Become an Arts for All Fellow!
Applications are now open for the 2026-2027 Arts for All Fellowship Cohorts. These interdisciplinary cohorts, one for faculty members and one for graduate students, will support the development and advancement of each fellow’s arts-based research. Each cohort will meet as a group throughout the academic year to support and learn from each other, from arts-integration practitioners across campus, and from national arts networks.
In partnership with the Center for Community Engagement, Arts for All is especially interested in supporting publicly-engaged research that centers the arts, in which faculty and graduate students partner with community members in the creation of knowledge. Community can be defined in many ways, both on-campus and off-campus; applicants should be specific in their proposal about the community they plan to work with in their research. Rather than conducting research on or about communities, engaged researchers work with communities as full partners throughout the research process. The reciprocal nature of engagement requires commitment to co-creation and draws on multiple forms of knowledge, including academic expertise and lived community experience, to produce research that is both rigorous and relevant.
With an expansive understanding of publicly-engaged arts-based research, some examples of this type of research may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Interdisciplinary collaboration (on or off-campus) in which the arts are a central partner.
- Work that engages the arts with local communities, organizations, or institutions.
- Activities that engage the arts to understand, document or explore social justice issues.
- Activities that engage the arts to understand and explore grand challenges.
- Activities that explore the intersection of arts and technology.
- The development of new courses that do any of the above.
Arts for All Fellows and their research activities will be featured on the Arts for All website, social media channels and additional marketing and communications publications. Fellows will be expected to include Arts for All in their bios, CVs, email signatures and other official internal and external documents. From time-to-time, fellows will be asked to represent Arts for All as the initiative evolves and continues its expansion. Beginning in the fall semester 2026, fellows will meet as a cohort five times throughout the academic year to share their research and explore how Arts for All and members of the cohort can best support each fellow’s research. Attendance at all meetings is required. Fellowships will conclude after a year, and fellows will be required to share out the research made possible with their fellowship.
If you have questions, please contact us at arts@umd.edu. Applications are due by Friday, March 29, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
Graduate Student Fellowships
Arts for All welcomes applications from graduate students to join this interdisciplinary cohort, centered on contributing to an arts-informed university. This fellowship will support graduate students in their publicly-engaged, arts-based research activities throughout the 2026-27 academic year. Fellows will meet as a cohort multiple times throughout the year to learn from each other, deepen their scholarship, and meet with experts on arts integration research, community-engaged research, and approaches to funding in the academic sphere.
- Only available to full-time graduate students who will be enrolled for the full 26-27 academic year.
- All majors/programs are welcome to apply.
- 1 year cohort, with 5 cohort meetings throughout the 2026-27 academic year.
- $2,500 award to support research activities.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an Arts for All Graduate Student Fellowship, the applicant must be:
- Current full-time graduate students on UMD’s College Park campus.
- Plan to be enrolled full-time for the next academic year (Fall 2026 through Spring 2027).
Students do not need to be enrolled in an arts degree program to apply. All majors and disciplines are encouraged to propose research that connects the arts to their disciplines. Their research should center the arts in a meaningful way, include an element of publicly-engaged research, and help advance the student toward degree benchmarks, including thesis and dissertation projects.
Criteria & Expectations
Graduate Student Fellowship applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- What is the potential impact of the proposed research activities, both at UMD and beyond?
- How are the arts incorporated into the proposed research?
- How do the proposed activities expand our understanding of and investment in publicly-engaged research and how are communities engaged in this work?
- What, if any, public-facing events will be proposed as a part of this research?
- How are the proposed research activities connected to the Arts for All mission?
- How will the proposed research positively impact the recipient’s career trajectory?
During the year of this fellowship, fellows will be expected to:
- Meet for a 1:1 with the Arts for All team early in the fall semester to discuss their research plans and establish deliverables for their research over the course of the academic year.
- Attend five cohort meetings throughout the academic year.
- Provide a general summary of research activities at the midway point (November 2026) and at the conclusion of the fellowship (May 2026).
