Applications are considered annually from any permanent faculty member (tenure-track, tenured, or lecturer) of Brown University whose assigned responsibilities include promoting ideas through the arts. Brown adjunct professors, post-doctoral fellows and MFA or PhD students with teaching responsibilities are also eligible to apply, however, you must be teaching at Brown for the semester in which you apply and the semester in which your event is taking place. 

Grant recipients who received funding during the last academic year (spring 2022) must take a hiatus of one year before applying for additional support. 

Grants of up to $15,000 are awarded in the Spring semester for a residency to take place during the following academic year.

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a Grants Committee that includes Brown arts faculty and staff members. Awards will be made based on the following:

• Intrinsic merit of the residency
• Evidence of innovation and experimentation
• Integration with BAI philosophy and priorities
• Provision of a well considered and reasonable budget
• A feasible time frame for completion

Award funds may be applied to reasonable and necessary costs of the residency. These expenses may include: artists fees, production costs, marketing expenses and other expenses that directly support the residency. Any costs incurred must adhere to Brown’s contract labor, purchasing and travel guidelines. Funds are available after July 1.

All applicants who plan to submit proposals must begin the application process by meeting with their department managers to review the proposed projects and budgets. This conversation is essential to ensure departmental priorities and COVID guidelines are met. Please allow adequate time for this initial step. 

Proposals are submitted electronically via UFunds. A completed application includes a project budget (submitted using the provided budget template). If you encounter difficulty accessing the application, please contact artsinstitute@brown.edu for assistance. 

The FY2024 funding cycle opens Jan 30, 2023, and closes Feb 28, 2023, at 11:59pm, with award notifications made in mid-Mar 2023. For FY24 awards, funds must be used by May 15, 2024. Requests for a one-time extension will be reviewed on an individual basis and must be made in writing to the BAI no later than May 1, 2024.

Within 30 days of the conclusion of the award period, grant recipients must complete the required final report form, which asks grant recipients to describe the work accomplished and reflect on both successful outcomes and challenges. In addition, final reports must include photo, video or other documentation for BAI promotional purposes and inclusion in the BAI archive. Provided images must conform to Brown’s Image Use Policy.