PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA
2026 USC ARTS IN ACTION GRANTS PROGRAM FOR FACULTY AND STUDENTS

OVERVIEW

The mission of USC Arts in Action is to plant seeds for positive social change by creating and supporting intensive arts projects between community partners and USC faculty and students. Embodying USC’s six unifying values and building on the University’s commitment to addressing society’s most intractable problems, our projects span a wide range of art forms to address social issues including systemic racism, gender discrimination, homelessness, mass incarceration, sustainability, educational inequity, arts access, and health disparities.

Arts in Action invites USC faculty and students to submit preliminary proposals for community-based projects that address social issues, bring people together, facilitate dialogue, and create spaces to imagine and design future change. Awarded grantees should begin their projects no earlier than July 1, 2026.

WHO CAN APPLY?

• Faculty and current students from across USC are invited to apply. Please note that the primary applicant’s home department or school must manage funding for awarded projects.
• Proposals that include at least one faculty member from one of USC’s six arts schools are encouraged and will be prioritized.
• Teams comprised of faculty and/or students from multiple USC schools are encouraged.
• Students submitting a proposal must identify at least one faculty mentor as a key project team member. Faculty mentors should be willing to discuss the project with Arts in Action staff following the preliminary proposal stage if requested.

PROJECT CRITERIA

• Art Component. Eligible disciplines include visual art and design, dramatic arts, cinematic arts, media arts, music, dance, and architecture. Projects involving multiple art forms are welcome and encouraged.
• Collaboration. Arts in Action projects are participant-driven, challenging the separation between “artists” and “audiences.” We prioritize artwork that grows from a shared process, where the collaborative act of creating the work is a core part of a project’s impact and value.
• Community Partnership. All projects should include a minimum of one community partner. The proposed project should be developed with participation from the proposed partner(s), benefiting or addressing the needs of the community they serve.
• Addressing a Social Issue(s). The proposed project or applicant must demonstrate understanding and knowledge of the social issue(s) the project is addressing.
• Student Involvement and Engagement. All projects should involve USC student participation. The proposed project should be designed with the goal of offering students opportunities to participate in the project.
• Quality and Impact. Projects should be of high quality and demonstrate the potential to contribute to social change. We encourage applicants to consider how their collaborative artistic process might create impact at multiple levels—from individual participants to broader community and systemic change.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• The project may include hosting a free public event, such as a workshop, performance, or service activity, but this should not be the project’s primary focus.
• Projects should identify at least one community partner. Partners do not need to be confirmed at the preliminary proposal stage.
• Work that takes place off campus and in community settings is strongly encouraged.
• Proposals should demonstrate the project’s potential impacts and feasibility of achieving its objectives.
• Faculty are not required to include a course component in the project. If included, the course should be open to students outside the school or department.
• Faculty proposals should not rely on course components to meet the student involvement guideline.

RETURNING APPLICANTS

• Returning applicants may apply for funding for the same project for up to three consecutive years. We are especially interested in projects demonstrating growth and highlighting a new phase or development. Repeat funding is not guaranteed.
• All grantees must complete the required grantee report at the end of the project. Returning applicants who have not completed the report will not be considered.
• Returning applicants are not restricted from applying for and receiving additional Arts in Action grant funding if those funds are used for a new project. Applicants must demonstrate that the project serves another community, occurs in different spaces and times, and achieves fundamentally distinct programmatic outcomes.

WHAT WE DON’T FUND

• Faculty courses and Maymesters are not funded, but project proposals may include a course component.
• Art commissions are not funded.
• Film productions are not funded but may be listed as a project component if they support the overall objectives of the project.
• Event-based projects (i.e., conferences, concerts, festivals, fairs) are not funded.

PROJECT EXAMPLES

 Please review eligible project types HERE. More information about all Arts in Action projects can be found at artsinaction.usc.edu/project.

HOW TO APPLY

USC Arts in Action uses Common Grant Application to manage the application process. Interested faculty and students should submit preliminary proposals online by 11:00 p.m. on Friday, January 30, 2026.

Please register or begin your application at one of the following links:

• Register as a first-time user
• Log in as a returning user

Please note that the CommonGrantApplication.com system will automatically close at the grant deadline.

After the preliminary proposals are reviewed by the Arts in Action advisory committee, selected applicants will receive instructions on how to submit a full proposal. If invited to submit a full proposal, applicants must submit a letter of support from their school’s chair or dean.

INFORMATION SESSION

Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 1 p.m. Zoom details will be shared with those who RSVP.

Applicants are encouraged to participate in this informational session and Q&A to learn more about Arts in Action funded projects and what it takes to create a successful proposal and project. To RSVP, email artsinaction@usc.edu.

KEY DATES

• Friday, January 30, 2026, 11:00 p.m.: Preliminary proposals due
• Early March 2026: Request for full applications sent out to successful applicants
• Friday, April 10, 2026, 11:00 p.m.: Full proposals due
• May 2026: Successful applicants notified
• July 1, 2026: Project implementation period begins