AEPG Request for Proposals & Application Guide

The Artistic Excellence Programming Grant (AEPG) supports public programming that brings H&A teaching, research, creative practice, and artistic production into meaningful engagement with SJSU students and broader communities. (See AEPG History)

Application Available: November 9, 2026
Application due: Feb 25, 2027 @ 5pm PST
Project Period: Aug 15, 2027-May 30, 2028
Funds must be encumbered or guaranteed by: April 1, 2028
Standard maximum request: $8000 
Eligibility: SJSU H&A Faculty & Staff
Notification: April 2027
Submission: AEPG 2027-2028 Google form (opening soon)

Applicants should review the proposal requirements and evaluation criteria below before beginning the application. Preparing an AEPG proposal requires advance planning with collaborators, confirmation of proposed locations or venues, and development of a project budget. The application also requires a completed AEPG Budget Worksheet, which connects requested expenses directly to the project activities described in the proposal and includes a brief rationale and cost basis for each expense.

New or returning applicant? Start with “What You Will Submit” and the 2027–2028 Applicant Orientation before drafting your proposal.

Before You Apply: What AEPG Supports

AEPG supports public-facing humanities and arts programming that connects the College’s teaching, research, scholarship, and creative practice with meaningful experiences for students and broader communities. Competitive proposals present a well-developed project, identify what participants will encounter or do, demonstrate that the project can be carried out successfully, and explain how the proposed activities advance the goals of AEPG.

The Awards Committee evaluates the proposal submitted for the current funding cycle. Previous AEPG funding, the reputation of an artist or work, or the established success of a recurring program does not substitute for a fully developed proposal.

Artistic Excellence and Project Quality

AEPG understands artistic excellence expansively across the humanities, performing and visual arts, literary and cultural work, interdisciplinary practice, and other forms of public programming represented within H&A.

The committee evaluates the quality of the proposed project as it is described in the application: the ideas the project explores, the experiences it creates for participants and audiences, the artistic or intellectual choices that shape it, and the opportunities it creates for sustained engagement with the humanities and arts.

Inviting an accomplished artist, presenting a significant work, or producing an established event may contribute to the quality of a project. Applicants should also explain what this particular program will make possible for students and audiences. For recurring programs that have previously received AEPG support, the proposal should make clear what is distinctive about the proposed iteration.

Student and Public Engagement

AEPG programming should create meaningful opportunities for students to encounter, participate in, interpret, discuss, or contribute to the work presented. Applicants should identify the participants and audiences they hope to reach and explain how the design of the project will support that engagement.

Student engagement may take many forms depending on the project. It may occur through curricular connections, workshops, performances, exhibitions, conversations with artists or scholars, creative participation, research, or other activities appropriate to the project. Applicants should describe the actual experience rather than relying primarily on projected attendance numbers.

AEPG also encourages projects that extend the College’s teaching, research, and creative activity into public life and create opportunities for engagement with communities beyond an individual classroom.

Collaboration

AEPG encourages substantive collaboration across the College, university, and surrounding communities. Strong collaborations bring different forms of knowledge, practice, or perspective into the conception and experience of a project. Because interdisciplinary exchange is one of the goals of AEPG, proposals seeking full points for collaboration should ordinarily demonstrate meaningful participation beyond the applicant’s immediate disciplinary area.

Collaborations must be established before the proposal is submitted. The application will ask applicants to identify collaborators and explain the specific role each collaborator has agreed to undertake.

For purposes of AEPG evaluation, collaboration involves active participation in the development or delivery of the project. Promotion of an event, attendance by another class, endorsement of a proposal, or distribution of educational materials does not by itself constitute substantive collaboration.

Project Readiness

A competitive AEPG proposal should be sufficiently developed to demonstrate that the project can be carried out during the proposed funding period. Before submitting, applicants should have identified an appropriate location or venue, initiated any required venue conversations, confirmed proposed collaborators, investigated performance or screening rights when applicable, and developed a realistic timeline and budget.

Some proposed events require additional feasibility review before proposals are considered by the Awards Committee. Projects proposed for the Hammer Theatre, for example, are reviewed for scheduling and venue feasibility as part of the AEPG review process.

Applicants are not expected to have completed every logistical arrangement before applying. The proposal should demonstrate that the essential planning has begun and that its assumptions about location, collaborators, rights, staffing, and project scope are realistic.

2026-2028 College Themes

The College themes for 2026–2028 are Belonging and Free Expression. Applicants may propose a project connected to one or both themes. Alignment with a College theme is optional.

