VPA Senior Grant 2024
VPA Senior Grants support the development of post-Stanford artistic practice for recent Stanford graduates during the first four months after graduation. Grant awards range from $2,500-$5,000 per eligible student. These grants are administered by the Office of the Vice President for the Arts at Stanford Arts.
Grantees spend the summer independently developing their artistic practice while transitioning into post-graduate life. Students accepted as grantees receive a stipend to assist with their artistic development during the grant period. During the grant period, grantees develop a project concept and meet periodically with the grant cohort.
How to Apply
Step 1: Develop your proposal for an independent arts project.
- Start this process early!
- Review the VPA Senior Grant application questions and required forms.
- Workshop your ideas and draft with peers, faculty, and staff.
Step 2: Identify and Reach out to a Stanford faculty member, lecturer, or professional staff member who will complete the Recommendation Form by the deadline.
Step 3: Complete and Submit your VPA Senior Grant application via SOLO.
Review our website for additional details regarding eligibility, application requirements, FAQs, and past grantee projects.
Application Timeline
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Applicants Notified: Spring Quarter Week 8-9 (May 20-31, 2024)
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Recipients will have 48 hours to accept/decline the award
Grantee Project Reflection Report due: August 1, 2024
- Application Opens: March 1, 2024 (Winter Week 8)
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Information Session:
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
5:00-5:30PM Pacific In person at Roble Arts Gym
5:30-6:00PM Pacific Virtual Option -
Application Deadline: Monday, April 15, 2024 @ 11:59 pm Pacific (Spring Week 3)
- Recommendation Forms will be due no later than 48 hours from this deadline.
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Applicants Notified: Spring Quarter Week 8-9 (May 20-31, 2024)
- Recipients will have 48 hours to accept/decline the award
- Grantee Project Reflection Report due: August 1, 2024
Application Components
Applications are only accepted through SOLO and include all of the following:
- Artist/professional resume (as a PDF)
- Unofficial transcript through Spring 2023 (as a PDF)
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Short responses to three questions:
- How has your journey and evolution as an artist in the Stanford community relate to your proposed project?
- Describe your proposed project.
- The VPA Senior Grant combines independent work with being a member of a small cohort of grantees. What do you look for when being part of a cohort?
- Remote Work Plan
- Project/Experience Timeline
- Project/Experience Budget (as a PDF, using this template)
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Faculty/Staff Recommendation
- Your recommendation must come from a Stanford faculty member, lecturer, or professional staff member who can speak to your work as an artist/arts professional, your involvement in the campus arts community, and your readiness to undertake the proposed project. (Recommendations cannot be written by current undergraduate students.)
- All recommendations will be submitted by your reference through SOLO. A formal letter is not required.
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Work Sample Portfolio (as a single PDF, using this template)
- Include 3-5 work samples most relevant to your artistic journey at Stanford and your proposed Senior Grant project. All works must have been made during your time at Stanford. Review the materials guidelines/recommendations.
- Please follow the template to guide you in providing description and links to your work samples.
- Deepen your creative practice
- Hone technical skills and/or craft integral to your discipline(s)
- Understand themes, collaborations, and opportunities essential to your art
Applicant Eligibility
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Undergraduate degree conferred in 2024 (March, June, or September) or December 2023
- Co-term students are eligible as long as their undergraduate degree has not yet been conferred.
- December 2023 graduates will be eligible for next year's cycle.
- Student is not receiving funding from another Stanford University source (e.g. other University grants and stipends, salary/wages, Haas post-graduation fellowships) during Summer 2024 and/or Fall 2024
- Student will not be enrolled in a terminal masters or doctoral program during the 2024-25 academic year at Stanford or another institution. Co-term students are eligible as long as their undergraduate degree has not been conferred.
Project Eligibility
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Project must involve the development of an original work intended to advance one's artistic practice. Projects can be an expansion of an existing work (e.g. honors thesis or capstone), or an entirely new work.
- Projects are not expected to be completed within the grant timeframe; however, applicants must demonstrate a reasonable and realistic project timeline as part of the application process.
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Project incorporates at least one of the following artistic disciplines:
- dance (performance and/or choreography)
- digital media
- fashion/textiles
- film
- music (performance or composition)
- theater (performance, design, direction)
- visual art and design
- heritage arts
- creative writing
- Project must take place domestically (within the 50 states of the United States; excluding U.S. territories).
- Project proposal is supported by strong work samples giving insight to the applicant's trajectory and progression in their artistic practice throughout their time at Stanford.
Current Status On Travel and COVID-19
Updated: February 1, 2024
- Stanford’s COVID vaccination requirement has ended April 10, 2023
- Vaccinations and boosters continue to be strongly recommended
Domestic travel (within the United States excluding territories) for VPA Senior Grant-related activities is permitted for all individuals.
VPA Senior Grant projects involving international travel are not allowed and will be considered ineligible. No exceptions will be made.
Information on the University's operations and policies can be found on the Health webpage.
Expectations
- Grant awards range from $2,500-$5,000 per eligible student
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Grant recipients will provide the VPA with one reports to be submitted on the following date:
- August 1, 2024 (Grantee Project Mid-Point Report)
- Recipients will be asked to share their stories via official Stanford social media channels and blogs.
- Grant awards are paid as stipends to recipients. Grant award payments are subject to U.S. and state income tax laws, and the payment of the award may be tax reportable. Grant recipients are responsible for reporting stipend payments to the proper taxing authorities, as well as liable for any tax payments that may be due.
