The ISM and Yale

This program is furloughed until at least Fall, 2027. However please register your interest with Rachel Segger.

The ISM provides resources for transportation, housing, program costs, and some staff support for a limited number of interdisciplinary travel seminars at Yale each year. The courses must:

• Be taught by two or more Yale faculty with different home department or schools. At least one faculty must be full-time ladder faculty. 
• Have up to twelve students from multiple departments or schools. 
• Cover material at least 50% of which pertains to the ISM’s mission. 

Initial inquiries can be made to Rachel Segger in the ISM director’s office.  Decisions are made by the ISM Director in consultation with the cognizant deans or department chairs and the provost’s office. (include Deadlines, and other relevant dates)

The ISM provides matching funds for a number of Yale faculty led events up to a maximum of $7,500 per event, with a particular focus that extends beyond the Institute’s core programs. These events must be presented on Yale’s campus and can include art exhibits, performances, conferences, lectures, etc. Email proposals and detailed budgets (including all expenses and other sources of revenue) to assistant director of the ISM, Dr. Eben Graves. Co-sponsorship requests for the Fall 2025 semester should be received by August 1, 2025, and requests for the Spring 2026 semester should be received by November 1, 2025. Requests that are not received by these deadlines may be reviewed on a rolling basis. Proposals are reviewed by a committee of faculty and approved by the ISM director. Staff support for the production of these events must come from the home academic unit.

Yale faculty can also apply for support that aligns with the ISM’s new initiative on Religion, Ecology, and Expressive Culture. The funding opportunities and limits for Yale faculty are the same as for research projects that originate outside of Yale. Please follow the link above for more information.

The ISM provides matching funds for a limited number of events that relate to its mission that are conceived and managed by student organizations officially recognized and supported by other academic units at Yale. The maximum funding for any one project is $5,000 and covers housing, honoraria, and travel. (include deadlines, and other relevant dates) The ISM does not support projects or initiatives that are directed solely by individual students, and funding cannot be used to pay students for their time as a stipend or wage, to conduct research, or to pay for living expenses. ISM matching funds will be transferred to the school or department through which the student organization is officially recognized. A full report of how funds were deployed is due within 30 days from the end of the project. 

Please include “Sponsored in part by the Yale Institute of Sacred Music” in your publicity materials. 

Email proposals and detailed budgets (including all expenses and other sources of revenue) to ISM assistant director, Dr. Eben Graves. 

Student organizations are welcome to apply each year. However, organizations that are applying for the first time for matching funds from the ISM may be prioritized over repeat applications.

Occasionally, the ISM is able to staff and fund other larger projects that pertain to its mission and we welcome your ideas which can be sent to Rachel Segger in the ISM’s director’s office.