Course Enhancement Grants
Open to Faculty & Teaching Staff
Purpose
artsCatalyst Grants foster interdisciplinary arts experiences in undergraduate courses. Activities can be virtual or in-person and could include (but are not limited to):
- Attending a performance or film screening
- Museum visits
- Workshop with a guest artist
- Walking tours with local experts
Priority will be given to pedagogically well-integrated arts experiences in interdisciplinary contexts.
Please note: with the rollout of artsCatalyst Fellows program, the mini grants program will be operating at a reduced scale starting in AY2025-26.
Eligibility
- Open to Stanford faculty and academic staff teaching undergraduate courses in any department. Limit one application per instructor per quarter.
- Activities or guest speakers must be directly related to the arts.
- Disciplines and modalities include (but aren't limited to): visual art practices, creative writing, dance, design, digital media, film/tv, music, heritage arts, and theater.
- All in-person activities must take place within the Bay Area or at a Stanford off-campus site within the United States (e.g. SiNY, SiW, Hopkins).
- Class takes place during Autumn 2025, Winter 2026, or Spring 2026 and has a majority undergraduate enrollment.
- Requests are only reviewed for the upcoming quarter. Instructors applying for multiple quarters will need to submit separate applications.
How to Apply
All application materials are submitted via Seed Funding. All responses are entered through the online form--file uploads are not required/accepted.
- Seed Funding automatically imports your name, SU email, and bio from Stanford Profiles.
- Name of the department/program Financial Administrator who will be processing your grant-related transactions
- Class title and number (e.g. ARTSINST XXX: Screenwriting for Scientistis)
- Class syllabus
- Activity proposal
- Brief activity budget
- Any additional funding sources you will be using for this activity
Application Timeline
Fall 2025 classes
- Application Opens: August 19, 2025
- Application Deadline: September 12, 2025 @ 11:59pm (Pacific)
- Recipients Notified: by September 19, 2025
Winter 2026 classes
- Application Opens: October 13, 2025
- Application Deadline: November 7, 2025 @ 11:59pm (Pacific)
- Recipients Notified: by November 14, 2025
Spring 2026 classes
- Application Opens: January 26, 2026
- Application Deadline: February 20, 2026 @ 11:59pm (Pacific)
- Recipients Notified: by March 6, 2026
Summer 2026 and September Session Classes are not eligible for artsCatalyst Grants.
Sign up for our faculty/staff newsletter to receive updates about future artsCatalyst application cycles.
Award
- Awards range from $250-$1,000 per quarter per instructor
- Instructors teaching in teams cannot pool funds for the same course/application.
- Funding (full or partial) is not guaranteed.
- Funds can be used for any of the following: speaker honorarium, speaker travel/lodging, transportation costs, admission/tickets, and supplementary workshop materials.
- Funds cannot be used to pay for required class materials, course fees, meals, or to pay Stanford affiliates (faculty, staff, students, postdocs).
Expectations for Grant Recipients
- Grant recipients are expected to work with their department/program financial administrator to process all logistics and transactions relating to the proposed activity, and to ensure that all transactions and activities adhere to University policies.
- Grant recipients may receive partial grants. In these situations the grant recipient should work with their department/program to find additional funds for the proposed activity.
- Upon completion of the activity, grant recipients will submit a short final report. Grant recipients are encouraged to include photos (with photographer credit) from the activity as part of their report.
- If the project/activity is no longer taking place, please notify Heidi Lubin to discuss next steps.
Tips for Activity Planning
- We encourage instructors to review the following campus calendars to ensure that all students in your class are able to fully participate in artsCatalyst-funded activities:
- OSE Planning Calendar (major campus events and traditions)
- ORSL Religious Calendar
- Whenever possible, avoid scheduling activities and trips during the End-Quarter Period. artsCatalyst activities scheduled during this time may receive lower priority for funding.
- Certain types of activities require additional lead time, especially international guest speakers (virtual and in-person) and off-campus travel. Make sure to check with your department/program administrator early in the planning process (even before you apply for an artsCatalyst Grant) to review University policies.
- Confirm minimum and maximum honorarium rates with your department/program.
This grant program is administered by the Stanford Arts Institute (SAI) with support from the Office of the Vice President for the Arts.
Contact:
Stanford Arts Institute
artsinstitute@stanford.edu
