Request for Faculty Proposals

Illuminations seeks proposals for 2024-2025 events that manifest artistic excellence and enhance cultural understanding while also appealing to students from across campus.  Possible event formats include invited performances, lectures, screenings, exhibits, workshops, masterclasses, demonstrations, and panel conversations.

All events should:

  • incorporate a reflective component, such as an introduction, a lecture, a respondent, a Q&A session, or a reflective survey
  • address a broad audience with a primary focus on UCI undergraduates
  • enhance UCI’s visibility as a leader in the arts and humanities

We especially welcome events that:

  • integrate the arts and humanities with science and technology
  • encourage cross-cultural and transnational understanding and exchange
  • augment underrepresented voices
  • dovetail with curricular or campus initiatives, enrich GE offerings
  • build bridges with outside communities

The Chancellor’s Office will provide funding for a range of faculty-initiated events during the 2024-25 academic year. Proposals will be read and ranked by the Illuminations Campus Arts Council. Illuminations will work with grant recipients to promote each event through our calendar, but primary and substantial responsibility for event planning, production, and promotion will reside with the grant recipient and their originating unit.

We encourage you to seek partners outside of your department and school and design your project for a broad, interdisciplinary audience.  We expect the minimum size to be 50.

Award amount: $500 - $3,000

We expect events to take place on campus, but you may want to plan for remote options or design a remote event to engage international speakers. If you plan for a remote event, please include the media cost in your budget.  You are responsible for arranging your own media and other tech support.

Deadline: Sunday, June 2, 2024, at 11:59 pm.

Each applicant is limited to ONE proposal only.

Proposal Link

Guidelines for Illuminations Events and Co-sponsorships:

  1. UCI undergraduates must be the main audience.
  2. Event must be inclusive and welcoming to all members of the UCI community.
  3. Event must have a clear arts and culture component. We understand arts and culture broadly, to include consideration of the values and events of public life.
  4. Event must be free to UCI undergraduates.
  5. Event must be supervised and organized by a member of the Academic Senate, with access to sufficient staff support and space to produce the event.

Assessment Criteria:

  1. Quality and perception of the event: Will the event be of high quality and will it be perceived as such?
  2. Quality and clarity of responses: Are responses clear and well-written and covers all required elements?
  3. Student interest and participation: How will the event attract broad student interest? Are there specific plans for campus-wide or interdisciplinary outreach.
  4. How will the event promote faculty/student interaction?
  5. How does the event connect to curricular or academic goals?
  6. How will the event enhance UCI’s reputation and visibility as a leader in the arts and humanities?

Illuminations faculty grants do not fund:

  1. Faculty research and creative activities.
  2. Academic conferences.
  3. Existing or recurring quarterly or annual department programmatic events.

Students can be involved in organizing Illuminations events, but the proposal and grants must be submitted and supervised by a Senate faculty member.

Please fill our your proposal here