direct Deposit enrollment, PDF format. Submit a pdf screenshot from the “Student Accounts” section from my.harvard that shows you are enrolled in direct deposit (Download sample screenshot)
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Complete pre-departure requirements and submit forms to respective offices (some will be submitted online). Upload forms marked with an asterisk (*) with your CARAT application:
- Read Harvard COVID-19 travel policy
- Read Harvard College International travel policy
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Identify your destination’s travel risk rating - students may not travel to countries or regions within countries where the risk rating is “high”
- If you intend to travel to an “elevated” risk country or region, submit an online travel safety questionnaire
- If you intend to travel to an “elevated” risk country or region, attend an elevated-risk orientation at some point this spring.
- *Sign and submit travel waiver and release form* - include the signed waiver with your CARAT application. PLEASE NOTE: Submit either the “College Students – Research of Study” or “College Students – Research or Study in Elevated Risk Destinations.” ALL FIELDS MUST BE FILLED OUT.
- *Watch the GSS Online Pre-departure Orientation* – include a screenshot of your certificate of completion in your CARAT application
- No more than 90 days prior to your departure and no later than Friday, April 5, 2024, submit the Harvard College Health Clearance packet. PLEASE NOTE: Health clearance packet must be delivered to Harvard University Health Services directly. Do not submit to MCS and do not upload with your application
This application process is coordinated by the Mignone Center for Career Success in collaboration with the Office for the Arts, the Department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies, and Harvard University Art Museums under the aegis of its Curator of Contemporary Art.