HEAR US 2026

HEAR US is a mentorship program celebrating and advancing innovative and inclusive student projects that center underrepresented voices and stories. Now in it's sixth year, HEAR US continues to embody Tisch’s Community Engagement values by providing mentoring and project funding to students who are dedicated to enriching our diverse community through the creation of artistic and scholarly works. HEAR US supports projects at all phases of completion (with grants from $100 - $6,000).

This year, HEAR US has moved from a two-round review process to a streamlined single-round panel review. To continue supporting applicants with mentorship, HEAR US is offering virtual mentor office hours ahead of the application deadline. HEAR US mentors help project leads develop clear and compelling ways to communicate their work, finalize their project budgets, and build professional skills that prepare them for future funding opportunities, collaborations, and career advancement.

Eligibility

ALL current Tisch graduate and undergraduate students of all identities, who are making creative and/or scholarly works centering voices and stories of underrepresented communities, including those exploring dialogue around Black, Indigenous, and People of Color experiences, are eligible to apply.  The review committee will focus its selection exclusively on the promise of the proposed project; identity features of the applicant such as their personal race or ethnicity will not be considered in the selection process. Works from all disciplines represented across the Tisch community (example: scores, scripts, scholarship, songs, chapters, installations, dances, plays, prototypes, photographs, performances, games, research, films, exhibits,etc.) are eligible for submission.

Students graduating in Spring 2026 are welcome to apply, but should note that mandatory cohort commitments will extend through November 2026. Project leads must attend an information session prior to submitting their proposal and may only submit one project proposal per award round. If you are unable to attend either of the scheduled information sessions please email us at tisch.HEARUS@nyu.edu.

Successful proposals will:

• Foreground underrepresented voices and narratives through creative and/or scholarly works amplifying perspectives that help to enrich the wide-ranging Tisch community and uphold our values of connection and purpose.

• Offer an expansive view of inclusive representation, showcase nuanced portrayals of underrepresented experiences (including those of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), and move beyond simplistic individual stories or one-dimensional depictions of subject matter explored in the project. (Panelists will be required to consider equally proposals reflecting the breadth of human experience.)

• Center community building and collaboration as an integral part of the creative process.

• Consider the impact of mentorship and advocacy on the trajectory of the project, and share a plan to engage with the mentorship aspects of the HEAR US program.

• Provide a plan for completion of the proposed activity within the grant period (*Note: Your project, in its full expression, may exceed the capacity of HEAR US funding and/or the grant period – in which case, “proposed activity” refers to the work you’ll be doing with HEAR US funding during the grant period March - November 2026.)  

• Demonstrate willingness and capacity to be an active participant in the HEAR US 2026 cohort. For example: attending monthly meetings, engaging with your cohort peers, providing feedback, participating in the HEAR US 2026 Mini-Fest, etc.

• Be submitted via Google Form by Monday, January 19th, 2026 at 11:59 PM 

Google Form will require:

• A description of what you seek to gain from a mentorship experience, and how you imagine mentorship impacting your project.

• A description of your proposed activity and envisioned project trajectory.

• A description of how funding will be used to advance your project.

• Answers to multiple choice questions meant to assess your project’s current phase of development. (Based on your answers, your project will be eligible for either a Concept Grant or Completion Grant. These two grant tiers ensure that projects in similar phases of development are judged fairly against one another, and project leads are provided phase-appropriate mentorship. Grant tiers do not determine grant amounts.) 

• Questions based on grant tier:

  • Concept Grants (projects in their initial to mid-phases of development)

    • A clear description of the project and its possible trajectory as envisioned by the project lead. 

    • Short bio of the project lead (and creative team if known).

  • Completion Grants (projects in their mid to final phases of development)

    • Details about your progress to date and previously secured project resources.

    • A description of the completed project as envisioned by the project lead/creative team and who/what is needed to realize that vision.

    • Short bios of the project lead/creative team.

• A short work sample suitable for a 2-3 minute panelist review (ex: 1-2 pages of written work, 3-5 slides of still imagery, or up to 2 minutes of video, audio, or other digital material, etc.). For Completion Grants, work samples should be from the proposed project.

• A detailed budget for your proposed activity* using TCR's Budget Template.

*Note: Your project, in its full expression, may exceed the capacity of HEAR US funding and/or the grant period – in which case, “proposed activity” refers to the work you’ll be doing with HEAR US funding during the grant period March - November 2026.

Please Be Aware: This year’s HEAR US program will consist of one round of review and will not include a presentation to the panel.

• Proposals will be reviewed between February 9-16th by a panel of artists and scholars whose works demonstrate inclusionary practices.
• Grants from $100 - $6,000 will be awarded based on project budgets, available funding, and panel recommendations.

2026 TIMELINE

Dates are subject to change. 

Questions? Email us at tisch.HEARUS@nyu.edu

Learn more about previous HEAR US cohorts here.

To make a charitable gift directly in support of HEAR US, click here and select "Tisch Initiatives" and then "HEAR US Awards" from the dropdown menu. If you would like to make a gift in support of a fund not included on this list, please contact tisch.research@nyu.edu