2024-2025 VRA Professional Development Grant Call for Applications

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to invite applications for the 2024-2025 VRA Professional Development Grant. Applications are accepted January 18 – March 1, 2024.

The VRA Professional Development Grant awards up to $1,000 to support professional development in the field of visual resources and cultural heritage information management. The grant can be used to participate in a professional development opportunity of the grantee’s choosing (e.g., a conference, symposium, or workshop), or to enroll in relevant research activities (e.g., hands-on field work or a site visit for scholarly purposes). Priority will be given to applications that

• enable a leadership role at an event, including, but not limited to, giving a paper, teaching a workshop, or chairing a committee; 

• support research that shows promise to lead to publication and contributes to the visual resources and cultural heritage information management community; and 

• provide evidence that receiving the grant will benefit the applicant as well as an institution, community, or region.

A complete description of the Professional Development Grant and application instructions are available at https://www.vraweb.org/professional-development-grant.

Please share this announcement with anyone who might be interested.

Announcing the 2023-2024 VRA Project Grant Recipient

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to present the 2023-2024 VRA Project Grant in the amount of $3,000 to Virginia Seymour, Head Librarian of Research and Instruction, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

In an effort to preserve and make accessible an invaluable piece of animation history for a broader audience, SCAD Libraries will launch a pilot processing and digitization project for the Don Bluth Collection of Animation. VRA funding to support this work will enable SCAD Libraries to hire a graduate intern to assist in rehousing, inventorying, metadata creation, and scanning for up to 200 hours. This project seeks to expand online and in-person access to the Don Bluth Collection, focusing initially on materials related to the film An American Tail (1986) while laying a long-term foundation to process and digitize the remaining sixteen productions in the collection.

Announcing the VRA Travel Awards Endowment! ✈

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is thrilled to announce the establishment of the Travel Awards Endowment. Founded through the generosity of a fellow VRA member, the fund provides long-term support for the Travel Awards program. 

We’re off to a great start, but we need your help to grow the endowment! 💰💰💰

Our goal is to get the Travel Awards Endowment to its first milestone, $15,000, by the end of 2023. To get us rolling, the donor has generously offered $5,000 as a base fund. To provide additional inspiration to potential supporters, they have also agreed to match the first $5,000 in donations. 🎉

Since sharing news of the endowment at the annual conference last week we have received $1,800 in contributions from our community, which will be matched. That means the fund currently stands at $8,600 in pledges. Help us make our goal of $15,000 by donating today!

All donations made toward the fund increase the total amount of funding available to the Travel Awards program each year. Your tax-deductible contribution enriches the professional lives of your visual resources colleagues by making conference participation more accessible. Many of us have benefited from the Travel Awards program; it’s time to give back! 

No donation is too small--and remember, whatever you give will be doubled until we hit $5,000 in matching funds!

Please consider donating today. 💙

DONATE TO THE TRAVEL AWARDS ENDOWMENT

2023-2024 VRA Project Grant Call for Applications

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to invite applications for the 2023-2024 VRA Project Grant. Applications are accepted September 18 - November 3, 2023.

The Project Grant awards up to $3,000 to support projects in the field of visual resources and image management. The project must be completed within one year from the time the grant is formally accepted. The funds may be used for stand-alone projects or pilots, start-up financing for larger projects, or for a component of a larger project. Collaborative projects and those proposed by groups, whether or not affiliated with an organization or institution, are encouraged. Of particular interest are innovative projects with results that can have a broad impact and be shared with the global community. Categories to be considered for funding include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Metadata for Visual Media

• Visual Media Cataloguing Standards

• Visual Media Data Standards

• Digitization Projects of Special or Unique Collections (Educational Institutions, Libraries, Museums)

• Visual Literacy

• Technology Development for Visual Media Management and Pedagogy

• Intellectual Property Rights

A complete description of the Project Grant and application instructions are available at https://www.vraweb.org/project-grant.

Please share this announcement with anyone who might be interested.

Announcing the 2023-2024 VRA Internship Award Recipient

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to announce the 2023-2024 VRA Internship Award in visual resources and image management. This award was generously funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Marco Lanier, a graduate student at Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts, is the recipient of the 11th Internship Award. He will receive $3,000 to work a minimum of 200 hours at The History Project, which is a volunteer-driven organization that maintains one of the largest independent LGBTQ+ archives in the nation.

