ANN Feb 4, 2025

Publication Grants, The Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Deadline: Mar 31, 2025

Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art

Applications are open until March 31, 2025, for Leonard A. Lauder Spring Publication Grants, supporting new work in the field of modern art. We use the term ‘modern art’ inclusively to refer to architecture, drawing, design (including exhibition, graphic, interior and stage design), film, painting, performance, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and textiles in the period from the last third of the nineteenth century through the 1960s, from any country, region or culture. (If your application is focused on art from the 1970s onwards or on other historical periods your application will be rejected). Recognizing the increasing costs associated with publishing, awards support illustrations and copyright, translations into English, diagrams, copy editing and indexing (if not provided by the publisher). The maximum award available is $12,000 with most grants typically in the range $4,000-7,000.

Applications are assessed by a panel, and detailed information on the application materials to be submitted, the eligible costs, the award criteria, and previous awardees, are all available on the Research Center website: https://www.metmuseum.org/de/research-centers/leonard-a-lauder-research-center/publication-grants

Eligibility.
Grants are for book-length manuscripts, peer-reviewed edited volumes or, in exceptional cases, peer-reviewed journal articles. Grants are open to authors worldwide, normally for English language publications (exceptionally other languages may be supported).

The case for support must demonstrate the need for the grant to facilitate the publication of the scholarly work and show why the grant will enhance the scholarly value and the reach of the work. The production costs of the work should be included, identifying the elements of the costs to be supported by the Lauder Center Publication Grant. The funds sought should not represent most of the costs of production unless a clear case is made to justify this. Overheads or other operational costs are not eligible for funding. The track record of the publisher or press in supporting scholarship in the visual arts, and especially modern art, may be considered.

The Center will award up to six grants per annum, typically between $4,000 and $7,000, with no single grant more than $12,000 to be awarded. There are two application rounds per year with deadlines of September 30 and March 31.

Application Materials and Criteria.
Authors will be asked to complete an application form in which they describe:

- The need for a Research Center publication grant,
- The difference it will make to viability and quality,
- The amount requested in relation to overall costs,
- And other grants applied for in relation to the publication and whether or not any applications were successful.
They will also be asked to supply:
- An abstract,
- The book proposal,
- A sample chapter or chapters (10,000 words or 40 pages maximum to be selected from the main body of the text - where a chapter is over the limit of 10,000 words, an excerpt is acceptable); if submitting an edited volume, the sample materials should include the introduction to the volume, and a chapter by the applicant if any, or another representative chapter,
- A list of illustrations,
- Table of contents (if applicable),
- Reader’s reports and any responses,
- A CV.

The applications will be assessed by a sub-committee of the Advisory Committee. Final decisions will be referred to the full meeting of the Advisory Committee.

Criteria.

The committee will select projects for support, taking into account:

Case for support: the application must demonstrate 1) how the publication contributes new scholarship and expands conventional understandings of modernism and modernity 2) broad scholarly audience for the publication 3) a confirmed publisher and evidence of acceptance for publication by an academic press 4) financial need for the grant. The strength of the writing and project proposal will be strongly considered.

CV: Must show evidence of current professional position, track record in relevant research areas, and prior publications.

Writing sample: The quality and depth of argument, strength of writing, handling of visual material, and recognition of research ethics and standards (e.g. proper footnoting, awareness and acknowledgement of major work in the area of study) will be carefully considered.
Reader’s Reports: The degree to which the reports support the publication, criticisms offered, and the quality of the author’s responses will be assessed.

Eligible Costs.
- illustration costs, including acquisition of digital images and the payment of reproduction rights;
- translation costs (not for an entire book, unless it is from another language into English)
- the production of diagrams, maps or other professionally produced design needs
- copy editing (where not normally provided by the publisher)
indexing

Reference:
ANN: Publication Grants, The Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art. In: ArtHist.net, Feb 4, 2025 (accessed Feb 14, 2025), <https://arthist.net/archive/43870>.

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