MIT students, faculty and staff are encouraged to apply for Council for the Arts Grants to support arts projects in all disciplines. Awards range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
The Grants Committee supports projects that offer MIT community members opportunities to create, participate in, and learn about the arts.
The Committee seeks the following in the applications it reviews:
- quality and innovation of the project
- potential for broad involvement of MIT community, especially students
- ability to realize the project
If you’re interested in applying for a CAMIT Grant, please be sure to read all three related pages:
CAMIT Grants Criteria, Deadlines, Eligibility and Funding Policy (this page)
CAMIT Grants Process
CAMIT Grants Application Form
Process
- APPLICATION PREPARATION
- Applicants are required to apply online, from: http://web.mit.edu/arts/grants/grantform.html
The Council staff is available to advise applicants on proposal writing and budget preparation. Applicants are advised to seek additional financial support or in-kind contributions (donated or discounted equipment and services) from other MIT or outside sources whenever feasible. The Council staff can suggest possible sources of such support from MIT sources.
By the deadline date of each funding cycle, applicants must submit a complete application form that consists of applicant information, a concise project description, and a detailed budget. The project description should be clear and simple – jargon and technical language should be avoided for this overview of your request – subsequent material submitted after the first deadline may be more complex.
Supporting material and permission letters must be provided by the deadline date for such material. Incomplete or irregular applications will be returned to the applicant.
Applications or supporting material submitted after the respective deadlines will be accepted at the discretion of the director of the Council for the Arts.
Although not a requirement, written approval from an MIT faculty of staff member is strongly encouraged for student applicants.
In addition to submitting a complete application, applicants are required to provide:
•Supporting material for the project (e.g., letters of recommendation, portfolios or examples of previous work, vendor price quotes, models, sketches, reviews, résumé)
•Letters of permission from appropriate MIT personnel if projects require the use of Institute sites, facilities, or equipment
•Brief follow-up report after project is completed, submitted electronically
INTERVIEW AND APPLICATION REVIEW
Proposals deemed consistent with the funding criteria and application procedures will be distributed to members of the Grants Committee for review. Committee members will receive the application form and selected supporting material submitted for each proposal.
On the review date, each applicant will meet with one or more appointed Grants Committee member for 30-45 minutes. This interview allows the applicant to describe his/her project in greater detail and to display certain kinds of supporting material.
The visit also enables committee members to pose questions directly to the applicant. The interview is a critical part of the application process.
•All applicants must be available for an interview between 9-11:00am on the review date. The time and place of the interview will be determined by the Council’s director. If the applicant is unavailable at the specified time and date, the applicant must send an e-mail message to the Council’s director, with the words “please reschedule site visit” in the subject line. This e-mail must be sent at least 2 weeks prior to the committee review date. The Council’s director will then make arrangements for an interview one or two days before the committee review.
When all interviews have been completed, the Grants Committee convenes to evaluate applications that afternoon. For each proposal, the appointed committee member will summarize the project, report on the site visit, and recommend a level of funding. The full committee will then vote upon that recommendation. It is the prerogative of the Grants Committee to award a sum less than the applicant’s request, or reject the request.
NOTIFICATION
All applicants will be notified of the Grants Committee’s decision by the Council staff within three weekdays of the review meeting. A confirmation letter will be provided by the Council’s director on request. Upon receipt of confirmation, successful applicants may arrange for the disbursement of grant funds.
GRANT DISBURSEMENT
To obtain funds, grant recipients must choose from one of two methods of payment outlined below. Grant funds are no longer considered taxable income
•1. A check or direct deposit will be prepared in the recipient’s name for the full amount of the grant.
•2. The full amount of the grant will be transferred to a five-digit, internal MIT account (not a student bursar’s account). To use this method of payment, the recipient must first obtain permission from the individual or department overseeing that account. The recipient or authorized MIT staff/faculty member is responsible for preparing all necessary accounting documents.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNCIL SUPPORT
Grant recipients must credit the Council for the Arts at MIT in all announcements, publicity, and programs for the funded project. To fulfill this requirement, the following phrase is recommended: Made possible (OR Made possible in part) by the Grants Program of the Council for the Arts at MIT. The Committee also asks that, when possible, the Council logo be used in conjunction with the credit line. The logo will be provided when grants results are sent.
Please note that the Council does not serve as the sponsor of any project awarded funding through its Grants Program and may not be so described.
The Council for the Arts reserves the right to describe or reproduce material from any project awarded funding through its Grants Program for publication or public relations purposes.
PROJECT DEADLINES AND FINAL REPORTS
All projects awarded funding by the Grants Program must be completed within six months after the release of funds. Funds may be expended only for the specific purpose of the grant as set forth in the award letter. Should completion of the project exceed this date or should the project be altered significantly, written notification must be submitted to the Council’s director for approval.
Within one month of project completion, grant recipients must submit a narrative report and a financial statement. The report should summarize the project’s process and outcome. Copies of all printed material for the project must be submitted as well. The financial statement must itemize all income and expenses for the project and include scanned copies of receipts equal to the amount of the grant. The receipts must apply to expenses listed on the budget section of the application form and approved by the award letter. In addition to the final reports, grant recipients may be requested by the Council’s director to meet with Grants Committee members to conduct follow-up interviews.
•Failure to comply with these deadlines and reporting requirements may jeopardize future applications by an individual or organization.
Deadlines
There are three funding cycles each year.
First Round (event cannot take place or project cannot be started before November 9)
Application Deadline—Friday, September 30, 2011
Supporting Material Deadline—Friday, October 14, 2011
Interview & Committee Review—Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Second Round (event cannot take place or project cannot be started before March 29)
Application Deadline—Friday, February 17, 2012
Supporting Material Deadline—Friday, March 2, 2012
Interview & Committee Review —Thursday, March 15, 2012
Third Round (event cannot take place or project cannot be started before May 14)
Application Deadline—Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Supporting Material Deadline—Friday, April 13, 2012
Interview & Committee Review —Thursday, April 26, 2012
Eligibility
Any student currently receiving academic credit from MIT, or current MIT staff and faculty are eligible to apply for Grants Program funding. Applicants may submit proposals individually or on behalf of a group or organization. A Grants Committee, composed of Council members, evaluates these competitive applications and recommends funding. Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss projects with a staff member before submitting an application. Contact the CAMIT Grant administrators.
Funding Policy
Applicants are strongly advised to seek additional financial support or in-kind contributions (donated or discounted equipment and services) from other MIT or outside sources whenever feasible.
| Eligible Expenses | Ineligible Expenses |
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Restrictions
- Travel or accommodation expenses for individual applicants are rarely funded.
- Repeated requests for annual funding are discouraged.
- Equipment rental, rather than purchase, is encouraged. Equipment such as cameras or computers purchased with grant funding must be donated to an MIT department or returned to the Council for the Arts at MIT after use.
Director’s Grant (up to $500)
Applicants seeking Council funds of up to $500 may submit proposals at any time for a Director’s Grant. These grants are made available to assist projects that occur between scheduled funding cycles or that require modest support. Applications are reviewed by the Council’s Director.
Proposals must abide by the funding criteria and application preparations outlined above. Applicants will be notified of the Director’s decision within five weekdays of submitting an application form and supporting material. A final report and financial statement must be submitted within two weeks of the project’s completion.
For more information about the Council for the Arts at MIT and the Grants Program, please contact: Susan Cohen, Director, Council for the Arts at MIT, E15-205, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, (617) 253-4005 or cohen@media.mit.edu
Background image: MIT Media Lab entrance hall fisheye, (c) Adam Hart-Davis
