ACT Pilot Grant Program

The  Art, Culture, and Technology program at MIT has been piloting a grants program to support the exhibition activities of ACT faculty and students.  The goal of the program is to facilitate and encourage ACT faculty and student exhibitions while remaining fiscally responsible, optimizing the use of ACT resources, and ensuring experimentation within a safe environment.  In addition, ACT administers funding provided by the Council for the Arts at MIT (CAMIT), an organization that supports art at MIT.

First year ACT students may submit a single application for both the CAMIT and ACT Pilot funds. Second year students may apply directly to CAMIT in either their third or fourth semester. Second-year ACT graduate students may apply to the ACT-administered CAMIT pool in the semester in which they do not make a direct application to CAMIT.

  • Evaluation Criteria
  • Unsupported Expenses
  • Application Procedure
  • Project Reporting

 

Grant Applications

ACT will give a maximum of $1,000 to a single project.  However, the pilot grant application can be used to request funding from the ACT-administered CAMIT pool. Applications should be no longer than three pages, including a one-page, detailed budget. Please use the budget to indicate requested sources of funding; a sample budget is provided below:

BUDGET EXAMPLE

Expense
 Total
 ACT Pilot
 CAMIT
 Other
Materials $ 1535 $  400 $   100 $   35
Books 120 120 0 0
Equipment Rental 627 400 200 27
Total $ 2,282 $  920 $  1100 $  262

 

To facilitate the proper evaluation of the proposal, we ask the applicant to describe the proposed project in as much detail as possible.   All proposals must include a faculty member, either as a sponsor or as an applicant.

Key questions to answer include, “Who are the members of the team?  What type of exhibition is proposed?  What does the production of the exhibit involve?  Where will the exhibition take place and how long will it last?  What approvals are required and which, if any, have been received?  What is required to de-install the exhibit?” Supplemental information is encouraged, but should be limited to no more than 10 pages of information.

Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria will be used to evaluate each proposal:

  • Has the applicant applied for and received funds from other grant programs
  • Will the exhibition be completed within the academic year
  • Does the project complement and reflect the mission of ACT
  • Does the project complement and expound upon the research interests of the student or faculty member
  • Has the applicant provided sufficient documentation to convey the intent of the project and demonstrated a clear understanding of what is required to execute it

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Unsupported Expenses

The following expenses will not be supported by the ACT or CAMIT grants:

  • Stipends for the applicant’s own time or work in creating the project
  • Events designed as fundraising efforts for other non-profit organizations
  • Projects requiring retroactive or concurrent support
  • Routine curricular activities

All exhibitions and activities must comply with all applicable safety regulations, Institute policies, and laws.  Non compliance with this requirement will jeopardize future funding from ACT for the applicant(s).

Application Procedure

Grant applications may be submitted in the fall and in the spring.  The fall deadline of Friday, November 4, 2022 and the spring semester deadline is Friday, March 24, 2023.

The grant application is comprised of the following:

  • A 1 to 2 page proposal describing the project
  • The project budget
  • Up to 10 pages of supplemental materials

The application should be submitted to act@mit.edu by 5pm on the deadline and all proposals must include a faculty member, either as a sponsor or as an applicant.

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Project Reporting

A report outlining the use of the funds is due the earlier of the project’s completion or June 30. The report form is completed online and can be found here: Reporting Form.  You will need to provide the following information:

  • Project information — title, overview, collaborators, financial supporters
  • Project outcomes and significance
  • Documentation and permissions
  • Financial reporting with a detailed list of expenses and receipts

This form will need to be submitted on or before June 30, 2023.

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