Currently 30 active paid grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in the US, across AI, arts, film, research, tech and cross-disciplinary practice. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Every entry is funded, no exposure-only calls. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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Annual paid virtual residency for one emerging visual artist with skills in digital illustration and light animation, supporting Third Wave Fund's gender-justice and liberation visibility, fundraising and donor mobilisation. Deliverables in 2026: two digital illustrations and one short-form animated reel for storytelling and fundraising. Five-month residency with a $10,000 stipend, mentorship and guidance from long-time movement artists, feedback sessions, experience and portfolio building, and social-media spotlight opportunities. Eligibility: 18+; valid SSN or EIN; currently residing in the US or US Territories; emerging visual artist (early career, generally up to 10 years of practice; no degree-granting art-school enrolment); skilled in digital illustration and light animation; available for the full schedule. Schedule: orientation 14 July 2026; project meetings 21 July, 16 September, 4 November; mentoring session 14 October; debrief 10 December 2026. TWF is a fully remote organisation operating a 4-day work week (Monday to Thursday); all communications and meetings happen Mon-Thu via Zoom and email. Deadline 13 May 2026 at 17:00 CST. Notifications go out in the first week of June 2026. Questions: comms@thirdwavefund.org (response within ~3 Mon-Thu business days).
Grant programme for feature documentaries and episodic docuseries at any stage of production (must have sample footage; films in early development without footage or that are picture-locked are ineligible). Projects must be about or intersect with an environmental issue and a proposed or activated solution, and must have clear impact goals and a developed idea for an impact campaign. Awarded teams (up to 2 applying team members, one of whom is the director) join a cohort fellowship for a year. Encouraged stories: intersectional environmental issues and solutions; leadership, hope and innovation that move past defeatist narratives; fresh viewpoints challenging conventional environmental storytelling; equitable, inclusive and diverse environmental movements centring underrepresented and historically excluded voices; systemic bias and injustice in environmental policy; cultural practices honouring traditional and ancestral knowledge; community power and civic engagement at the intersection of environmental justice and planetary health; protection and restoration of land, water, biodiversity. Applicants must be 18+; previous filmmaking experience highly recommended. US citizenship not required (but US residency for at least one team member is). Application uses the Nonfiction Documentary Core Application format. Deadline 14 May 2026 at 23:59 PST (Submittable cutoff 9:00 AM 15 May 2026). Recipients notified and funds awarded by October 2026.
Four-week paid summer residency for technologists working at the intersection of computing infrastructure, economics and the physical world. Fellows work alongside the Pace investment team and leave with original, publishable research artifacts (one sharp public piece on the systems shaping the next decade). Open to students, researchers, founders and independent thinkers who want real room to go deep on infrastructure and economics questions. Hosted at Pace HQ in NYC.
Fully-funded nine-week research program for undergraduate, graduate and PhD students working on AI safety and alignment. Focus areas with AI Objectives Institute: AI political economy, gradual disempowerment, multi-agent institutional design. Programme covers interpretability, multi-agent safety, formal verification, civilisational resilience and more. Weekly 1-on-1 mentorship, 24/7 access to Harvard Yard offices. Particularly encouraged for students and researchers at Harvard, MIT and the wider Boston area, but open more broadly.
Two-track residency program for artists experimenting with emerging technologies (telepresence, VR/AR, AI, robotics, creative coding, live web, game design, etc.) in search of new artistic forms. One application form; pick one track. LA TRACK: 3 residents get 1 to 2 weeks at the LA studio (5.1 Kalio audio surround, modular configuration, flexible exhibition space). LA proposals favoured: immersive audio environments, installations, experimental spatial design, tech-infused textiles/sculpture, sensory/physical exploration. Themes of particular interest: ecological responsibility, tech ethics, integration of old and new tech, localised networks, human connection, sustainability. Applicants must be based in LA. NY TRACK: 3 residents (one per international partner) get 1 week at the NYC studio + 1 week at the international partner with a thematic focus: Space + Algorithms at DOCKdigital (Berlin); Hybridization of Spaces & Telematic Installation at Société des arts technologiques (Montréal); Data, Narrative, and Performance at La MaMa Umbria (Spoleto). Applicants must be based in NY. Both tracks: $2,000 stipend, public offering during residency (work-in-progress showing, talk, workshop, etc.), marketing and documentation support, access to the residency cohort and network of past residents. Application closes 20 May 2026, 11:59 PM PT.
