Deadline: 7 November 2019

The Asian Cultural Council (ACC) is accepting applications for the New York Fellowship, Individual Fellowship, and Graduate Scholarship programs, and letters of inquiry in the Organization and Project Grant category.

The ACC has operated Asian Cultural Program of long-term, immersive fellowships and shorter-term grants for individual artists, scholars, and arts professionals who wish to pursue specialized training not available in their home countries; find new creative inspiration through travel, research, and exploration; or pursue targeted research projects aligned with ACC’s mission of advancing international understanding.

The Asian Cultural Council makes grants to support international travel and cultural exchange between Asia and the U.S., and among the countries of Asia. The large majority of grants are awarded directly to individual artists, scholars, and arts specialists. Organizations that will facilitate a cultural exchange opportunity for artists, scholars, or arts specialists may also apply on behalf of the individual project participants.

ACC’s first priority in all grant areas is to support activities that involve cultural immersion; meaningful cross-cultural engagement; and relationship building, collaboration, or exchange of best practices among peers. Therefore, most of the proposals that receive funding are focused on process rather than production.

Grant Categories

ACC makes grants in the five categories:

• New York Fellowship Program: The New York Fellowship Program enables artists, scholars, and arts specialists from Asia to live in New York City for a period of six months while receiving comprehensive logistical and programmatic support from ACC staff.
• Individual Fellowship Program: The Individual Fellowship Program is open to individuals (or two collaborators) undertaking trips ranging from one to six months for research, study, or exploration.
• Travel Grant: This grant is open to individuals (or two collaborators) seeking modest financial support for travel of less than one month.
• Graduate Scholarship: ACC gives a small number of scholarships each year to students who have been admitted to a graduate degree program in the United States in one of the eligible disciplines.
• Organization and Project Grant: The majority of ACC’s funding is awarded directly to individuals, but organizations that are facilitating a cultural exchange opportunity for individual project participants may apply on their behalf.

Eligibility Criteria

• Individual applicants must be either residents or citizens of one of the following countries/regions, and their proposed program must involve travel between one or more countries/regions.
• Organization and project applicants may apply for activities involving travel between one or more countries/regions are:
  • Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, United States.
• Professional artists, arts administrators, scholars, graduate/post-graduate students, and organizations working in the following fields:
  • Archaeology, Architecture*, Art History, Arts Administration, Arts Criticism, Conservation, Crafts, Curation, Dance, Ethnomusicology, Film/Video/Photography, Literature**, Museum Studies, Music, Theater, Visual Art.

*Architecture: for proposals that emphasize design, aesthetic theory, and/or aesthetic history only. Projects with an economic, social, scientific, or technological focus are not eligible.
**Literature: for proposals involving travel to/from Japan only.

ACC grant funds may be used for costs associated with travel and research only. Research is broadly defined as any activities in pursuit of creative or scholarly inquiry, and may take many different forms. The following examples of allowable expenses are not an exhaustive list and are intended as a general guideline only:

• Allowable travel expenses may include international airfare, local transportation, visas, travel insurance, accommodations, and living expenses.
• Allowable research expenses may include admission fees and tickets to cultural institutions and events; fees for classes or workshops; photocopying or supplies; and translator fees.*

For organizational and project grants, ACC supports only those costs associated with travel and research for the specific project participants named in the proposal.

*Projects requiring the extensive use of paid translators are unlikely to be funded. Participants in the New York fellowship program must have English language proficiency.

Expenses and activities NOT supported by ACC funding:

• activities conducted by individuals in their home countries
• commercial and industrial design
• commercial activity of any kind
• production costs (including film, video, touring, etc.)
• artist exhibitions and performance tours
• publications
• arts in education
• undergraduate and secondary school study
• tuition (ACC can help cover living and travel expenses for graduate/post-graduate students only)
• activities beginning before or after the funding period

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply online via given website.

For more information, please visit https://www.asianculturalcouncil.org/our-programs