Arts Initiatives Fund

This call for proposals is now open.

Proposal Timeline for the Spring 2027 Semester:

  • Applications are due on or before Friday, October 23, 2026.
  • Decisions will be announced by late November 2026.

Fund Information:

Rice University’s Arts Initiatives Fund (AIF) supports experimentation and collaboration in creativity and the arts across the entire campus. AIF is an internal funding mechanism that awards competitive grants of between $1,000- $20,000 to Rice faculty. These grants are intended to help faculty members develop and implement new projects and courses focused on creativity and the arts that lead to more lasting partnerships, innovative student art-making or teaching environments, cross-disciplinary collaborations, or unusually creative works.

Particular priority will be given to proposals that are interdisciplinary, have the potential to impact a broad range of students and/or audiences, and utilize the Moody Center for the Arts or other creative resources on campus. Rice students must be involved in a successful proposal. Proposals must pertain to activities that take place on the Rice University campus. Creative endeavors by individual faculty are not eligible.

The Arts Initiative Fund is not an individual artist grant. It seeks to enhance creativity on campus through classes and projects that raise the level of engagement with and discourse around creativity.

Eligibility:

Full-time and research faculty members at Rice are eligible to apply. Outside partnerships and visiting participants are encouraged, but a Rice faculty member must be the primary applicant. Proposals may be submitted individually or by a group of faculty members. Please inform your department chair that you have applied.

Review process:

A committee of referees chaired by Graham Bader, Director of the Humanities Research Center, will review all proposals. This committee will comprise faculty from across the university; any members who apply for AIF support will be recused from consideration of their own applications. As needed, the committee will seek the input of the two outside references that applicants will list in their application materials. Funds awarded will be for the Spring 2027 semester. Funds may carry over into the next academic year in extenuating circumstances but will require prior approval. Applicants are encouraged to seek funding from other available sources.

Selection criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  1. The contribution the project or course makes to developing arts experimentation, collaboration, and innovation across the Rice University campus;
  2. The interdisciplinary nature of the project; sought or acquired. Helpful budget guidelines can be found here (Rice login required): https://rice.box.com/s/yz00vaak56nkfbuq93c5qf5tbrxla7sb
  3. The quality, significance, and potential impact of the project;
  4. The degree to which the project enriches opportunities for Rice University students and faculty to integrate arts-making and experimentation into university life.

How to apply:

Proposals are to be submitted as one document in one file. Please submit proposals to aif@rice.edu by Friday, October 23, 2026. Proposals must include the following documents in PDF format:

  1. A project description of no more than four pages (in 12-point type), including figures;
  2. An income and expense budget indicating how the requested funds will be expended and listing other financial or in-kind resources sought or acquired;
  3. A curriculum vitae for each applicant of no more than three pages per CV;
  4. A supplementary page listing the names of two references and any current or pending financial awards or grants for each applicant.

Please note that successful applications will be precise in their description of project details, hoped-for outcomes, and student engagement and learning opportunities. Essential to successful applications is also a clear expression of how the proposed project seeks to activate the pedagogical and creative force of the arts. For projects housed primarily in one unit or department, the committee wishes to see evidence of wider outreach as well as clarification of why AIF funding (rather than just unit support) is needed.

You will receive acknowledgement of your application. For questions about this fund, please email aif@rice.edu or contact Graham Bader at bader@rice.edu.