The largest granting body for independent narrative feature films in the US. Supports films that address social-justice issues (distribution of wealth, opportunities and privileges) in a positive and meaningful way through plot, character, theme or setting, and that benefit the Bay Area filmmaking community professionally or economically. Three tracks, all up to $25,000: Screenwriting (open to filmmakers anywhere in the US or internationally; FilmHouse residency included), Development (for producers of narrative features needing to engage with the Bay Area to develop and package the film; FilmHouse residency included), and Post-production (no Bay Area residency required). Eligibility: 18+, key creative role (screenwriter, director or producer), feature-length fiction film only (no shorts or documentaries), project budget $3M or under. Not work-for-hire. Stories may be set anywhere; applicants do not need to live in the Bay Area. Regular deadline 8 May 2026 (application fee $30); final deadline 22 May 2026 (application fee $50). Application fee waived for SFFILM members. Apply via the SFFILM Grant Platform; multiple narrative-grant submissions allowed for one fee per application. Past grantees include Sean Wang's Dìdi, Savanah Leaf's Earth Mama, Joe Talbot's The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You, Chloé Zhao's Songs My Brothers Taught Me, Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station and Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild.
New Catalyze cohort from venture philanthropy organisation New Profit, supporting US-based non-profits whose core work is bridging active divides (political, racial, ethnic, economic, religious, geographic, generational, or ideological) to enable collective problem-solving in education, economic mobility, democracy, and/or health. Funded organisations must use one or more of: building skills for productive dialogue, conflict, and civic participation; cultivating relationships rooted in trust, understanding, belonging, and mutual accountability; or creating structures for collective action, co-design, problem-solving, or shared decision-making. Organisations receive a one-year $100,000 unrestricted grant, a $10,000 leadership development stipend, and a year of cohort-based capacity building (three in-person convenings, three virtual learning sessions, 1:1 strategic advising). Eligibility: US-focused; independent 501(c)(3) status (own or via fiscal sponsor); annual expenses $250,000-$2 million in most recently closed fiscal year; led by at least one full-time (~30 hrs/week) Social Entrepreneur (co-leadership models considered); core programme/impact approach in operation for at least two years (legal status timeline less important); not a previous New Profit Build or Catalyze grantee. The first step is a Discovery Form (NOT a full application). To be considered for this cycle, complete the Discovery Form by Tuesday 26 May 2026, 2pm PT / 5pm ET, selecting 'Cycle-specific submission' and 'Connected Futures 2026'. If you submitted a Discovery Form within the last 12 months, email selection@newprofit.org for a link to update your prior submission. Invitations to complete a full application will be sent in late June. Discovery Forms are also accepted on a rolling basis for grantmaking cycles in 2026 and beyond. Free to apply. Note: this is an organisational grant, not an individual grant.
Open call for digital and new-media artists to submit existing works for consideration on transit-center screens (video, film, animation, augmented reality, net art, game engines, generative art). Multi-channel installation experience encouraged. Finalists develop site-specific proposals with a $1,000 honorarium; selected artists oversee production and installation with project management from MTA Arts & Design. Sites have no audio. Valid U.S. Taxpayer ID required. Submit up to 5 works (.mov/.mp4) and 10 stills (.jpg/.png) plus bio, CV and artist statement. Deadline 23:59 EST Thursday 28 May 2026.
Annual grant from the Whiting Foundation supporting writers completing deeply researched, imaginatively composed book-length nonfiction for a general adult readership. Ten grants of $40,000 each, intended for the mid-process stage of multiyear projects after substantial progress but before the final work is complete. Eligible categories include history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, science, philosophy, criticism, graphic nonfiction, and personal essays. Excluded: self-help, historical fiction, textbooks, books for a scholarly audience, books for young readers, and self-published projects. Hard eligibility constraint: project must be under contract with a publisher in Canada, the UK, or the US by 31 May 2026, with a fully executed contract uploaded; no extensions are granted for contracts not signed by both parties by the application deadline. Application includes the original proposal, up to 15,000 words from the draft, statement of work yet to be completed, plan for use of funds, three written responses on premise/research methods/narrative approach, signed contract, 2-4 page resume, list of prior funding for the book, and a required letter of support from the publisher (plus optional letters of recommendation). Free to apply. Grantees announced December 2026 / January 2027.
