AEPG Applications

APPLICATIONS CLOSED - Please check out our current AEPG projects and watch for the announcement of the 2024-2025 awardees

Application Available: November 6, 2023
Maximum Award Amount: $7,500 
Open to: SJSU H&A Faculty & Staff
Project Start/End Date: Aug 15, 2024-May 30, 2025
Application due: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024 @ 5pm PST
Expected Notification Date: first week of April 2024
Application Submission: Via Google form 
See: Frequently Asked Questions

This grant opportunity is open to SJSU College of Humanities & the Arts faculty and staff only. 

Questions: Dr. Katherine D. Harris, Director of Public Programming - Open Office Hours or attend an informational session

What is Artistic Excellence

Since this initiative began in 2018, it's grown into the H&A in Action college-wide initiative that focuses on melding teaching, research, and public programming to involve students and our surrounding San Jose community in the engaging public programming our college offers. (Read more about What We Do and our definition of public engagement.) This rich history of public engagement is evident in our Stories of Engagement as well as our past AEPG events.

$150,000 has been allotted for Artistic Excellence Programming Grants from student fees. These grants allow us to maximize students’ exposure to and interaction with high-quality, diversified programming in the performing, visual, literary, and culinary arts. The Hammer Theatre and other performing venues on campus offer an opportunity for SJSU to create a coherent arts and culture programming series that invites students to have hands-on experiences with world-class professionals. The arts and the letters are both supported by Artistic Excellence Grants.

We define artistic excellence in a pluralistic and inclusive manner. We encourage applications representing a wide range of perspectives from the arts and letters, allowing for an unlimited array of inquiries and concerns. The quality of the experience of, exposure to, or interrogation of the arts and letters provided to the audience and to performers in the event is our primary criteria in ranking grant applications. 

*Please note that AEPG funding does not support SJSU faculty stipends (even as guest lecturers).

Themes

We are continuing with creating community through shared themes: Sustainable Futures and Re-Invention. See descriptions here. Proposals that effectively address one of the themes will receive an additional point. 

To qualify for a theme, an AEPG application must specifically and convincingly engage with and address one, or both, of the two College themes within the application narrative in order to receive the additional point in the committee evaluation. While the themes are meant to be capacious, they are also meant to focus a series of events around "the most important questions of our time."

To make a strong argument that your event or performance aligns with a College theme, be sure to review the language describing the theme and illustrate how that description is central to the goals of your proposed event. The committee will closely evaluate this justification. 

Alignment with a theme is not mandatory.

Collaboration

For the fullest impact of collaboration, proposals should involve fields that don't appear to be immediately aligned. While collaboration within departments is acceptable, for full points, there is an expectation that the programming/event will look beyond the home discipline for other points of interdisciplinary contact. This could include other faculty, SJSU student groups, SJSU cultural centers, or community organizations. Collaborations should be acknowledged and established prior to submission of the proposal. For examples of highly cross-disciplinary and community engaged proposals, see:

For examples of San Jose area community organizations, see H&A in San José and Resources.

Writing your Proposal

The grant proposal requires preliminary event planning and budget creation as well as considering how the event or programming impacts and engages students actively. Collaboration with faculty outside your own department or discipline for curricular integration and event planning is also strongly urged in order to receive full points.  

Funding Requests

Start Date for Programming: Aug 15, 2024
End Date for Programming: May 30, 2025
Funds Spent by: April 1, 2025

Applicants may request up to $7,500 per event and may apply for more than one grant on separate applications. In exceptional circumstances, an applicant could ask for a higher total amount if it involved significant collaboration with extra-disciplinary colleagues or a particularly unique, engaging, or high-quality event. Any consideration for an amount above $7500 will need to be clearly justified by budget and the scope of the event, both the number of students it would involve and the number of students it would reach. It's strongly advised to discuss any proposal budget that exceeds $7500 with Dr. Harris. 

AEPG funding will not support different aspects of the same project over two funding cycles. Thematically linked programs may apply separately, but the same program will not be supported across multiple applications.

Quality proposals for which we do not have adequate funding will be waitlisted; if additional funds come available because a grant cannot be utilized or funds are left over, those proposals will be funded in ranked order. Only if there are additional funds left over will there be a second call for Artistic Excellence Grants later in the Spring semester. 

*Please note that this grant does not fund SJSU faculty stipends (even as guest speakers).

Comments from Department Chair

After submission, your proposal will be routed to your department chair who will provide a comment about the efficacy of the project. Your chair’s comments will be shared with you after submission. The Review Committee considers this a point of information; however, it is not a deciding factor for proposals.

Purchasing & Travel

For information about travel and purchasing of materials, see Frequently Asked Questions. 

Application Materials

Evaluation of Applications

Sample Proposals

FAQ & Planning

Getting Help with your Proposal and Application

Join one of the informational meetings for an overview of the AEPG program and funding requirements. Stop by with your questions!

  • Nov 14, 2023 @ 11:30am (closed)
  • Nov 29, 2023 @ 12pm (closed)
  • Dec 7, 2023 @ 10am (closed)
  • Jan 25, 2024 @ 11am (cancelled)
  • Jan 30, 2024 @ 12pm (closed)
  • Feb 5, 2024 @ 10am (closed)
  • Feb 14, 2024 @ 2pm (closed)

AEPG Informational Slide Deck might help in brainstorming an engaging AEPG proposal.

Informational Session Recording (from 12/7/23)

In addition to the resources above and informational sessions, Dr. Katherine Harris is available to consult with applicants. We strongly recommend meeting with Dr. Harris about collaboration. Choose an appointment during Open Office Hours.

What can we discuss during the one-on-one meetings?

  • brainstorm about how to turn your idea into “artistic excellence” programming (beyond a lecture or lecture series)
  • discuss how to plan an event using SJSU resources (Event Planning Guide & FAQ)
  • discuss how to expand programs for student engagement and involvement
  • discuss how to leverage technology for your programming (Supplemental Planning for Online Events)
  • strategize on suggestions for how to integrate into your curriculum (see our current list of innovative assignments)
  • answer questions about funding requirements and restrictions, including student event planners/support
  • provide help with drafting a proposal description
  • strategize about budget; review the funding restrictions
  • connect faculty with similar projects in both CoHA departments and across the university to encourage collaboration and/or share teaching resources
  • connect with other stakeholders (academic and community) to promote and expand the reach of our AEPG programming

Before setting an appointment with Dr. Harris, please take a moment to read through the Frequently Asked Questions and the Event Planning Resources Guide. The FAQ also touches on proposal requirements and planning.