Through his internship, Marco will digitize a selection of visual resources from The History Project's collection of Gay Community News (GCN), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and make the selection accessible through the archives' digital collections platform. GCN is an influential Boston-based newspaper that reported on LGBTQ+ life and issues across the US. As part of the newspaper's 50th anniversary, The History Project is organizing a series of panel discussions about GCN in collaboration with the Massachusetts Historical Society. Digitizing and ensuring access to these materials will be of considerable value to the public and enhance the impact of The History Project’s public programming, education, and outreach efforts.  

The VRA is pleased to support the education and practical training of emerging professionals through this internship award. The Internship Award Committee (Linda Callahan, Liz Gadelha, and Sagan Thacker, our previous awardee) appreciates the careful thought that went into every proposal. We are grateful to the Kress Foundation for its assistance and for recognizing the potential of this award to foster the next generation of visual resource professionals.

Announcing the Recipients of the vrcHost Membership Awards

The vrcHost Membership Awards provide a year of individual VRA membership, and chapter memberships of the recipient’s choice, with the full benefits of being a VRA member, including but not limited to: access to the VRA Listserv; opportunities to publish in the open access VRA Bulletin; discounted registration for the annual national VRA conference; continuing education opportunities; and other mentoring and networking opportunities. They are intended to provide VRA memberships to engage new members in the organization and to help existing members, who might need financial assistance to retain their VRA membership.

These new awards are sponsored by vrcHost, a company that offers comprehensive solutions for the Madison Digital Image Database (MDID) project--installation, integration, hosting, customization, and software development--while also serving as the exclusive agent for the Archivision Research Library, which provides professional architecture and art photography with rich metadata for educational purposes. VRA is grateful for this generous subvention.

The VRA Awards Committee is delighted to announce that twelve information professionals have been selected as recipients of the 2023 vrcHost Membership Awards. Congratulations to:

• Ezekiel Amari McGee, University of California, Davis

• Gina Caprari, San Francisco State University

• Charlie P. Coffey, Wesleyan University

• Jennifer Galipo, MLIS, SJSU

• Joan Jocson-Singh, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

• Peter Kaiser, Student, Pratt Institute

• Gina Palumbo, Independent

• Mimosa Shah, Harvard Radcliffe Institute

• Molly Schoen, Fashion Institute of Technology

• Michelle Schweickart, University of Dayton

• Warner West, University of Richmond

• and those still processing membership or wishing to remain anonymous.

Please join us in welcoming these new members to the Visual Resources Association and in thanking vrcHost for funding these inaugural awards.

With much appreciation,

VRA Awards Committee

Sarah Beck (Lafayette University)

Maureen Burns (IMAGinED Consulting & Archivision Associate)

Linda Callahan (Mount Holyoke College, retired)

Dawn Feavyour (Independent)

Marcia Focht (Binghamton University, retired)

Ann McShane (Emory University)

Summer Shetenhelm (Yale University)

Margaret Webster (Cornell University, retired)

and with special thanks to Alexandra Scholten (University of Chicago) from VREPS for providing valuable assistance on the planning subcommittee

Announcing the VRA 2023 Travel Award Winners! ✈

The VRA Travel Awards Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of Travel Awards for the 2023 VRA Conference in San Antonio, TX.  The application pool this year was strong, and we are pleased to be able to fund nine excellent applications:

• John Adebayo, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee – New Horizons Student Award and Luraine Tansey/VRA top-up Award

• Sarah Byrd, Fashion Institute of Technology – New Horizons Award and Luraine Tansey/VRA Top-up Award

• Johana Canales, University of Alabama – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Award

• Charlie Coffey, Wesleyan University - Luraine Tansey/VRA Travel Award

• Allie Craver, Pérez Art Museum Miami – Luraine Tansey/VRA Travel Award

• Rachel DeNagy, University of Colorado, Boulder – Garneta E. Taormina Memorial Student Award and Luraine Tansey/VRA Top-up Award

• Matt Ely, North Dakota State Archives – New Horizons Award

• Elisabeth Narkin, National Gallery of Art - Kathe Hicks Albrecht Award

• Wen Nie Ng, Virgina Tech - Luraine Tansey/VRA Travel Award

The Travel Awards Committee thanks all of this year’s applicants. Additional thanks go to our generous travel award sponsors and the VRA Executive Board for their support of the Travel Awards Committee. 

Congratulations again to this year’s recipients,

Dr. Jeannine Keefer,

Chair, Travel Awards Committee

Deadline Extended: VRA 2023 Travel Awards ✈

Good news! The deadline to apply for a VRA Travel Award has been extended to July 30th!