- Provide ongoing documentation of the progression of their research.
Deadlines
- Fellowship applications due: March 29, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
- Review period: March & April 2026
- Applicants notified: April 15, 2026
- Funds disbursed: May 2026
- Fellowship period: May 2026 - May 2027
During the year of this fellowship, fellows will be required to attend five cohort meetings throughout the academic year. Additionally, each fellow will meet individually with the Arts for All team early in the fall semester to discuss their research plans.
Funding
The Graduate Student Fellowship includes a $2,500 award. Applicants are not required to submit a budget for review, but should keep in mind allowable and unallowable costs under the terms of this fellowship.
Allowable: programming and research expenses, conference fees, supplies, rentals, travel, software and equipment related to the research.
Unallowable: food, alcohol and financial compensation directly to the applicant; i.e., the applicant cannot use the award to support their own stipend, a course release, or summer salary.
Funds will be dispersed in May 2026, and graduate students must have funds sent to a research account with written agreement from their department’s business office.
Additionally, all Graduate Student Fellowship proposals must identify an eligible faculty PI. Funding cannot be transferred directly to students or general departmental accounts, so student program applications must identify a confirmed faculty mentor who will serve as a PI. Eligible PIs include any full-time member of UMD’s tenure-track, professional-track or librarian faculty, including adjunct or visiting researchers who have been authorized by their home department to serve as PI on external awards in the 2026-27 academic year.
All funds must be used within one year of disbursement.
How to Apply
Please complete the 2026-27 Graduate Student Fellowship Application and combine and upload all documents as a single PDF. All materials should be single-spaced, with one-inch margins and 12-point font.
Please include within your application:
- Current CV
- Summary of proposed research activities (3 page maximum) addressing:
- The potential impacts of the proposed research activities, both at UMD and beyond
- How the arts are central to the research activities
- If the research is outside traditional arts disciplines, how arts expertise will be included in the proposed research activities
- If the research is interdisciplinary, detail the departments, colleges, and faculty involved and any previous collaborations with these areas
- How the research will engage the community (on or off-campus) in the research activities
- If any public-facing events will be proposed as a part of this research
- How the research will positively impact the recipient’s career trajectory
- How the research connects to the Arts for All mission
- A brief letter on official letterhead from an eligible faculty PI stating their agreement to serve as PI for the funding
Faculty Fellowships
Arts for All welcomes applications from faculty members to join this interdisciplinary cohort, centered on contributing to an arts-informed university. This fellowship will support faculty members in their publicly-engaged, arts-based research activities throughout the 2026-27 academic year. Fellows will meet as a cohort multiple times throughout the year to learn from each other, deepen their scholarship, and meet with experts on arts integration research, community engaged research, and approaches to funding in the academic sphere.
- Available to all College Park TTK and PTK faculty with at least a 50% FTE appointment.
- Faculty from all departments & disciplines are welcome to apply.
- 1 year cohort, with 5 cohort meetings throughout the 2026-27 academic year.
- $10,000 award to support research activities.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an Arts for All Faculty Fellowship, the applicant must be:
- Current University of Maryland, College Park instructional faculty, research faculty or library faculty.
- TTK and PTK faculty members with at least a 50% FTE appointment.
- Contracted as a faculty member for the next academic year (Fall 2026 through Spring 2027).
Faculty members do not need to be part of an arts unit to apply. All disciplines are encouraged to propose research that connects the arts to their disciplines. The arts should be an equal partner in the method of inquiry, research, and discovery.
Criteria & Expectations
Faculty Fellowship applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- What is the potential impact of the proposed research activities, both at UMD and beyond?
- How are the arts incorporated into the proposed research?
- How do the proposed activities expand our understanding of and investment in publicly-engaged research and how are communities engaged in this work?
- What, if any, public-facing events will be proposed as a part of this research?
- How are the proposed research activities connected to the Arts for All mission?