Annual short film grant from Black Film Space, a 501(c)(3) supporting the careers of independent Black filmmakers, in partnership with cliveRd., a deeptech and arts studio founded by Danielle Bennett. One winner receives $8,000 plus access to a private Jamaica estate as a free shooting location. 2026 cycle has a nature-as-character mandate: the project must include nature as a setting, character, supporter/obstacle, or theme. Narrative scripted shorts only; documentaries and non-fiction excluded. Script must be under 20 pages and serve as a teaser/proof-of-concept for a planned feature. Application requires: visual sample of previous work, completed short script, feature treatment, production/casting/team/postproduction/festival plan, and a US bank account. Submissions opened 21 April 2026 and close 31 May 2026 (11:59PM ET); semifinalists notified mid July, winner announced live at the BFS Awards on 20 September 2026, funds disbursed early October. cliveRd. and BFS must be credited as producers on the resulting short. $35 submission fee (free for Black Film Space members). Selection considers script quality, merit of previous work, and financial need.
Open call for the 2027 cohort of the Headlands Artist in Residence (AIR) program, one of the longer-running fully-sponsored residencies on the US West Coast. Approximately 50 local, national and international artists are selected each year for a residency of 4 to 10 weeks at the Headlands' Marin Headlands campus (former military buildings inside the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, just north of San Francisco). Residents receive a private studio, chef-prepared meals, on-site housing, travel costs, and a living-expense stipend, fully sponsored by the program. Open to artists at all career stages working in any medium: drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, dance, music, interdisciplinary practice, social practice, and architecture. Strong fit for new-media / interdisciplinary / research-driven practices. Application opens 1 April 2026 and closes 1 June 2026 via SlideRoom; applicants are notified of decisions by 11 December 2026. Free to apply.
Residency welcoming local, national and international artists at all career stages and disciplines (visual arts, writing, music, dance, interdisciplinary). Approximately 50 artists selected annually. Applications open 1 April 2026.
Top-tier track of the 2026 AWS Imagine Grant for US nonprofits with strong data practices, in the planning phase of incorporating frontier AI (generative AI, agentic AI, autonomous systems) as a core workload. Up to $200K cash + $100K AWS credits, plus hands-on project implementation support from the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center, training, and ongoing access. Two-round selection: Round One (open call) closes 5 June 2026; Round Two opens 10 August (invitation-only) and closes 14 September 2026; results mid-November; public announcement 1 December 2026. Eligibility: registered 501(c) nonprofits headquartered in the US. Educational institutions are explicitly excluded. NOTE: this is a nonprofit-only programme and is not open to individual artists, researchers, or for-profit studios.
Award track for US nonprofits running highly innovative cloud projects that leverage advanced services such as AI/ML, HPC, or IoT. Up to $150K cash + $100K AWS credits, plus AWS technical specialist guidance and training access. Round One closes 5 June 2026; Round Two by invitation, with full proposals 10 August to 14 September 2026. Eligibility: registered 501(c) nonprofits in the US. Educational institutions are excluded. NOTE: this is a nonprofit-only programme and is not open to individual artists, researchers, or for-profit studios.
Project market for filmmakers with feature projects in active development, with industry meetings, financing pathways and bundled grants. Selected projects are eligible for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fast Track Grant (science/technology fiction features) and the Climate Entertainment Development Grant ($25K, climate-focused fiction features). Same $10K fellowship pool (Cayton-Goldrich, MPAC Hollywood Bureau, Sony Music Vision) applies. International fellows are also eligible for the Dolby Institute Fellowship ($50K post-production grant utilising Dolby Vision and Atmos). Fast Track alums become eligible to apply to the Amplifier Fellowship for Black filmmakers ($30K unrestricted plus year-long support). Non-member deadline 8 June 2026; Film Independent member extension to 22 June 2026.
