Currently 5 active cross-disciplinary and social impact grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in the US. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans annually select 30 fellows based on their potential to make significant contributions to American society, culture, and their chosen fields, across disciplines including the arts. WHAT YOU GET: up to USD 90,000 over two years in stipend and tuition support for graduate study beginning fall 2027, plus mentorship, community, all-expenses-paid attendance at the Fall Conference, and lifelong connection to a network of nearly 900 fellows. ELIGIBILITY: applicants must be an immigrant or the child of immigrant(s), meet the program's age requirements, and be in the first two years of a graduate or professional program or applying to one during the admissions process; school selectivity, GPA, and test scores are not used to determine eligibility, and reapplying is allowed. APPLICATION: free, via the online portal, with a resume or CV, two essays (1,000 words max each), transcripts, any program-required test scores, and 3 to 5 recommendation letters. TIMELINE: finalists notified mid-January 2027, virtual interviews in February, winners notified in March. DEADLINE: 29 October 2026, 2:00 PM EDT.
The SURF Artist-in-Residence program invites artists to create work inspired by the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. At 4,850 feet deep, SURF is the deepest underground laboratory in the United States, housed in the former Homestake Gold Mine, and hosts experiments in physics, biology, geology and engineering. The residency is modeled after programs run by the National Park Service, CERN and Fermilab, and aims to create awareness of the science and encourage interdisciplinary work. STRUCTURE: a four-week on-site visit in summer 2027 (between 22 May and 31 July, timed to the artist's schedule) with studio time, guided underground visits, tours of Lead and the surrounding Black Hills sites, and dinners with scientists; then a one-week visit in October 2027 to install an art exhibition, give up to two lectures based on the proposal, and run promotional or outreach events in the local community (which may include schools, universities, interviews or documentation of the residency). FUNDING: a USD 5,000 stipend paid in two installments; the artist may apply for up to USD 5,000 in additional funds for creating the artwork; transportation, housing and per diem for both visits; and return shipping covered up to USD 7,000. CONDITIONS: each artist donates at least one artwork, selected by a SURF representative, to SURF's permanent art collection, and is responsible for installation and de-installation in coordination with SURF and the exhibition space. A timeline and expectations are agreed in an MOU before the residency begins. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: working underground requires being comfortable in dark spaces, following all safety protocols, walking on uneven surfaces for at least a mile at a time, and negotiating wet, slippery conditions and an elevator ride in the dark; safety training and loaned personal protective equipment are mandatory, and a SURF guide accompanies the artist at all times. DEADLINE: 1 November 2026, via the SURF AiR application portal.
The MIT Museum seeks proposals for compelling digital content exploring humanity's relationship with the BRAIN, the museum's thematic focus from April to September 2027 bringing together art, science, technology and design on cognition, neurotechnology, brain-computer interfaces, mental health and the boundaries of ability. Selected proposals run as ambient content on the two-story digital screen (3840x3024, 80:63 aspect ratio, 20'3" x 16'2") in the museum's central Exchange amphitheater. The museum wants immersive, non-linear, experimental, non-didactic work, such as artful visualizations of data or scientific phenomena; interactivity (touchscreens, QR codes) is out of scope and content-critical audio is discouraged. Content must run on the museum's existing hardware (Windows PC with RTX 3090, NEC LED wall with Analog Way 4K system). WHO CAN APPLY: artists, scientists, engineers, designers and other creative practitioners, from MIT or the broader community. SUPPORT: flat honorarium of USD 2,500-5,000 per selected proposal; no additional development funding. Applications reviewed from 2 November, accepted list finalized January 2027. Deadline: 1 November 2026.
Companion call to the BRAIN Digital Content Open Call: the MIT Museum seeks public programs exploring humanity's relationship with the BRAIN, its thematic focus from April to September 2027 spanning cognition, neurotechnology, brain-computer interfaces, mental health and the boundaries of ability. FORMATS: talks, demonstrations, performances, workshops, films, master classes, music, VR/XR, LARP and maker programs; art-and-science projects especially encouraged. NOT eligible: installations and exhibitions, including temporary ones (screen-based work goes through the separate BRAIN Digital Content call). VENUES: the Exchange amphitheater (capacity 100), Phillip Sharp Room (80), two Learning Labs classrooms (30 each), open areas and roving carts; target audience is curious adults and teens. FUNDING: up to USD 1,000 total per program, covering all costs including speaker/performer fees, travel, materials and equipment rental. WHO CAN APPLY: artists, scientists, engineers, designers and other creative practitioners aged 18+, from MIT or the broader community; proposals need not relate to MIT research; multiple proposals allowed. APPLY via the Fillout form with event name, program description, intended audience, practical considerations, budget, and marketing plans. TIMELINE: review from 2 November 2026, accepted programs finalized by 15 December 2026, programs run April to September 2027. DEADLINE: 1 November 2026, 11:59 PM EST. Questions: mitmuseum-opencall@mit.edu.
Matching grants supporting US-based performing artists and ensembles, all performing-arts practices including experimental music and performance, appearing at international festivals and significant presenting engagements outside the United States. GRANT: up to USD 11,000 toward eligible travel and engagement expenses, matched 1:1. ELIGIBILITY: artists/ensembles based in any US state or territory; not open to non-US-based artists. The portal opens early December 2026; the round covers projects between 1 July 2027 and 30 August 2028. DEADLINE: 24 February 2027, 11:59pm ET.