The Image Centre Fellowship Program for Research in Photography

Deadline: 18-Oct-26

The Image Centre offers six competitive fellowships to Canadian and international researchers and artists undertaking original research or creative projects using its photography collections. Awards range from C$2,500 to C$10,000, with fellowship-specific eligibility requirements based on academic or artistic experience. Successful fellows are expected to conduct research on-site at The Image Centre and use its collections or the Toronto Metropolitan University Archives and Special Collections.

About The Image Centre Fellowships

The Image Centre offers a group of competitive research and artistic fellowships designed to support innovative work related to photography. The fellowships provide financial assistance to researchers, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and artists whose proposed projects make meaningful use of The Image Centre’s extensive photographic collections and related archival resources. Applicants may be based in Canada or internationally, depending on the fellowship. Each award is designed for a particular career or academic stage. The program supports both scholarly research and artistic research, encouraging projects that demonstrate originality, strong research or creative merit, and a clear connection to the collections. Fellowship Opportunities and Awards The Image Centre offers six fellowship opportunities, with eligibility and funding varying by program.

Key fellowships include:

- Nadir Mohamed Postdoctoral Fellowship: C$10,000 stipend for postdoctoral researchers who hold a PhD.

- Penny Rubinoff Fellowship: C$5,000 stipend for master’s degree holders and PhD students, excluding PhD holders and postdoctoral researchers.

- Elaine Ling Fellowship: C$4,000 stipend for recent or current master’s students, excluding doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers.

- Howard Tanenbaum Fellowship for Artistic Research: C$4,000 stipend for artists with relevant artistic experience. - Wendy Snyder MacNeil Research Fellowship: C$2,500 stipend for eligible researchers and photo-based artists conducting research related to women photographers. The fellowship opportunities are structured to support different stages of academic and artistic development. What the Fellowships Support The fellowships support projects that make substantive use of The Image Centre’s photographic holdings and archival resources.

Proposed work may involve:

- Photography research and scholarship - Archival research - Historical studies of photography - Research on photographers and photographic practices - Research concerning women photographers - Artistic research - Creative projects based on photographic collections - Interdisciplinary research involving photography - Original investigations using archival materials Projects should not simply mention the collections. Applicants should clearly explain how the collections will contribute to the research question, methodology, artistic practice, or final outcome. Why It Matters The Image Centre fellowships provide researchers and artists with access to specialized photographic collections that can support original scholarship and creative practice. The program is particularly valuable for applicants whose work requires direct engagement with archival photographs, historical materials, or photography-related primary sources.

The fellowships can help researchers:

- Develop new scholarship in photography and visual culture. - Access specialized archival materials. - Conduct focused on-site research. - Develop artistic projects based on photographic collections. - Strengthen academic or professional portfolios. - Build connections with photography research resources in Canada. - Produce new interpretations of photographic histories and practices. Who Is Eligible? Eligibility depends on the specific fellowship. Applicants may be Canadian or international researchers and artists, but they must satisfy the requirements of the fellowship they select. Nadir Mohamed Postdoctoral Fellowship The fellowship is intended for researchers who: - Hold a PhD. - Are conducting postdoctoral-level research. - Propose an original project connected to the collections. - Can conduct the required research at The Image Centre. The award provides a C$10,000 stipend. Penny Rubinoff Fellowship

This fellowship is intended for:

- Master’s degree holders. - PhD students. PhD holders and postdoctoral researchers are excluded from this fellowship. The award provides a C$5,000 stipend. Elaine Ling Fellowship The Elaine Ling Fellowship is designed for: - Recent master’s graduates. - Current master’s students. Doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers are not eligible. The fellowship provides a C$4,000 stipend. Howard Tanenbaum Fellowship for Artistic Research This fellowship is designed for artists who can demonstrate relevant artistic experience. Applicants do not need to follow the same academic-degree requirements as the research fellowships. Their proposed artistic research must nevertheless demonstrate a strong relationship with The Image Centre’s collections or relevant archival resources. The award provides a C$4,000 stipend. Wendy Snyder MacNeil Research Fellowship This fellowship supports research focused on women photographers, including research concerning Wendy Snyder MacNeil herself. Eligible applicants may include individuals with: - At least an undergraduate degree; or - A relevant background as a photo-based artist. The fellowship provides a C$2,500 stipend. Project Requirements All fellowship proposals must demonstrate a clear connection to the collections and research resources available through The Image Centre or Toronto Metropolitan University.

Applicants should demonstrate:

- A clearly defined research or artistic question. - Originality and intellectual or creative merit. - A practical research methodology. - A strong reason for using the Centre’s collections. - Knowledge of the relevant photographic materials. - A realistic plan for co