- How will the proposed research positively impact the recipient’s career trajectory?
During the year of this fellowship, fellows will be expected to:
- Meet for a 1:1 with the Arts for All team early in the fall semester to discuss their research plans and establish deliverables for their research over the course of the academic year.
- Attend five cohort meetings throughout the academic year.
- Provide a general summary of research activities at the midway point (November 2026) and at the conclusion of the fellowship (May 2026).
- Provide ongoing documentation of the progression of their research.
Deadlines
- Fellowship applications due: March 29, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
- Review period: March & April 2026
- Applicants notified: April 13, 2026
- Funds disbursed: May 2026
- Fellowship period: May 2026 - May 2027
During the year of this fellowship, fellows will be required to attend five cohort meetings throughout the academic year. Additionally, each fellow will meet individually with the Arts for All team early in the fall semester to discuss their research plans. Fellows will be asked for a general summary of research activities at the midway point (November 2026) and at the conclusion of the fellowship (May 2026).
Funding
The Faculty Fellowship includes a $10,000 award. Applicants are not required to submit a budget for review, but should keep in mind allowable and unallowable costs under the terms of this fellowship.
Allowable: programming and research expenses, conference fees, supplies, rentals, travel, software and equipment related to the research, summer salary.
Please note, if summer salary is elected, fringe benefits will be assessed and will be included within the total amount of the award.
Unallowable: food, alcohol, and other expenses that may not be permissible through university and state funding guidelines.
Funds will be dispersed in May 2026, and faculty must have funds sent to a research account.
All funds must be used within one year of disbursement.
How to Apply
Please complete the 2026-27 Faculty Fellowship Application and combine and upload all documents as a single PDF. All materials should be single-spaced, with one-inch margins and 12-point font.
Please include within your application:
- Current CV
- Summary of proposed research activities (3 page maximum) addressing:
- The potential impacts of the proposed research activities, both at UMD and beyond
- How the arts are central to the research activities
- If the research is outside traditional arts disciplines, how arts expertise will be included in the proposed research activities
- If the research is interdisciplinary, detail the departments, colleges, and faculty involved and any previous collaborations with these areas
- How the research will engage the community (on or off-campus) in the research activities
- If any public-facing events will be proposed as a part of this research
- How the research will positively impact the recipient’s career trajectory
- How the research connects to the Arts for All mission
Fellowship FAQs and Resources
Does my proposal need to include a full project from start to finish?
No, these fellowships are meant to support graduate students’ and faculty members’ research overall. Your proposal does not need to include a distinct project, but you should clearly explain the direction of your research over the next year, as well as any planned research activities. Also, keep in mind that your research should be publicly-engaged, with the arts as a central component.
What does publicly-engaged research look like?
Publicly-engaged research or community-engaged research will look different for every fellow. However, at its core, this research should include a collaborative approach that generates knowledge and creative work with communities rather than about them. For a deeper dive, the Center for Community Engagement has created great resources to learn more.
What is expected of fellows during cohort meetings?
Cohorts will meet 5 times throughout the academic year. Meeting topics and resources are shaped by the cohort’s interests and identified areas of growth. In the past, Arts for All has brought in experts on arts integration research, community engaged research, and approaches to funding in the academic sphere. Additionally, fellows will meet one on one with the Arts for All team at the start of their fellowship to discuss their research plans and activities over the academic year.
What are the deliverables for this fellowship?
The deliverables for each fellow will be specific to their research, and will be determined together in the initial 1:1 meeting in the fall with the Arts for All team. For example, one potential deliverable could be a public-facing event at the beginning of the 2027-28 academic year during NextNow Fest.
Very broadly, we expect full and enthusiastic participation in cohort activities, including meetings, throughout the fellowship period. We will also ask for a general summary of your research activities at the midway point (November 2026) and at its conclusion (May 2027). Additionally, there will likely be multiple points throughout the fellowship where fellows will need to share updates and documentation of the progression of their research, based on their specific deliverables.