Travel Awards are here to provide financial support for your attendance at the 2023 VRA Conference in San Antonio, September 26-28, 2023. You do not need to be a member of the VRA to apply for a Travel Award.

Travel Awards Application

A preliminary conference schedule can be found here: https://vra2023.sched.com/​. To assist with budgeting conference registration fees and the hotel rate are available on the conference webpage.

Before you apply, please read "Travel Award Rules and Guidelines” for VRA Travel Awards Applicants, and "Types of Travel Awards," both linked here as PDFs.

Please also note that award checks are scheduled to be mailed to recipients after the Awards ceremony at the conference and as such, recipients will not have acce​ss to those funds ​ahead of the conference to set against travel expenses. 

Travel Awards are intended to provide partial support for an individual's conference attendance, and typically supplement support from one's employer and/or personal resources​. 

We always suggest budgeting for the conference hotel if you can manage it. Staying at the Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio supports the organization and provides ample time to get to know your fellow attendees. It is also a great deal this year! VRA has secured rooms at the special conference rate of $169 (+taxes) per night.

The list of recipients will be announced the week of August 11. Contact the Travel Awards Committee at travelawards@vraweb.org with any questions.

Announcing the VRA 2023 Travel Awards! ✈

We are delighted to announce that VRA Travel Awards are available for attendance at the 2023 VRA conference in San Antonio, September 26-28, 2023! The application submission deadline is July 7 at 11:59 pm EDT​. The list of recipients will be announced the week of July 31. Contact the Travel Awards Committee at travelawards@vraweb.org with any questions.

A preliminary conference schedule can be found here: https://vra2023.sched.com/​. To assist with budgeting, the conference registration fees and hotel rate are available on the conference webpage.

Before you apply, PLEASE READ "Travel Award Rules and Guidelines” for VRA Travel Awards Applicants, and "Types of Travel Awards," both linked here as PDFs.

You do not need to be a member of the VRA to apply for a Travel Award.

Travel Awards Application

Please also note that award checks are scheduled to be mailed to recipients after the Awards ceremony at the conference and as such, recipients will not have acce​ss to those funds ​ahead of the conference to set against travel expenses. 

Travel Awards are intended to provide partial support for an individual's conference attendance, and typically supplement support from one's employer and/or personal resources​. 

For 2023, we are fortunate to have generous financial support from sponsors and funds provided by the membership including: 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Award. Up to $1,000

Earmarked for applicants from underrepresented and underserved communities, which may include but is not limited to: neurodiversity, persons with (in)visible disabilities, gender identity, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, socioeconomic status, religion, sex, age.

Two New Horizons awards.  $850 to $700 each

Earmarked for applicants in one or more of the following categories:  first-time conferee, solo, part-time, or geographically isolated practitioner.

Tansey awards. $1000-$400 each

These awards are intended for applicants with insufficient (or no) institutional support from their employer or academic program.

Tansey Top-Up awards. $300-$250 each

These awards are intended for applicants who have demonstrated need for only partial support on top of other funding (typically from employers or graduate programs).  

New Horizons Student award. $300

Earmarked for a currently enrolled student.

Garneta E. Taormina Memorial Student Travel award. $300

For full-time graduate students enrolled in an accredited degree program and considering a career in visual resources and/or digital humanities. 

More awards may become available and will be announced via email, as well as further details about the conference. Please email travelawards@vraweb.org if you have any questions not answered by the documents noted above. 

So don't delay - apply today!

Apply now! VRA 2023-2024 Internship Award

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to invite applications for the 11th VRA Internship Award in visual resources and image management. This internship is generously funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Applications are accepted May 15 - July 31, 2023.

The VRA Internship Award provides financial support for graduate students and recent graduates preparing for a career in visual resources and image management. The award grants $3,000 to support a period of internship in archives, libraries, museums, visual resources collections in academic institutions, or other appropriate contexts. It also provides $1,000 for professional development along with a one-year complimentary student membership in the Visual Resources Association.

Candidates should apply after developing a project with a specific collection and prospective supervisor. Priority is given to applicants who submit projects that support art historical or related visual cultural heritage research and scholarship. The VRA Internship Award Committee favors opportunities in which the intern may integrate skills acquired during the course of the intern’s academic training to manage a project from beginning to end, with the host institution receiving needed help in making valuable cultural collections visible. Projects that would not occur without funding for an intern may be given special consideration.

A complete description of the internship and application instructions are available at the bottom of our Internship Award page.