A proposal that convincingly demonstrates that a theme is integral to the project may receive one additional point in the committee evaluation. Naming a theme or making a general connection to it is insufficient. Applicants seeking the additional point should explain how the theme shapes the project’s ideas, activities, or participant experience.

Explore the 2026-2028 College themes

What You Will Submit

The AEPG application is submitted through a single Google Form. Applicants are strongly encouraged to prepare their narrative responses, project timeline, and budget materials before beginning the form.

The application is organized around the four categories in the 11-point AEPG Evaluation Rubric, followed by project-feasibility and funding information. The Awards Committee evaluates the four scored sections. Feasibility and budget information are reviewed separately as part of the administrative and final funding process.

Maximum narrative length for the four scored sections: 1,550 words. Individual questions have the limits listed below.

Applicants should provide the information requested directly in the application. Links to websites, biographies, project descriptions, or other supplementary materials should not substitute for the required narrative.

Section 1: Project & Programming — Program Quality, Impact & AEPG-Added Value
4 points

This section establishes what you are proposing, what will actually happen, and what AEPG support will make possible.

Project Summary
Maximum 100 words

Provide a brief overview of the proposed project. Explain what will take place and who will participate. Write for a reader who may be unfamiliar with your discipline.

This is the committee’s introduction to the project. Focus on the proposed programming rather than providing an extended summary of the work being performed, exhibited, screened, or discussed.

Project Activities
Maximum 400 words

Describe what will actually take place during the project.

Identify the principal activities, their sequence or relationship to one another, and who will participate. If the project includes several components—such as workshops, classroom visits, rehearsals, lectures, performances, exhibitions, screenings, discussions, or community activities—describe each component.

For presentation-based projects, provide the artistic or intellectual context needed to understand the proposal, but keep the emphasis on what you are proposing to do.

AEPG-Added Value
Maximum 200 words

Explain what AEPG support makes possible beyond your department’s regular curriculum, production season, exhibition schedule, performance activity, or other ongoing programming.

You may address artistic, intellectual, educational, collaborative, or public value.

For recurring programs, explain what distinguishes the proposed 2027–2028 project and participant experience from previous iterations.

Section 2: Student Experiential Engagement
3 points

This section asks who the project will engage and what students will actually do and learn through their participation. AEPG considers both the reach of a project and the depth of the experiential learning it creates.

Student Participation and Audience Goals
Maximum 200 words

Identify the students and audiences you expect to engage. Include relevant courses, programs, student organizations, campus groups, community groups, or other participants.

Provide realistic estimates of student participation and audience reach where possible, and explain how you intend to reach those participants.

If you hope to engage students or audiences beyond the originating department or program, identify them and explain the connection you plan to create.

Student Experiential Engagement
Maximum 200 words

Describe what students will actually do.

Student roles might include planning, research, artistic or intellectual development, design, production, performance, curation, technical work, leadership, collaboration with visiting artists or scholars, or public engagement.

Explain how those experiences extend, deepen, or complement students’ regular curricular learning.

Educational and Public Impact: The “Big Idea”
Maximum 150 words

Identify the central idea, question, perspective, or understanding that you want students and audiences to take away from the project.

Explain what you hope participants will engage with through the programming and, where appropriate, what might continue after the immediate event or experience.

AEPG participant surveys ask attendees to identify the “big idea” they took away from funded programming. This question allows AEPG to compare intended and reported impact.

Section 3: Meaningful Collaboration
3 points

AEPG evaluates collaboration according to the substantive roles that partners will play in developing or implementing the project.

Collaborative Partnerships
Maximum 200 words

Identify collaborators who have confirmed their participation before the proposal deadline.

For each collaborator, provide:

• name;
• department, unit, or organization;
• specific role in developing or implementing the project; and
• how that contribution advances the project’s artistic, intellectual, educational, or public-engagement goals.

AEPG encourages substantive collaboration across disciplines, departments, campus units, and community organizations.

Prospective partners you intend to contact after receiving funding, audience outreach, event promotion, endorsement of a proposal, or routine coordination within a department or disciplinary program do not by themselves constitute confirmed collaboration.

If there are no confirmed collaborators, enter “N/A.”

The form will also ask you to confirm whether the collaborators listed have agreed to participate.

Section 4: College Programming Theme
1 point

The 2026–2028 College programming themes are Belonging and Free Expression. Theme participation is optional.

