Deadline for application is APRIL 1, 2010

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Purpose

Etant donnés: The French-American Fund for Contemporary Art offers Curatorial Research Grants supporting the professional development of American curators by offering them extended stays of up to three months in France for research projects in the field of contemporary art. Ultimately the grants are intended to highlight and further current artistic interactions between France and the United States, facilitating the discovery of new talents and reinforcing interest in established contemporary artists, as well as encouraging the exploration of France’s cultural resources.

The application deadline for the program is APRIL 1, 2010 for research during the 2010/11 academic year. The new Curatorial Research Grant program complements and expands upon the opportunities for shorter stays available through the Invitation to France program operated by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States.

Eligibility

The grants are reserved for curators and scholars, who must be American citizens or legal residents of the United States for at least five years and have a minimum of three years of research or professional experience in the field. Preference is given to those who are currently employed by or have a specific project in collaboration with a nonprofit art space. Applicants must obtain authorization from their partner institutions to travel for the proposed period of research.

Eligible projects may include research for an exhibition or publication, travel to visit specific sites and collections, an intensive period of reading or writing or other projects that support professional development. If funding is requested for conducting research for an exhibition, preference will be given to projects at an early stage of their development. Eligible projects must be ongoing (not yet completed). Projects may be in the fields of visual art, architecture, design, video and new media. Priority will be given to research on living French artists.

Research grants do not cover institutional overhead costs or the planning of an exhibition apart from research. These grants are not intended to fund research for the completion of an academic degree and are therefore not generally offered to curators currently enrolled in a training or university program in the field.

Applicants may reapply for the same project only if significant changes have been made (change in artists, approach, etc). Grant recipients may only reapply after a hiatus of three years.

Terms

Applicants must apply by APRIL 1, 2010 for research during the 2010/2011 academic year. If more than one period of research are proposed within the year, they need not be consecutive.

Grants will consist of a $2,500 stipend per month and travel expenses covered up to a maximum of $2,500 total. Upon completing their research, all recipients will be required to write detailed descriptions documenting how their use of the grant fulfilled the program’s goals. Ideally, their specific research will translate to tangible results, such as a publication or exhibition. Recipients must agree to mention the support of Etant donnés: The French-American Fund for Contemporary Art, Curatorial Research Grants Program and other funding sources indicated by the Fund, on all communication materials regarding the research and its outcomes.

Grant recipients planning a three-month stay are given the opportunity to reserve housing at the Cité Internationale des arts in Paris. No other housing opportunities are offered in advance, the grants being nonresidential. Curators are expected to make their own travel and housing arrangements, although the Fund’s staff is available to advise them by suggesting contacts and providing other planning assistance.

Application Deadline

Complete application must be received at the Etant donnés office on or before
APRIL 1, 2010.
We regret that incomplete or late applications cannot be accepted for consideration.

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Review Process

Grants are awarded through an open competition administered by the Etant donnés Fund. Applications are reviewed by the Etant donnés Artistic Committee, composed of prominent curators, art critics and arts administrators, and judged on the quality of the proposed project and the applicant’s qualifications. The number of grants awarded per year is determined by the available funds and the same committee’s recommendations, with the objective of initiating the program with at least two awards.

Once the grants are awarded, the Program Officer and Program Coordinator of Etant donnés administer the program, helping advice on and coordinate the recipient’s stay in France. Payment of the stipend and travel expenses is only made once travel arrangements have been set. The Etant donnés Fund reserves the right to cancel or demand return of payments for any awards attributed based on false information or not used as agreed upon in advance.

Notification

Applicants will be notified of the Fund’s decisions in the spring as soon as possible after the deadline.

Application Instructions

Application materials should be typewritten in English.
Please provide all of the following application materials, in the order listed below.

1 Application Form: Fill out completely. Be sure to obtain the agreement of the museum or institution director authorizing a leave of absence.

2 Project Proposal
The application should include the following:
• A detailed description of the proposed project, including the project’s intellectual context and research methodology;
• An explanation of the role of French artists and research institutions in the project or the role of French and American artistic exchange;
• An explanation of the project’s current stage of development (a new project, a work in progress, or a project nearing completion), and what you hope to accomplish during the research period. If the project is one that is directly benefiting your institution (exhibition, etc.), please describe how the Etant donnés research grant would make a difference to the outcome of the project;
• An explanation of the way in which the project will contribute to your professional career and scholarly growth and development; and
• A description of your proposed travel itinerary, including specific locations to be visited in France, any institutional resources to be used (such as libraries, museums, archives, etc.), and length of stay(s).

3 Budget: Submit a detailed budget for the research period; include travel, research materials and stipend.

4 Curriculum Vitae (including a list of past curatorial projects and publications with dates, locations and your educational or training experience)

5 Writing Sample: Submit one sample of your written work in English, no more than ten pages. This may be an article, review, chapter of a book, or an essay. If possible, also include a writing sample in French (preferred but not required).

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Inquiries

Additional information about the Etant donnés Curatorial Research Grants is available online at or from the Fund office, by mail at the address bellow,
or by phone 212 439 1418, fax 212 439 1460,
or e-mail at: contemporaryart@facecouncil.org

Etant donnés: The French-American Fund for Contemporary Art
Curatorial Research Grants
972 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10075