Announcing the Fall 2022 VRA Professional Development Grant Recipient

The Executive Board of the Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to announce the Fall 2022 VRA Professional Development Grant in the amount of $1000 to Yolanda Bustos, Museum Archivist and Library Resources Manager at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

 Yolanda developed an in-house digitization program at the museum and has digitized over 10,000 assets. In reviewing the current efforts, she has identified three areas that would enhance the success of the department's efforts: Taxonomies, Resource and Metadata Sharing, and Grant Writing.Taking advantage of support from VRA, she will attend Heather Hedden's "Taxonomies and Controlled Vocabularies" online course as well as two offerings from the Library Juice Academy. We hope she enjoys the courses a great deal and look forward to a report of how they will help the museum's digitization plans.The VRA Professional Development Grant Program reflects the broad mission of the VRA to support professional development in the field of visual resources and visual information management. The grant can be used to participate in a professional development opportunity of the grantee’s choosing (such as a conference, symposium, workshop, online education), or to enroll in relevant research activities (such as hands-on field work or a site visit for scholarly purposes).For more information about the VRA, the VRA Professional Development Grant, and other VRA programs, please visit vraweb.org.

Announcing the 2022-2023 VRA Internship Award Recipient

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to announce the 2022-2023 VRA Internship Award in visual resources and image management. This award was generously funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.Sagan Thacker of Asheville, North Carolina, is the recipient of the 10th Internship Award. They will receive $3,000 to work a minimum of 200 hours at the Black Mountain College Museum. Through their internship, Sagan will help launch the museum’s first online portal, which will make its holdings viewable to the general public. In the course of their work, Sagan will describe artworks and other objects held by the museum, digitize objects, and update public-facing records.The Association is pleased to support the education and practical training of emerging professionals through this internship award. The Internship Award Committee (Linda Callahan, Bonnie Rosenberg, Robb Detlefs, and Andrew Weymouth, our previous awardee) appreciates the careful thought that went into every proposal. We are grateful to the Kress Foundation for its assistance and for recognizing the potential of this award to foster the next generation of visual resource professionals.

Call for Applications: Fall 2022 VRA Professional Development Grant

DEADLINE: September 30, 2022The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications for the VRA Professional Development Grant program. This program offers two $1000 grants yearly (which may be divided amongst one or more grantees). This grant can be used to support conference participation, enroll in a workshop, for an online education opportunity, or for research activities.VRA membership is not required to apply. Applicants should have a professional interest in visual resources and cultural heritage information management and may include retirees, the currently unemployed, and students seeking educational and training opportunities in support of broad access to cultural information.For consideration, please submit your application by Friday, September 30th, 2022 at 11:59PM Pacific Time at https://forms.gle/V6XYRRGUKk8dYc2G8. If you have any questions about the VRA Professional Development Grant or the application process, please contact the VRA Grants Officer at grants@vraweb.org. The recipient(s) of the Fall 2022 VRA Professional Development grant will be announced by Friday, October 7, 2022, and funds must be used before October 7, 2023.

There's still time! Apply now for the VRA Internship Award

There’s still time! To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the VRA Internship Award, we are extending this year’s application deadline to August 19, 2022.Generously funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the VRA Internship Award provides financial support for graduate students and recent graduates preparing for a career in visual resources and image management. The award grants $3,000 to support a period of internship in archives, libraries, museums, visual resources collections in academic institutions, or other appropriate contexts. It also provides $1,000 for professional development, and a one-year complimentary student membership in the Visual Resources Association.Candidates should apply after developing a project with a specific collection and prospective supervisor. Priority will be given to applicants who submit projects that support art historical or related visual cultural heritage research and scholarship. The VRA Internship Award Committee favors opportunities in which the intern may integrate skills acquired during the course of his or her academic training to manage a project from beginning to end, with the host institution receiving needed help in making valuable but hidden cultural collections visible. Projects that would not occur without funding for an intern may be given special consideration. A complete description of the internship and application instructions are available at: https://vraweb.org/opportunities/awards/internship-award/.Applications are due on August 19, 2022. The award recipient for 2022-2023 will be announced on September 5, 2022.

