Grants Available to ISM Students
The Institute of Sacred Music offers a number of grants to support student participation in music competitions, professional events (conferences), summer language study, collaborative projects, for Colloquium presentation research and/or performances, and professional learning opportunities (for seniors). Each grant has specific guidelines and allowable expenses, as detailed below and on each application form. The appropriate grant request form and proposed budget (expenses) must be submitted for consideration well in advance of proposed activities. Students will be notified when their applications have been approved. Grant payments will be made in the form of reimbursements for approved expenses, with the exception of language courses at Yale, for which tuition funding is applied directly to the student’s Yale account. Receipts must be submitted for each item.
Contact: Kristen Forman, Executive Assistant to the Director
* Indicates grants also available to non-ISM students in the M.A.R. program in Religion and the Arts or Liturgical Studies.
Colloquium Presentation
Grants are awarded to support research and/or presentations expenses (Up to $750 per team, or $500 for solo presenters). Appropriate research expenditures include transportation (air, train, taxi services, parking, and mileage) and accommodation expenses. The ISM will not reimburse students for textbooks / CDs, computer software, purchase of A/V equipment, or food. Students may hire singers or instrumentalists, by the hour, for participation in rehearsals leading up to a presentation, and for participation in the presentation itself. Flat fees may not be negotiated. The singer / instrumentalist hourly rate for payment is $18/hr. ISM students cannot be paid for the actual performance in Colloquium.
Colloquium Presentation Grant Form
Music Competition (for ISM-YSM students)
Grants will be awarded to music students who have been invited to compete in a competition for which the organizer is not funding the performer’s expenses. Grants will cover registration costs, travel, and accommodation expenses only. A copy of the organization’s invitation letter and conference/workshop regulations must be submitted with the grant application form. Students may apply for more than one music competition grant per year, for a combined total of $500 maximum.
Professional Event (ISM-YDS students and non-ISM MARs*)
Divinity students may use the grant to cover costs associated with professional conferences in which they are invited to present a paper. Grants will cover registration costs, travel, and accommodation expenses only. A copy of the organization’s invitation letter and conference/workshop regulations must be provided with the grant application form. Students may apply for more than one professional event grant per year, for a combined total of $500 maximum.
Professional Learning Opportunity (for ISM/YDS seniors, and graduating Organ students)
ISM faculty have available some funds to support group educational travel for their students in the ISM (e.g., post-Study Trip or other departmental excursions). When they opt not to use these funds, students may apply for individual use. The purpose of this grant is to put you in a learning environment with other professionals or professionals-in-training that relate to your field of study. Funding of up to $2,000 per student is to be used to support your academic program through attendance at conferences or professional meetings, or enrollment in summer courses. ISM/YDS students and Organ students graduating in spring 2022 may use this grant for activities through July 31, 2022. Application deadline is May 31, 2022.
Requirements
- If you opt for a conference or professional meeting, it must be sponsored by a chartered organization (CAA, NAAL, Societas Liturgica, AMS, MLA, AGO, etc.).
- If you opt for a summer course, it must be one with accountability, and you must write a report at the end about the work you put in. This report must be submitted to the Director’s office upon completion, and you must receive a passing grade in order to be reimbursed.
- In rare instances, students may use this grant to engage faculty outside of Yale for reading courses. Students who are interested in exploring this option are encouraged to begin the process early as the proposal needs special permission
Professional Learning Opportunity Grant Form
Collaborative Project
The purpose of this grant is to foster interdisciplinary projects that extend the mission of the ISM to the New Haven region, and to promote integrated learning between Music and Divinity students in the ISM.
Projects may be proposed by a pair of students (1 Divinity/1 Music) for funding up to $2,500, or by two pairs (2 Divinity and 2 Music) for funding of up to $5,000. Projects may include a wide range of things: literary readings, film projects, hymn festivals, choral evensongs, art shows, educational events in local schools or churches, small symposia, etc. Since a limited number of slots are available, applications that relate to the ISM theme of the year will be most favored.
Requirements
- Each project must be planned collaboratively one or two pairs of ISM students from both schools: Divinity and Music. The proposal must show that the students are equal partners in planning and execution.
- Each project must have a minimum of two faculty advisers, at least one of whom is in the ISM. Advisers are responsible for guiding the project at every level and must be consulted constantly throughout the project.
- The project must be completed within a 12-month period and before the students have graduated, and students must prove in their application that this work will not interfere with their other areas of study.
- The project may relate to the students’ Colloquium presentations.
- Students bear all the work for the development and publicity of the project, though staff will be needed to coordinate room reservations, calendar, and assist in budget preparation. The staff is not available for any further support than these items.
- All publicity and use of the ISM name must be approved by the Director.
- An application with a 350-word essay describing the nature of the project, the beneficiaries, and the way this relates to the ISM mission, along with a detailed budget and complete list of active participants, is due Nov. 15.
- Should the project need to hire outside participants, ISM pay scales must be used. No part of the grant may be used as a donation to other people or organizations. As a rule, the grant will not cover travel for any of the grantees, nor can more than 10% of the grant be used for food or drink.
Collaborative Project Grant Form
Summer Language Study (ISM students and non-ISM MARs*)
The ISM provides a grant of up to $3,350 for summer language courses, including the summer following a student’s graduation. For a Yale language program, the grant is applied to the student’s tuition bill. In the case of language study at other universities in the U.S. or abroad, reimbursement is given once the student completes the course and presents a transcript with a passing grade. For language study abroad, the ISM reimburses only up to $335.00 for housing and travel. The maximum total grant is still $3,350. No other expenses are eligible for reimbursement. Application deadline is May 13.