2026 Independent Projects Grants

Jointly administered with the League since 2022, Independent Projects is NYSCA’s artist support program for design fields, including architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation, biodesign, community-centered design, fashion, graphic, industrial, and interior design. The League will directly receive all applications and, together with NYSCA, will convene a panel of experts in design who will evaluate submissions and select projects for funding.

In the 2026 cycle, Independent Projects will award 25 grants of $10,000 for New York State-based individuals or teams of individuals in design fields whose work seeks to answer the question: Where can design go next?

Program goals

For many years, both NYSCA and the League have supported diverse and creative explorations in design. Recognizing design as an art form that can enhance our quality of life, Independent Projects seeks proposals that emphasize artistry, that advance a design discipline, and that may contribute to a broader understanding of design. Imperatively, design must be at the core of any proposal, and the outcome must be accessible to the public. Projects might create a design prototype, develop new strategies of community-based design, research a topic in design history, or engage in critical or theoretical analysis, to name just some of the many possible approaches.

Key dates

June 17, 2026
Independent Projects guidelines are posted and the application portal opens.

July 22, 2026
Deadline for submissions. Application portal closes at 11:59 p.m. E.T.
Please note: Program staff will not be available to answer questions after 6:00 p.m. E.T.

September 2026
Applicants are notified of panel decisions and grants are finalized.

October 1, 2026
Award period starts and project activity commences.

September 30, 2027
Award period ends and project activity concludes.
Project leads prepare brief reports on work carried out during the award period.

Eligibility and funding restrictions

The Independent Projects program is open only to individuals and teams based in New York State. This program does not provide grants to organizations, institutions, or work practices. Applicants must be active in the design fields, and the proposed work must be truly independent and individually driven. Work related to a course curriculum or degree program, work performed in an institutional capacity, commissioned work for a client, recreational activities, and out-of-state travel expenses are not eligible for funding. Individuals employed by NYSCA or The Architectural League within the past 2 years are not eligible. Individuals who are currently part of an in-progress Independent Projects grant from a previous cycle will not be considered for funding in 2026. Full eligibility requirements and funding restrictions can be found in the 2026 Program Guidelines.

Proposals must emphasize design and the ways that the creative process can make an impact on the topic or problem the applicant seeks to explore. Award funds may be used to compensate the artist’s or team’s time spent on project activities, as well as related project expenses, consumable materials, and travel expenses within New York State only. Projects may seek additional funding from other sources as long as project eligibility is maintained. This is a competitive grant program and not all proposals will receive funding. Each successful proposal will be awarded $10,000.

Proof of New York State residency

Each applicant, and all team members, must have their primary residence within New York State at the time of submission and throughout the award period, if their proposal is selected for funding. Failure to adhere to this requirement will result in forfeiture of grant funds. Applicants whose proposals are selected for funding will be required to present two matching documents verifying New York State residency. The League and NYSCA reserve the right to request additional documentation, if deemed necessary. A full list of acceptable documents can be found in the 2026 Program Guidelines.

Application components

Applicants will submit all materials through the program entry form on Award Force. A complete submission consists of the following components:

• Certification of eligibility and New York State residency, for the applicant and all team members (note: you must certify New York State residency here and will be asked to show your proof of residency documents if your proposal is selected for funding).
• Contact information and project overview.
• A design impact statement of up to 1,000 characters that describes how the project centers design and responds to the program question: “Where can design go next?”
• A project narrative of up to 10,000 characters (including spaces) that responds to each of the six areas of the program prompt:
  1. Project Overview: Describe the project, emphasizing the role of design.
  2. Project Context: Provide specific context to show how this project builds on existing work in your design field, addresses a need, or tackles a topic or problem in the field in a new way. Discuss how the project will advance and contribute to its field.
  3. Project Lead or Team: Highlight the qualifications of the individual or team, demonstrating the necessary experience and qualifications to carry out this project.
  4. Project Activities: What work do you plan to do during the grant period (October 1, 2026–September 30, 2027)? If more than one person is involved, describe how the work will be delegated or coordinated.
  5. Project Budget: Please explain how you will spend the $10,000 award to execute this project. If your project necessitates more funding, where will that come from?
  6. Project Audience and Accessibility: Define the project’s intended audience and how this project will be made accessible to that audience during the award period. If the project’s impact will also extend beyond September 30, 2027, please describe.
• Required supporting uploads:
  1. 1-page résumé or CV for each team member (1 combined PDF, maximum 10 MB)
  2. Visual, textual, or audio materials. Choose one of the below options that best serves your proposed project:
     • 1 PDF file of images and captions, maximum 12 pages
       • Applicants proposing a publication may devote up to 3 pages to sample or draft text, and up to 1 page to a publication outline, with remaining pages devoted to images. The total upload should not exceed 12 pages.
     • or 1 audio clip, maximum 3 minutes long
     • or 1 video clip, maximum 3 minutes long

• Additional supporting details for projects that require commitment or permission from an outside authority, such as publications, installations, and exhibitions.

Evaluation criteria

Each proposal will be reviewed by program staff for eligibility. Eligible proposals will then be evaluated by a peer review panel using the criteria and rubric shown below. For the first round of review, panelists will consider the answers to the application questions and the supporting materials to determine a single rating (5–0) for the proposal. Any application with an average score of 2 or below will not be supported. Final review rounds will involve discussion and approval voting to determine the 25 projects selected for funding.

The evaluation criteria are structured to assess each proposal’s strengths with regard to creativity and impact, project plan and execution, and audience and accessibility.

• The proposal has creative vision and demonstrates a clear response to the grant program’s primary question: Where can design go next?
• The proposal has the potential to offer a creative, significant, distinctive, and/or innovative contribution to its discipline.
• The proposal demonstrates an understanding of context and an awareness of existing work on which it is building.
• The applying individual or team possesses the relevant experience and skills to effectively carry out the proposed work.
• The proposal clearly identifies its intended audience and describes specific strategies to share and disseminate the resulting work.
• The proposed work is appropriately scaled to the grant amount and duration and can realistically be completed within the 12-month grant period.

Support

The 2026 Independent Projects grant program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.