Announcing the 2022 VRA Project Grant Recipient

The Visual Resources Association Executive Board is pleased to present the 2022 VRA Project Grant in the amount of $3000 to Carolyn Lucarelli, Manager, Center for Virtual/Material Studies at Penn State. The Center will collaborate on this project with the School of Theatre.During the fall 2022 semester, an undergraduate student will be hired to complete a digital inventory of the Fashion Archive. New identification numbers will be assigned while each piece is carefully photographed and documented (making use of the CostumeCore standard as funded in the 2019 Project Grant).In accordance with the VRA Project Grant Program and VRA mission to support broad access to visual and cultural information, the VRA is pleased to support an interdisciplinary project that will provide open access to not just the Penn State community but also costume and fashion historians online.The 2022 Project Grant Application process is now completed. Please check back in 2023 for the next Project Grant application announcement.For further information about the Project Grant Program, including eligibility and previous winners please see the Project Grant webpage. 

Apply now! VRA 2022 Project Grant

DEADLINE: May 27, 2022The Visual Resources Association 2022 Project Grant application period is now open. This grant program supports projects which reflect the VRA's mission to advance education, research, and outreach in the field of visual resources and image management.  A single grant is available during the spring 2022 cycle with up to $3000 to be awarded. This funding may be used for a stand-alone project, a pilot or start-up financing for a larger project, or for a significant component of a larger project. In general, collaborative projects and those proposed by groups, whether or not affiliated with an organization or institution, are encouraged. In addition, innovative projects that result in a broader impact and be shared throughout the global community are of particular interest. Due to the Coronavirus, we encourage applicants to submit proposals that can be accomplished remotely.  Categories to be considered for funding include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:  

• Metadata for Visual Media 
• Visual Media Cataloguing Standards 
• Visual Media Data Standards 
• Digitization Projects of Special or Unique Collections (Educational Institutions, Libraries, Museums) 
• Visual Literacy 
• Technology Development for Visual Media Management and Pedagogy 
• Intellectual Property Rights  

The project must be completed within one year from the time the grant is formally accepted. The grant will be disbursed in two increments: $1500 at the start of the granting period, and $1500 pending the submission of a mid-project progress report. A final report, including a financial statement, on how the funds contributed to the project is due within one month of the project’s completion. Failure to complete the proposed project may result in the grantee returning the funds.  More information about the Project Grants, including the application form and previous recipients, can be found on the Visual Resources Association's website.For full consideration, please submit your application by Friday, May 27, 2022, 11:59PM Pacific Time. The recipient of the VRAF Project Grant will be announced by June 3, 2022. The Visual Resources Association has United States Internal Revenue Service status as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit entity. All elements of a proposed project must be performed within the legal parameters of United States local, regional, and federal government requirements. International applications are welcome from institutions or individuals provided applicant institutions have the equivalent of US non-profit status, and applicant individuals have a similar non-profit, educational purpose. If you have further questions about the Project Grant Program or the application process, please contact the VRA Executive Board Grants Officers.On behalf of the VRA Executive BoardRobb DetlefsBonnie Rosenberg

Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) announces the Winter 2020 Professional Development Grant Recipient

The Board of Directors of the Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) is pleased to announce the Winter 2020 VRAF Professional Development Grant in the amount of $1000 to Meghan Lyon, a MSLIS Student Graduate Assistant at the Pratt School of Information's Semantic Lab, and a NYARC Web Archiving Fellow at the Frick Art Reference Library.Meghan Lyon, plans on utilizing the funds to attend the 2020 Society for American Archivists (SAA) National Conference, which will be in Chicago, Illinois from August 3-8, 2020. Lyon will be a co-presenter at a session titled, "Digital Access and preservation in Artists' Archives: Challenges, Strategies, and Solutions". She will be discussing research regarding the ontology development that supports the Semantic Lab Wikibase, otherwise known as DADAlytics, a prototype toolchain that converts text-based content from images to knowledge graphs. The intention is to make a publicly accessible and community driven DADAlytics toolchain along with the research datasets created by the Semantic Lab and place them on their Wikibase and Github instances.The VRAF Professional Development Grant Program reflects the broad mission of the VRAF to support professional development in the field of visual resources and visual information management. The grant can be used to participate in a professional development opportunity of the grantee’s choosing (such as a conference, symposium, workshop, online education), or to enroll in relevant research activities (such as hands-on field work or a site visit for scholarly purposes). For more information about the VRAF, the VRAF Professional Development Grant, and other VRAF programs, please visit vrafoundation.org.On behalf of the VRAF Board of Directorsvrafoundation@gmail.comvrafoundation.orgtwitter.com/vrafoundationfacebook.com/visrafoundation/

Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) announces 2019 Professional Development Grant Recipient

The Board of Directors of the Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) is pleased to present the winter 2019 VRAF Professional Development Grant in the amount of $1000 to Dr. Claudy Op den Kamp, Senior Lecturer in Film at the Faculty Member Centre for Intellectual Property Policy & Management, Bournemouth University.