Supports development, production and distribution of radio programmes, podcasts and documentary films that engage general audiences with humanities ideas. Proposals must build on sound humanities scholarship, present multiple perspectives, involve external humanities scholars at all phases, involve appropriate media professionals, use accessible formats, and show potential to attract a large public audience. Development awards (up to $75,000) cover scholar meetings, preliminary interviews, treatments and scripts, work-in-progress trailers, outreach planning and archival research.
Flagship SSRC public-interest tech fellowship supporting researchers, artists, journalists, community-based researchers, social scientists, humanists, technologists and practitioners whose work expands public understanding of technology and contributes to more informed and accountable technological futures. One-year unrestricted award of up to $60,000 (January through December 2027) for research, creative practice or community-engaged work at the intersection of technology and society. Programme includes monthly virtual gatherings, individualised mentoring, one in-person workshop, plus ongoing access to the Just Tech network beyond the award year. Citizens of any country may apply but fellows must reside in the United States for the fellowship duration; SSRC does not sponsor visas. No formal degree requirement. Full-time students are not eligible. Application materials: 2-page CV; personal statement (1,000 words or 5-minute video); work proposal (3,000 words or 10-slide deck) addressing concept, technology engagement, approach/contribution, feasibility, field context and public contribution; 2 work samples. Application portal open 27 April to 28 June 2026 23:59 EST (single window for the 2027 cohort); selected fellows notified November 2026. Strong fit for critical data, algorithmic justice, platform governance and digital rights work.
Residency for working artists in choreography, film, literature, musical composition, painting, performance, photography, printmaking, sculpture, video and visual arts. Applications open 1 June. Application fee $35 (waivers available). Two cycles per year (winter deadline ~20 December for May to March residencies; summer deadline ~1 July for November to June residencies).
Signature fellowship program offering career opportunities to filmmakers from communities typically underrepresented in film and entertainment. Selected fellows are eligible for a stack of bundled fellowships: Amazon MGM Studios ($10K), Climate Entertainment Commissioning Grant ($25K to write a new climate-focused fiction feature), LAIKA Animation Track (production grant + stipend across 2 years for 5 stop-motion fellows), Panavision Fellowship ($60K camera package for an outstanding cinematographer), Sony Pictures Entertainment ($10K), and University of Arizona TFTV Fellowship ($10K for a TFTV alum). International fellows are also eligible for the Dolby Institute Fellowship ($50K post-production grant utilising Dolby Vision and Atmos). Project Involve alums become eligible to apply to the Amplifier Fellowship for Black filmmakers ($30K unrestricted plus year-long support; six fellows annually). Applications open 18 May 2026; non-member deadline 13 July 2026; Film Independent member extension to 27 July 2026.
One-year reporting fellowship supporting early- and mid-career US-based journalists to produce in-depth, place-based reporting on how education, workforce development and emerging technologies are reshaping economic opportunities across the United States. Open to print, digital, radio, television, multimedia and freelance journalists. Fellows receive a $5,000 stipend, editorial coaching, expert-source access and amplification of their stories.
Competitive screenwriting lab for emerging feature screenwriters. Selected fellows are eligible for the Climate Entertainment Development Grant ($25K, climate-focused fiction features) and the same bundled $10K fellowship pool available across Artist Development programs (Cayton-Goldrich, MPAC Hollywood Bureau, Sony Music Vision). International fellows are also eligible for the Dolby Institute Fellowship ($50K post-production grant utilising Dolby Vision and Atmos). Lab alums become eligible to apply to the Amplifier Fellowship for Black filmmakers ($30K unrestricted plus year-long support; six fellows annually). Applications open 29 June 2026; non-member deadline 31 August 2026; Film Independent member extension to 14 September 2026.
Residency for artists across seven disciplines (architecture, film/video, interdisciplinary, literature, music composition, theatre, visual arts). Sole selection criterion is artistic excellence. Applications open 15 August 2026. February deadline of the following year covers the Fall/Winter cycle.
Grants for in-depth investigative reporting that exposes corruption, malfeasance or misuse of power across public and private sectors. Covers print, online, broadcast, books, documentaries and podcasts. Surveillance, abuse-of-power and accountability investigations all fit. Letter of Commitment from a news outlet required for full proposals (not for seed). Seed deadline ~10 May 2026; regular deadline 14 September 2026, 23:59 ET. Reviewed three to four times per year. Stories must be published in English with a U.S. media outlet. Ethnic media and journalists of colour particularly encouraged.
