eugene smith grant

The W. Eugene Smith Grant is presented annually to a photographer whose past work and proposed project, as judged by a panel of experts, follows the tradition of W. Eugene Smith’s concerned photography and dedicated compassion evidenced during his 45-year career as a photographic essayist. The Smith Grant is designed to help a photographer begin working on a photographic project or help complete photography of an ongoing photographic project.

The judges will be looking for a photographer whose proposed project seems most likely to use exemplary and compelling photojournalism and documentary photography (possibly supplemented by or incorporating multi-media) to address an issue of import and impact related to the human condition: social change, humanitarian concern, armed conflict, or other topics of interpersonal, psychological, cultural, social, environmental, scientific, medical and/or political significance, ideally expressing an underlying acknowledgement of our common humanity.

Applicants should submit new or ongoing work from a project that would likely benefit from (and likely be concluded if) the photographer were to receive the grant. International applications can be submitted, and in fact are encouraged.