publishing grants for dissertations and first-time authors

The Decorative Arts Trust established a new publishing grant program in December 2023, the latest expansion of the organization’s efforts to invigorate scholarship and broaden appreciation of material culture. The endeavor is structured to support publications tackling the broad context of the Americas and to encourage projects that advance diversity in the study of American decorative arts and material culture.

This program is focused specifically on book-length academic publications based on completed dissertations or by first-time authors seeking to publish a scholarly work that increases the awareness and appreciation of important areas of material culture research.

Guidelines:

• We use the terms decorative arts and material culture in relation to three-dimensional objects but will also consider proposals that focus on decorative painting, prints, maps, and wallpaper as well as those that analyze the interiors for which objects were designed or in which they were placed.
• Proposed topics should focus on objects made or used in an American context, defined as North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean.
• The Trust encourages projects that advance diversity in the study of American decorative arts and material culture.
• Publications are expected to contain original research which yields information of high scholarly value.
• We will accept applications from first-time authors seeking to publish a dissertation or other significant scholarly work. We will also accept applications from academic presses on behalf of authors currently under contract.
• We intend to support in-print as well as digital publications, with an expectation that some portion of the content of in-print books will have some level of digital accessibility.
• Proposals can request funding up to $5,000. Publication costs tied to the quantity and size of images to be included, the number of color versus black-and-white illustrations, as well as obtaining permission and reproduction rights are permitted. Monies also can be used toward the digitization of an in-print publication.
• All funding will be directed to the publisher or the author upon receipt of invoices for incurred expenses.
• Publications do not need to be under contract at the time of application, but preference will be given to authors who have a contract in hand or a manuscript under review.