STP&A’s Conference Scholarship is designed to support the efforts of graduate students and emerging scholars who may have no or minimal access to funds to support conference attendance in order to foster the dissemination and development of their research, and their professional development in the fields of arts management and policy. Each STP&A Conference Scholarship includes complimentary conference registration and $500 USD-equivalent to offset travel and lodging expenses. The number of scholarships awarded for a specific STP&A conference is contingent on funds available in that year. The STP&A Conference Scholarship was launched in 2023 with funding personally provided by members of STP&A’s Board of Directors.
Interested applicants who meet the eligibility criteria must provide their application materials at the time of submitting a paper proposal to the STP&A Conference. The ‘Required Application Materials’ detailed below should be prepared in advance and provided at the time of submitting a paper proposal to the STP&A Conference. STP&A Conference Scholarship applications will open and close at the same time as conference proposal submissions. Only applicants who have a paper proposal accepted to the conference will be considered for the scholarship. Review of scholarship applications occurs separately from peer-reviews of conference paper proposals.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be currently enrolled as graduate students, pre-tenured faculty, or early scholars.*
- Applicants must not have previously been awarded a STP&A Conference Scholarship.
- Applicants may not be current members of STP&A’s Board of Directors.
- Scholarship applicants may also apply to be considered for either the Emily Mulcahy Student Research Award or the Mulcahy Emerging Scholar Award, if they meet the eligibility criteria for the respective award.
*STP&A recognizes that research insights and contributions to the field and its advancement of knowledge stem from a range of arts administration, cultural policy, and adjacent fields and individuals who may hold differently structured roles within and outside academia that produce research and knowledge. Individuals who are not considered to be an emerging scholar by the description of pre-tenure should commensurately have 6 or fewer years of research activity within the field.
Required Application Materials
- A one-page self-nomination letter that includes:
- Applicant’s name and email address
- A brief statement of need to include costs to attend conference and discussion of other funding sources
- Explanation of commitment to contributing research insights to the fields of arts administration, cultural policy, and adjacent fields encompassed within STP&A’s mission
Please note: Only applicants who have a paper proposal accepted to the conference will be considered for the scholarship. Read more about submitting a paper proposal.
Selection Criteria
- Strength of the applicant’s nomination letter that is to include a brief statement of need for the scholarship.
- Demonstrated commitment to contributing research insights to the fields of arts administration, cultural policy, and adjacent fields as is demonstrated through the nomination letter and overall quality of the applicant’s accepted paper proposal.
Terms of the Scholarship
- STP&A Conference Scholarship applicants will be notified about the result of their scholarship application at the time of receiving notice, or shortly thereafter, about acceptance or decline of their paper proposal. Only applicants who have a paper proposal accepted to the conference will be considered for the scholarship.
- STP&A Conference Scholarship recipients will receive free registration prior to the conference and the equivalent of $500 USD on-site at the conference.
- STP&A Conference Scholarship recipients are required to register for the STP&A Conference by the date specified in their award notification or they forfeit receipt of the scholarship.
- STP&A Conference Scholarship recipients are expected to fully participate in the STP&A Conference throughout its duration.
- STP&A is not responsible for coordinating conference lodging, transportation, parking, or other travel related fees of Scholarship recipients.
Questions about the STP&A Conference Scholarship? Email scholarship@stpaconference.org