Selecting a theme does not automatically earn the additional point. The proposal must demonstrate that the theme is substantively integrated into the programming or participant experience.

Connection to College Programming Theme
Maximum 100 words

If you select a theme, explain what the project will do with the theme. Describe how it shapes the programming, activities, or participant experience rather than simply explaining how the work being presented relates generally to the theme.

If you select “Not applicable,” enter “N/A.”

Explore the 2026–2028 College Themes

Project Feasibility
Not a separate point category

These questions help determine whether the proposed project can realistically be completed within the 2027–2028 programming period and College administrative timelines.

The application asks applicants to identify:

• anticipated venue or location;
• whether the location has been reserved;
• for Hammer Theatre projects, whether a prospective date has been discussed and placed on hold with Hammer staff;
• for Hammer Theatre projects, whether the appropriate current rental rate has been verified; and
• the project’s planning and implementation timeline.

Project Timeline and Feasibility
Maximum 250 words

Provide a month-by-month timeline for planning, implementing, and completing the project.

Include the major steps required for your particular project, such as confirming guests or collaborators, contracting and purchasing, securing rights or venues, curricular preparation, student involvement, marketing, production or implementation, the public program, and assessment.

The timeline should demonstrate that the project can be completed during the AEPG programming period of August 15, 2027–May 30, 2028 and that all AEPG-funded commitments can be encumbered or guaranteed by April 1, 2028.

AEPG Funding Information

Reviewed separately from the Awards Committee’s programmatic evaluation

Every applicant must complete the AEPG Budget Request spreadsheet using the required template.

The budget should correspond directly to the activities described in the proposal and include only expenses for which AEPG support is being requested. Do not place requested amounts, individual costs, or other budget figures in the narrative sections of the application.

Applicants will also be asked about previous AEPG funding, project-specific budget requirements where applicable, and priorities in the event that AEPG can provide only partial support.

Funding Priorities

Because AEPG may offer partial rather than full funding, identify which activities or project components are essential to carrying out the project and which could be modified or eliminated if necessary.

Do not include dollar amounts in this response.

How Proposals Are Reviewed

AEPG proposals are reviewed in several stages so that project quality, feasibility, and budget considerations can be considered separately.

Awards Committee Review

The AEPG Awards Committee evaluates eligible proposals using the published 11-point Evaluation Rubric. The committee considers the quality of the proposed project, the activities that will take place, projected impact, student engagement, substantive collaboration, and, when applicable, effective integration of a College programming theme.

Committee members evaluate proposals on behalf of the College as a whole. They do not serve as representatives or advocates for individual departments or disciplines. Proposals are evaluated on their merits according to the published criteria; previous levels of funding to a department and the distribution of AEPG funds among departments are not part of the committee’s evaluation.

The Awards Committee is advisory. Its role is to evaluate the quality of proposals and recommend projects for funding. Committee members do not determine award amounts and do not review proposals for the purpose of allocating funds among departments. This separation reflects the review process already established in AEPG, in which the committee focuses on proposal quality while final funding decisions take account of additional administrative considerations.  

Committee members must recuse themselves from reviewing, scoring, or discussing any proposal for which they are an applicant, co-applicant, collaborator, or have another direct conflict of interest.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the 2027–2028 AEPG Evaluation Rubric while developing their proposals.

View the 2027–2028 AEPG Evaluation Rubric — SJSU login required

Feasibility and Administrative Review

Some proposals also require feasibility review before final funding decisions are made. Projects proposed for the Hammer Theatre, for example, are reviewed with Hammer staff to determine whether the proposed dates, venue, and production requirements are workable. The application therefore requires applicants to provide information about location, venue planning, rights or permissions, and other arrangements relevant to carrying out the project. The current application already uses these questions to establish project readiness before awards are finalized.  

The AEPG administrative team separately reviews the Budget Worksheet and Budget Rationale to determine whether proposed expenses are allowable, sufficiently explained, and appropriate to the activities described in the proposal. Budget materials are not used by the Awards Committee to determine the quality ranking of a proposal. 

Final Funding Decisions

Final funding decisions are made by the Dean’s Office in consultation with AEPG leadership after considering the Awards Committee’s recommendations, project feasibility, allowable expenses, available funding, and the College resources required to support the project.

A competitive proposal may therefore receive full funding, partial funding, conditional funding, or no funding. The amount requested does not determine the proposal’s score, and the Awards Committee does not determine the amount ultimately awarded.

