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2025 Photography Research Fellowships

The IMC is offering FIVE fellowships for research related to photography.

The Image Centre   /   Deadline: 09/30/24

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Since 2014, The Image Centre has offered a variety of fellowships for research related to photography. Research fellows have the opportunity to study select areas of The Image Centre's photography collections first-hand. These include the acclaimed Black Star Collection of photo-reportage, with over a quarter-million prints spanning the 20th century; a historic and fine art photography collection; and several archives devoted to the life and work of a diverse group of photographers, including Werner Wolff, Jo Spence, Wendy Snyder MacNeil and Berenice Abbott. In 2025, The Image Centre will offer four competitive fellowships for research related to photography.

Location

Toronto, ON, Canada

Fees

Free

Eligibility

Various educational eligibility requirements, specific to each fellowship award.

Requirements

Applications, including letters of reference, must be sent via email to imagecentre.research(at)torontomu.ca no later than September 30, 2024, by 5:00 p.m. EST. Please specify how you learned of the IMC Fellowship Program in the body of your email submission. The application must include the following:

1. A project proposal (approximately 1,000 words) that outlines the subject, the originality of the research, its foundation in the collections at the IMC and/or TMU Archives and Special Collections, and the applicant's scholarly abilities to address the subject. The first line of the proposal must indicate which fellowship the applicant is seeking.

2. Curriculum Vitae.

3. One sample of written work (maximum 20 pages). For artists applying to the Howard Tanenbaum
Fellowship, an example of previous film or video work (maximum 10 minutes long), or a portfolio of images (no more than 10) may be submitted instead of a writing sample.
These first three components must be gathered into one PDF document with the filename saved as: FirstnameLastname2025-Application.pdf. If film or video is being submitted instead of a writing sample, a link to view the file must be included in the candidate's application email, and the proposal and CV should be gathered into one PDF document. The applicant should indicate in the subject line: Application for IMC 2025 Fellowship.

4. One letter of recommendation from someone in a position to characterise the applicant's scholarly or artistic abilities to successfully carry out the proposed project. The letter should be emailed directly from the referee to imagecentre.research@torontomu.ca and must be received before the application deadline. The referee should indicate in the subject line: Reference for IMC 2025 Fellowship Applicant for [Applicant's Full Name]. The letter should be submitted as a PDF with the filename: ApplicantFirstnameApplicantLastname2025-Reference.pdf

Research fellowships must take place in Toronto, Canada at The Image Centre or TMU Archives and Special Collections between February 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026. Dates of residency will be established in dialogue with the IMC's staff. Research fellows must agree to abide by COVID-19 health and safety precautions and regulations as directed by Toronto Metropolitan University, The Image Centre, and the Ministry of Health for the province of Ontario.

Fellows are expected to pay the cost of travel and accommodation in Toronto. The stipend awarded with the fellowship is intended to offset these costs. Fellows without Canadian citizenship are responsible for obtaining travel visas as required by law according to their nationality.

Fellows will be offered access to the IMC's Peter Higdon Research Centre and collection materials, and (if applicable) the TMU Archives and Special Collections. Please note, some collection items may not be available for physical consultation during the designated time frame or visitation dates.

Please inquire with the Collections team in advance of preparing your application.

Awards

The Nadir Mohamed Postdoctoral Fellowship - $10,000
The Penny Rubinoff Fellowship - $5000
The Elaine Ling Fellowship - $4000
The Howard Tanenbaum Fellowship for Artistic Research - $4000

Evaluation Criteria

A committee will evaluate the applications based on their quality, originality, and foundation in the collections and resources of The Image Centre and/or the Toronto Metropolitan University Archives and Special Collections. The selection committee includes: Paul Roth (Director, IMC); Dr. Thierry Gervais (Head of Research, IMC; Associate Professor, TMU); Dr. Denise Birkhofer (Curator, Collections and Academic Engagement, IMC); Dr. Charlene Heath (Archivist and Research Coordinator, IMC); one faculty member from the graduate program in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management at the School of Image Arts, TMU; and one curator/scholar from an external institution.

Contact Information

Feven Tesfamariam
33 Gould St.
Toronto, ON M5B 1W1

P: 6477739525
W: https://theimagecentre.ca/
E: FTESFAMARIAM@TORONTOMU.CA