As the Center’s first and longest-running grant program, the Craft Research Fund is dedicated to supporting new and interdisciplinary research about craft in the United States with grants up to $15,000. Since 2005, the program has supported 255 projects in 41 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico by distributing over $1,900,000.

In addition to receiving this prestigious award and funding, recipients of the Craft Research Fund will become members of the Center for Craft Alumni Network. This social platform is designed exclusively for current and previous grantees, and offers valuable resources, networking opportunities, and ongoing support for craft research.

Grant goals:

Encourage

To encourage innovative research on critical issues in craft theory and history

Expand

To investigate neglected questions on craft history and criticism

Support

To support new cross-disciplinary approaches to scholarship in craft

2026 Craft Research Fund Grant – Eligibility

Proposals are welcome from applicants with a range of affiliations, including but not limited to, independent and academic researchers, artist-researchers, curators, organizations and institutions, and scholars.

This grant is intended to support research and is NOT for the creation of artwork. ‍
This grant does NOT provide funding for already completed research or the dissemination of already completed research.

Applicants must be:

Able to receive taxable income in the United States for the duration of the grant

Able to report this grant as income

18 years of age or older

Applicants cannot be:

Substantial contributors to the Center for Craft, nor current employees, consultants, or board members of the Center for Craft, or immediate family members of such persons.

If an applicant has been previously awarded a Center for Craft grant but did not complete the project or is still in the process of completing a grant or fellowship, they are not eligible to apply.

Applicants may only receive one Center for Craft grant and/or fellowship per year. Awards cannot be deferred to the next year due to outstanding applications or multiple awards.

The Center encourages applications from historically underrepresented populations. The Center for Craft prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on sex, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability or perceived disability, age, marital status, gender identity, veteran status, or any other protected category. Applying does not constitute a promise or guarantee of being awarded a grant.

What is Craft?

The Center for Craft defines craft as a particular approach to making with a strong connection to materials, skill, and process. Artists, makers, scholars, and curators continue to grow the field, embracing new definitions, technologies, and ideas while honoring craft’s history and relationship to the handmade.

Craft, in all its forms, demonstrates creativity, ingenuity, and practical intelligence. It contributes to the economic and social well-being of communities, connects us to our cultural histories, and is integral to building a sustainable future.

Examples of craft research MIGHT include:

Research providing new insight into work by historical or contemporary craft artists, communities, or practices in the United States

Research that places American craft in a global context

Research presenting a new understanding of the relationship between handmade production and digital technologies

Research supporting new cross-disciplinary approaches to scholarship in craft

Other topics that offer fresh perspectives within craft

USE OF FUNDS

Funding is intended to support craft research.

At least 85% of funding must be used for expenses directly related to conducting research, such as travel and living expenses; attending relevant archives, workshops, conferences, or symposia; subcontracted research assistance; stipends for interviews; commissioning research in the form of essay contributions; other contracted research services (such as photography); cost for support documentation such as images, rights to use images or text, photocopies, transcriptions, or other reproductions; purchase of primary source materials; and other incidental research expenses.

For museums, galleries, universities, and organizations, please limit staffing and overhead costs to 15% of your total budget request. For example, if you are applying for $15,000 in support, total personnel and overhead costs should be a maximum of $2,250.

For individuals, please provide a rationale for your personal stipend or honorarium in the budget narrative.

Fifteen percent (15%) of funding may be used for research dissemination. This may include publication printing costs, website and digital database development, exhibition production, workshop facilitation fees, and symposium and conference–related expenses for research dissemination.

For travel purposes, the Center for Craft recommends applicants use the following resources to estimate expenses: U.S. General Services Administration and Budget Your Trip.

Capital equipment purchases are NOT eligible for support. Examples of capital equipment may include laptops, recorders, printers, or other items not listed.

The Center for Craft requires that all grant recipients provide financial remuneration to working artists for their time, labor, and services rendered toward the awarded project scope and goals. For remuneration estimates, we recommend consulting the floor wages listed on the Working Artists and the Greater Economy (W.A.G.E.) fee calculator website.

When working with community members, the Center for Craft requires that all grant recipients provide financial remuneration for their time, labor, and services rendered towards the awarded project scope and goals.