Prepare a Competitive Proposal

Applicants are encouraged to review the evaluation criteria and examples below before drafting a proposal. These materials illustrate how successful applicants have connected a project’s artistic or intellectual goals with specific activities, student and public engagement, collaboration, and a realistic plan for carrying out the work.

Examples of Successful AEPG Proposals

AEPG projects take many forms across the humanities and arts. Previous successful proposals in the prior submission form may help applicants see how faculty have developed performances, exhibitions, workshops, public humanities projects, interdisciplinary programs, and community-engaged work within the AEPG framework. 

• "Picturing Freedom Dreams: Poetry & Comics in Conversation/Community"
• "The Art of a Sustainable Future: From Climate Anxiety to Community Action"
• "Translate San Jose"

Explore Previous AEPG Projects
Explore AEPG “Best of…” Projects

Sample proposals are provided as examples of effective project development and proposal writing. Applicants should develop their proposal around the particular activities, participants, collaborations, and goals of the project they are proposing rather than reproduce the structure or language of a previous application.

Proposal Assistance and Resources

Applicants are encouraged to use the resources below while developing their proposals. These materials provide guidance on proposal requirements, budgeting, venue planning, and other project-specific questions. 

Proposal Support

AEPG offers informational sessions and limited individual consultations during the application period. These sessions are designed to help applicants understand the proposal requirements, evaluation criteria, project planning expectations, and budget process.

Department Visits & AEPG Information Sessions

Dr. Katherine D. Harris, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives and AEPG Grant Liaison, will visit departments during the 2026–2027 academic year to discuss the AEPG application process, proposal development, budgeting, review criteria, and strategies for developing a competitive project.

These sessions are also designed as a low-stakes introduction to grant development. Faculty are welcome to attend even if they are not planning to submit an AEPG proposal this year.

Confirmed

• School of Journalism & Mass Communications: Nov. 9 @ 11:45am
• Dept of Humanities: Nov. 18 @ 12pm
• Dept of English & Comparative Literature: Nov. 18 @ 3pm
• Dept of World Languages & Literatures / Linguistics & Language Development: Nov. 20 @ 1pm
• School of Film, Theater & Dance: Dec 2 @ 9am

To be confirmed

• School of Music
• Dept of Design
• Dept of Art & Art History

Application Resources

AEPG Proposal FAQ
Guidance on eligibility, proposal requirements, collaboration, student engagement, and other application questions.

AEPG Budget FAQ
Guidance on allowable expenses, budget preparation, and common budget questions.

AEPG Budget Worksheet & Rationale
Required budget template for all proposals (available in the Google Form). The worksheet connects requested expenses to project activities and includes guidance and examples for completing the Budget Rationale / Cost Basis for each expense.

Hammer Theatre FAQ
Information for applicants proposing events at the Hammer Theatre, including scheduling, rates, and venue planning requirements.

Event Planning Guide
Guidance on planning public-facing events, timelines, promotion, and implementation.

If Your Project Is Funded

An AEPG award brings both funding and a coordinated package of College support. AEPG-supported projects are treated as premier College programming, and the College invests staff time, administrative expertise, communications support, and project-development resources to help coordinators carry them out successfully. Award recipients work closely with Katherine D. Harris and the AEPG team throughout the funding year to refine the approved budget, navigate purchasing and event processes, coordinate publicity and audience engagement, plan assessment, and document the completed project.

This level of support is a significant part of the AEPG award. Coordinators have access to guidance and problem-solving that would not ordinarily accompany a department-based event or project, including assistance with planning, budgeting, logistics, communications, audience development, and assessment. Applicants should therefore think of AEPG as a year-long project partnership and should account for the time required to plan, manage, and complete the work well.

Award recipients also participate in four AEPG coordinator lunches during the funding year. These gatherings are designed to create a community among project coordinators: a place to share progress, compare approaches, troubleshoot challenges, exchange resources, and learn from one another’s programming. They also help make connections across departments and projects that might otherwise remain isolated.

At the conclusion of the funding year, completed AEPG projects are also eligible for the AEPG “Best Of” Awards, which recognize exemplary work in areas such as community engagement, interdisciplinary practice, innovation, and other forms of programmatic excellence. These awards typically include professional development funding, with the amount determined each year based on available resources.

Complete post-award requirements, timelines, planning tools, and administrative resources are provided to successful applicants and are available through AEPG Grant Resources.

View AEPG Grant Resources

Updated 10/19/26
Katherine D. Harris