$75,000 prize for women figurative realist painters, awarded by a five-member jury. The winner receives $37,500 each year for two years to create a solo exhibition that travels nationally; one finalist additionally receives $10,000. Open to emerging artists who have not yet achieved full professional recognition.
Intensive program for emerging episodic (TV/series) directors, with mentorship, set shadowing opportunities and industry access. Selected fellows are eligible for the same bundled $10K fellowship pool (Cayton-Goldrich, MPAC Hollywood Bureau, Sony Music Vision) available across Artist Development programs. Applications open 27 July 2026; non-member deadline 28 September 2026; Film Independent member extension to 12 October 2026.
Six-week fellowship for cultural producers at any career stage working in the vanguard of their creative fields. Five cycles run March to December. Fellows commit to an Artist Talk and Open Studio bookending the residency. 2026 application window has closed (Sep 15 to Oct 15, 2025); 2027 round expected Sep 15 to Oct 15, 2026 via Slideroom. Selection notifications mid-January.
Annual screenwriting fellowship from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) administered through The Black List, awarding $20,000 each to three writers to revise a feature screenplay or pilot that engages with climate change in a compelling way. Submission and selection happen on The Black List platform; applicants should review program eligibility and any associated hosting/submission fees on blcklst.com before applying. Strong fit for narrative writers using fiction to dramatise climate, ecology, energy, or environmental-justice themes (rather than documentary). Deadline 4 December 2026.
One-off film grant awarding a single filmmaker $4,500 to support an independent narrative project in 2026. Application is free to submit. Centerpiece of the application is a production book built on the IMGN platform: script breakdown, schedule, coverage, and pre-visualization for the project (tutorials are provided inside the application). Eligibility: US-based filmmakers in the 50 states plus DC, aged 18 and older. If the project is already completed before funds are disbursed, the grant is paid as a reimbursement upon submission of a final cut of the film. Winner announced and funds disbursed by end of January 2027.
Pop Culture Collaborative supports the growth of a pop culture narrative change field capable of inspiring most Americans, including leaders and icons, to navigate their lives as pluralists actively engaged in the hard, delicate work of belonging together in justice. Grants drive transformative experiences for mass audiences (1 million people or more) through pop culture stories, media and social networks: content development and distribution, audience engagement strategies, and the creation of immersive narrative environments through cultural, narrative and behavioural change approaches. Four funding priorities (program areas): (1) Artists Advancing Culture Change; (2) Building the Pop Culture for Social Change Field; (3) Culture Change Research; (4) Movement-Led Pop Culture Narrative Strategies. Grantee work spans: commissioning and developing creative work that excavates and illuminates who America is and yearns to become; building narrative infrastructure and field-based networks; producing audience and industry culture-change research; designing long-term mass-audience narrative and culture-change strategies; advancing mass-audience activation campaigns that transform toxic narrative environments into pluralist ones. Eligibility: US-based nonprofits, for-profit companies, and individuals with fiscal sponsorship. Tracks: Rapid Response Grants accept ideas year-round and are awarded continuously; Major Grants are requested in late winter/early spring and late summer/early fall and awarded in summer (May/June) and winter (November/December); Infrastructure Grants and the Becoming America Fund follow their own cycles. Process: (1) review the relevant track guidelines and the Grantmaking FAQ; (2) take the self-assessment quiz on PCC's site; (3) submit an idea (not a full proposal) via the Airtable portal. NOTE: full proposals are by invitation only. PCC staff review idea submissions and reach out only to matching submissions; most idea submissions will not progress to a full proposal, so treat the idea intake as a low-cost LOI-style inquiry rather than a guaranteed open RFP. Strong fit for organisations doing narrative-and-pop-culture work for mass audiences, especially aligned with marginalised-community media strategies and pluralist culture change.
Year-round support for unanticipated opportunities or emergencies tied to a confirmed innovative artistic project. Open to individual visual and performing artists and poets living in the US or US territories with a US tax ID. Apply 8 to 10 weeks before your public presentation date. Designed to cover sudden costs (a venue change, a confirmed exhibition or performance opportunity with a tight runway, etc.).