Sundance Institute | Humanities Sustainability Fellowship FAQ

FELLOWSHIP OVERVIEW:

What is the intent of the Sundance Institute | Humanities Sustainability Fellowship?

The Sundance Institute | Humanities Sustainability Fellowship is a yearlong program that will provide 20 direct, unrestricted stipends to supplement the income of U.S.-based underemployed nonfiction mediamakers whose work and livelihood have been grossly affected by the pandemic. Selected mediamakers working on humanities-focused projects will receive monthly stipends of $5,000 per month over the course of 12 months. The fellowship term runs from April 2022–March 2023. 

Five humanities advisors will also be selected to work with supported fellows during the fellowship term. Each advisor will support four projects during the fellowship year with dedicated mentorship, project advice, and other tailored non-financial support. 

This fellowship is part of the American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grantmaking program (#SHARP), an emergency relief program intended to fund grantmaking programs that assist organizations and individuals working in the humanities who have been adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and require support to restore and sustain their core activities. 

Who is the funder of this fellowship?

Funding for this fellowship is provided through the American Rescue Plan: Humanities Granting administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Who is eligible to apply for this fellowship?

The Sundance Institute | Humanities Sustainability Fellowship supports independent nonfiction mediamakers in the creation of humanities focused work. Applicants from underrepresented communities in the humanities are greatly encouraged to apply and will be prioritized

To be eligible, you must be able to answer “true” to the prompts listed below: 

• I am a practicing mediamaker able to demonstrate a sustained commitment to my work, career, and public audiences.

•  I am a humanities professional who possesses formal education or training in the humanities as defined in the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965. 

• I am experiencing dire financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• I am currently depending on deferred income from my current project and not otherwise currently employed in my field.

• I am 18 years of age or older.

• I am a U.S. citizen or foreign national who has lived in the United States or its jurisdiction for at least the three years prior to December 31, 2021.

• I am not currently enrolled in a degree-granting program.

• I do not currently hold an award from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

• I am not a full-time employee, board member, director, officer, or immediate family member of the Sundance Institute.

How do you define a humanities professional? 

A humanities professional is someone who is working in the humanities. 

What are the “humanities”

“The term ‘humanities’ includes, but is not limited to, the study and interpretation of the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism and theory of the arts; those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life.”

—National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, 1965, as amended

How do you define “underemployed”?

Underemployed applicants will be those individuals depending on deferred income from their current project and not otherwise employed full-time in the field.

What type of mediamakers are eligible to apply? 

Mediamakers working in radio, podcast, long-form documentary films, and immersive media are encouraged to apply with projects that are grounded in humanities scholarship.

Can multiple key creatives working on the same project apply?

Yes, each key creative must submit their own application. Applications will be evaluated separately. 

What stage does my project have to be in to be eligible?

You may apply with a project that is at any stage between development through post-production. If you receive a fellowship, the project that you apply with should be the primary focus of your work during the granting term (April 2022–April 2023). 

Does my proposal have to be in English?

Yes. We can only consider proposals written in English, accompanied by a budget translated into USD, and visual material in English or with English subtitles.

I do not have a sample that is representative of the finished project. Am I still eligible for funding?

Yes, you may still apply for support through this granting opportunity. However, because of the competitive nature of the process, we recommend that every applicant submit some form of visual or audio sample, or prototype that will provide an indication of what the final project will look like. 

How are decisions regarding funding made?

Proposals go through a multistage review, with selected submissions sent for Sundance Institute | Humanities Sustainability Fellowship committee consideration. The committee then meets to make decisions regarding which applications are funded. 

What selection criteria is used to make funding decisions?

Proposals are evaluated on several criteria, including depth of humanities content and approach,  creative team background, engaging storytelling, originality, feasibility, cultural relevance, potential to reach and connect with its intended audience, and availability of financial resources. 

GRANT AWARDS

Who makes up the committee that makes funding decisions?

The Sundance Institute | Humanities Fellowship is made up of an independent and diverse combination of humanities experts, issue-area experts, and professional mediamakers and curators.

Where can we access the application? 

Applicants are required to submit applications and all supporting material online here. You can preview the application here. 

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline for the Sundance Institute | American Rescue Plan Fund in the Humanities is Wednesday , December 1, 2021, at 2 p.m. MT.

Do you offer deadline extensions?

No. Applications must be received by the deadline. Late, incomplete, or ineligible applications will not be considered for funding. 

How long do your decisions take?

Awardees will be notified by April 2022. 

Firelight and ITVS are also running similar calls supported by the NEH. If selected for one those opportunities and the Sundance Institute | Humanities Sustainability Fellowship can I accept both? 

No, the Sundance Institute | Humanities Sustainability Fellowship is supported through the NEH Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (#SHARP) funding.  Any person or project applying for these funds is eligible to receive funding through ONLY one of the three NEH funded documentary organizations: Firelight, ITVS, Sundance Institute.