AEPG Applications

Application Available: November 5, 2024
Maximum Award Amount: $8000 
Open to: SJSU H&A Faculty & Staff
Project Start/End Date: Aug 15, 2025-May 30, 2026
Application due: Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025 @ 5pm PST
Expected Notification Date: first week of April 2025
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

History of AEPG

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. 

What is Artistic Excellence

We define artistic excellence in an expansive manner, underscoring the value of experiential, pluralistic and inclusive projects. While the reputation of individual performers may well earn AEPG support, the goal is to support innovative ideas that expose our students to new perspectives on the arts and humanities, and invites them to meaningfully participate in the production of these activities. The quality of the programming, as described within the grant— i.e. the experience of, exposure to, or interrogation of the arts and humanities provided to the audience, participants, and performers in the events — is our primary criteria in ranking grant applications. We encourage applications representing a wide range of perspectives from the performing and visual arts, letters, and humanities, allowing for an unlimited array of inquiries and concerns. 

These grants allow us to maximize students’ exposure to and interaction with high-quality, diversified activities, events, and experiences in the performing, visual, literary, and culinary arts. The Hammer Theatre, other performing and exhibition venues on and off campus, as well as outdoor spaces, 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 humanities are both supported by Artistic Excellence Grants.

(Updated 10/31/24)

Elements of the Proposal

Your grant proposal will require preliminary event planning and budget creation as well as considering how the event or programming impacts and engages students actively. We also ask that you think about equitable productions that offer a space for all students. See the FAQ for Writing your AEPG Proposal for a full description of everything required. 

Themes

We have new themes for 2025-2026: Home and Authenticity. See descriptions here. Proposals that effectively address one of the themes will receive an additional point in the overall score. 

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.  

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 $8000 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 $8000 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 $8000 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).

Purchasing & Travel

For information about travel and purchasing of materials, see the Proposal FAQ. 

Sample Proposals

FAQ & Planning

Application Materials

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 given department resources. 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 selecting proposals.

Evaluation of Applications

Getting Help with your Proposal 

Join one of the informational meetings for an overview of the AEPG program and funding requirements. 

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 H&A 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.