• Competitive Edge
• San Diego Fellowship/Cota Robles
• SEED
• Tribal Membership

• Internal and External Awards Database
• Russell Grant The 2024-25 application form can be found here as PDF or DOCX.
  
• David Antin Prize 
• Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Graduate Student Funding
• Graduate Fellowship Initiative (GFI)
• MFA Thesis Fellowship
• Waggaman Film
• PhD Qualifying Exam Fellowship - Students may apply for a fellowship during the planned quarter of the QE.
• PhD Field Research - After completing the QE, students who entered the program FA12 to FA19 are eligible for 1 quarter of Field Research or dissertation writing support to travel outside of California. Students must commit to working full-time on their project. This funding comes in the form of fee payment for In Absentia Balance of Fees and a Fellowship stipend that is equal to the 50% TA salary for the quarter (3 months). 
  • Discuss with your Advisor/Committee Chair
  • Notify the Graduate Coordinator using the vac.ucsd.edu
  • Follow enrollment process for In Absentia

• Arts and Humanities Travel
• Black Studies Project@UCSD
• CILAS-Tinker Field Research
• Community Connections Fellowship
• Dissertation Year-Graduate Division Fellowships
• Friends of the International Center
• UC San Diego Graduate Division Funding
• UC San Diego Graduate Division Fellowships
• GSPA Travel
• International Student Centered Awards from (ISPO)
• International Institute  
• Integrated Internship Initiative for PhD students
• Institute for Practical Ethics

• UCLA GRAPES Database
• UC Humanities Research Initiative (UCHRI)
• UC Education Abroad Program (UC EAP)
• UC Natural Reserve-Graduate Student Research Grants

In addition to employment and funding opportunities offered directly by the Department of Visual Arts, grants, prizes, fellowships and awards are available across campus and beyond the campus, from national and international organizations, public and private. 

It is important to note that this does not represent the whole of financial support available, only those that the Department staff are made aware of. It is an important aspect of financial planning and professional development that students are seeking additional funding sources to support travel, supplies, materials, etc. Students should identify and consult with their advisor about grants they hope to apply for.

Funding opportunities provided outside of our department may have varying deadlines or short timelines. It is important that you periodically check for campus-wide or any relevant external fellowship opportunities. These deadlines change and are outside of departmental control and so deadlines may appear with short notice.

External funding opportunities are typically awarded through one of two processes: application or nomination.

• Applications are completed by the student and submitted directly to the funding party.
• Nominations come from advisors, faculty committees, and the chair, as per the conditions of the grant. Nominations are confidential and made by the department to the funding party. 

Process for Applications:

1. As the administrative staff are made aware of funding opportunities, the Graduate Student Calendar will be updated with necessary information and an email sent to the appropriate listserv and/or the appropriate Faculty (depending on the conditions of the funding source). 
2. Students will review the application requirements. 
3. Students will gather the necessary application materials, working directly with their Faculty Advisor as necessary to receive any documentation or letters of support. 
4. Students will submit their completed application and materials to the funding source directly.

Process for Nominations: 

1. As the administrative staff are made aware of funding opportunities, internal submission deadlines will be set. Typically this will be two weeks prior to the official deadline in order to allow time for review, nomination and letters of support to be written.
2. The Graduate Student Calendar will be updated with necessary information and an email sent to the appropriate listserv and/or the appropriate Faculty (depending on the conditions of the funding source).
3. Students will review the application requirements. 
4. Students will gather the necessary application materials, working directly with their Faculty Advisor as necessary, to receive any documentation or letters of support necessary for internal submission.
5. All necessary materials will be submitted by the internal submission deadline.
6. Administrative staff will provide student application and materials to the appropriate faculty Fellowship Committee (see membership below).
7. The faculty Fellowship Committee will review the criteria of the funding opportunity and all submitted applications and materials. The Fellowship Committee will write supporting materials and letters of nomination as necessary.
8. Administrative staff will notify the funding source of the Departments nomination(s). 
9. The funding source will review all nominations and make final selections.
10. The student(s) are notified by the funding source of decisions made. Depending on the funding source, the Department may or may not be notified.

General Recommendations:

You will want to periodically make sure you have up to date the following:

• An autobiographical statement
• Your research description 
• Samples of completed work and relevant work-in-progress
• Curriculum vitae
• Interfolio account for easy processing of letters of recommendation

And at the time of applying you will often be asked to provide additionally:

• An outline of your budget (for project grants) or timelines
• A letter of support from your Faculty Advisor

Some external funding options are: