Henson Week 2026 Mini-Grants
In celebration of two of the University of Maryland’s most creative alumni, Jim '60 & Jane '55, Henson Week 2026 is piloting a new funding opportunity that honors their legacy of creativity and innovation.
Create. Make. Play.
Henson Week Mini-Grants
Rooted in this year’s theme of "Create. Make. Play." and presented by Arts for All, Office of Innovation, and the Office of Trademarks & Licensing, the Henson Week Mini-Grants will provide up to $500 in seed funding to individual students, student groups, or staff who want to explore an idea, test a novel approach, or initiate a project that sparks creativity, fosters collaboration, and/or positively impacts UMD and/or the community.
These mini-grants are envisioned to spark your creativity and curiosity in the initial phase of a project to explore the “art of the possible.” We encourage an openness to exploration and experimentation as you will not be expected to produce a successful outcome or polished project. Instead, your deliverable will be a report detailing your process, your learnings along the way, and your plan to pursue this idea further.
While these mini-grants will provide seed funding for an initial idea, it is likely additional support will be required to move your idea along. Over the course of the fall semester, our team will connect you to resources across campus that will help you refine your idea. The intention of this exploratory work is to test an early idea with the goal of applying for and increasing the potential of securing supplementary funding from other campus grant or award programs, such as the Do Good mini-grants, Arts for All ArtsAMP grants, Sustainability Fund and Sustainability Mini-Grant, and others.
One of the goals of the Henson Week Mini-Grants pilot is for us to understand how an initiative like this could more effectively meet needs and interests across the campus while also complementing existing university programs, initiatives and resources. Lessons learned from this pilot will inform possible future iterations and offerings.
Henson Week Mini-Grant Guidelines
Eligibility
To be eligible for a Henson Week Mini-Grant, the applicant(s) must:
- Be a current student at UMD’s College Park campus
- Be a current staff member at UMD’s College Park campus
- Be a registered and recognized student organization at UMD’s College Park campus
- And applicants must have attended at least one Henson Week 2026 event. View the full schedule of events.
Undergraduate and Graduate Students of all majors and disciplines are encouraged to apply! All Staff are encouraged to apply!
For projects to be eligible for a Henson Week Mini-Grant, the proposal should:
- Engender or foster creativity, innovation, or experimentation in a tangible way
- Pilot a novel project or explore an idea that could be expanded upon in scope and impact with additional resources
- Describe the potential positive impact or transformation that could result from engaging in this process
Funding
Applicants may apply for either $250 or $500 per project. All Henson Week Mini-Grant funds must be used within one year of disbursement.
Henson Week Mini-Grants Funds that are awarded must be sent to a university account:
- For students, funds will be sent directly to your student account.
- For student organizations, funds will be sent to your organization account.
- For staff, funds will be sent through payroll or to your home unit account.
How to Apply
Please complete the Henson Week 2026 Mini-Grants Application. If you have a multitude of ideas you’d like to explore, you may submit multiple proposals for the review committee to consider. However, please note that only one proposal per applicant could be funded.
To assist you in your proposal planning, we've outlined the information that will be essential to submit below:
Project Description (250 words max): This project narrative should detail your project’s objectives, outcomes, and connections to Henson Week. Be specific about:
- The connection of this project to the theme of Create. Make. Play.
- The need, problem, opportunity, or challenge your project or idea addresses
- The specific activities and creative methods you will carry out
- What the follow-up would be if your experimentation or project is able to be implemented
Project Timeline (200 words max): The general timeline of your project activities should detail the milestones that connect logically to your goals and the scope of your project. Please note when developing your timeline, funds must be used within one year of disbursement.
Project Budget (200 words max): Provide an estimated budget and explain planned use of funds or expenditures. Include any other sources of funding and whether those funds are committed or pending. Please note: the Henson Week Mini-Grant funds cannot be used for food, alcohol, or travel.
Review
Henson Week Mini-Grant proposals will be evaluated by members of Arts for All, the Office of Innovation, and the Office of Trademarks & Licensing on the following criteria:
Creativity, Innovation, and Experimentation:
- What interdisciplinary collaborations, connections, or resources are involved in the project?
- How will this project explore a new idea? Or, how will this project explore an idea, issue, or problem in a new way?
- Does this project have the capacity to grow or continue beyond this initial seed funding?
As a reminder, if applicants have submitted multiple proposals, the review committee may only select one proposal to fund per applicant.
Deadlines
Application Opens: September 20, 2026
Deadline to Apply: October 4, 2026
Mini-Grants Awarded: October 13, 2026