Claudy Op den Kamp, plans on utilizing the funds to attend the 2019 Visual Resources Association (VRA) National Conference, which will be in Los Angeles, California from March 26-29^th. Op den Kamp will be a co-presenter at a session titled, Special Topics in Intellectual Property Rights: Motion Pictures, Archival Footage, and Film in Pedagogy. She will be discussing Intellectual Property Rights interdisciplinary issues in the talk and from her new book, A History of Intellectual Property in 50 Objects (Cambridge University Press, May 2019) in which she co-edited, designed, researched images and gained image clearances for the publication. The information in this professional development journey is leading her to create a new publication “Object 51: Copyright, Digital Cultural Heritage and Academic Publishing,” which regards the process and production of A History of Intellectual Property in 50 Objects. Information for the second publication will be gathered at the VRA LA 2019 Conference with the intent to contribute to the wider cultural heritage community.

The VRAF Professional Development Grant Program reflects the broad mission of the VRAF to support professional development in the field of visual resources and cultural heritage information management. The grant can be used to participate in a professional development opportunity of the grantee’s choosing (such as a conference, symposium, workshop, online education), or to enroll in relevant research activities (such as hands-on field work or a site visit for scholarly purposes). For more information about the VRAF, the VRAF Professional Development Grant, and other VRAF programs, please visit vrafoundation.com.

On behalf of the VRAF Board of Directors.
vrafoundation@gmail.com
vrafoundation.com
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2019 VRA Foundation Professional Development Grant: Call for Applications

The Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications for the VRAF Professional Development Grant program. This program offers two $1000 grants yearly. This grant can be used to support conference participation, enroll in a workshop, for an online education opportunity, or for research activities. For consideration, please submit your application by Friday, February 22, 2019, 11:59pm Pacific Time. If you have any questions about the VRAF Professional Development Grant or the application process, and to submit your application go here: https://goo.gl/forms/mLrZCo7VdQrup3nf2 or please contact the VRAF Board of Directors at vrafoundation@gmail.com. To obtain further details about the VRAF, the VRAF Professional Development Grant, and other VRAF programs, please visit vrafoundation.com. The recipient of the 2019 VRAF Professional Development grant will be announced by Friday, March 1, 2019, and must be used before March 1, 2020.

Purpose:

The purpose of the VRAF Professional Development grant is to support professional development in the field of visual resources and cultural heritage information management. The grant can be used to participate in a professional development opportunity of the grantee’s choosing (such as a conference, symposium, workshop, online education), or to enroll in relevant research activities (such as hands-on field work or a site visit for scholarly purposes). Priority will be given to applications that include participation at a conference (giving a paper, teaching a workshop, chairing a committee, etc.); research that shows promise to lead to publication or contributes to the visual resources and cultural heritage information management community; or to applications that can demonstrate that the receiving the opportunity will have a broader benefit to an institution or region. Please note that recipients of the award are required to submit a report outlining how the award contributed to his or her professional development within 30 days following the event.

Eligibility:

• Applicants should have a professional interest in visual resources and cultural heritage information management, and may include retirees, the currently unemployed, or students seeking educational and training opportunities in support of broad access to cultural information.
• Membership in the Visual Resources Association is not required.
• Statements of financial need will be strongly considered.

Acceptable Uses of Award Money:

• Transportation costs to and from the event venue
• Registration fees or tuition
• Required course materials (e.g., work books, DVDs)
• Lodging 
• Meals – including meals in transit to and from the educational event
• Research expenses

Grant monies may not be used to cover indirect costs (a percentage of grant money taken by the grantee’s institution to cover perceived overhead)

Application Criteria:

• A goals statement outlining the opportunity, how it will benefit your work, and any potential contributions this opportunity may allow you to make beyond your own professional development.
• A comprehensive budget and breakdown of your proposed travel, lodging, meal, and other expenses. When costs are estimated, please explain (e.g., “roundtrip airfare on United as determined via Expedia search”; my lodging costs reflect an estimate for a shared room). If your institution requires you to use a specific airline, or has set a corporate airfare rate, please note this in the comments section. Be as clear and complete as possible about other funding support you will receive or are applying for, such as from your home institution, or other grants and awards.
• Your resume/curriculum vitae

Application:

Please submit an online application to be considered for a VRAF Professional Development Grant.

On behalf of the VRA Board of Directors
vrafoundation@gmail.com
vrafoundation.com
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