With the proliferation of cameras and other image-capturing devices, there is a pressing need to conceptualize the human experience as immersed in and shaped by photographic images. Arguably, the long dominance of written culture has given way to a visual culture dominated by photography-based images and their technologies. Yet the profusion of theories and systems that analyze and interpret languages and literatures has not seen an equivalent production of theories and systems that help to interpret and theorize our contemporary culture of photo-based images and their history.
The SIP offers funding to writers, theorists, and researchers from various disciplines (be they academic faculty, independent scholars, graduate students, artists or research-oriented curators) doing research that will advance the methodologies, theories, and practices by which we can better comprehend the world of photography and the world perceived through photography.
Researchers are invited to submit proposals for projects that focus on one or more of the themes and that fit within the support frameworks listed below.
Deadline: March 1st, 2011
// Individual research project
Eligible candidates are academic faculty and graduate students in accredited institutions of higher education, previously published independent scholars and writers, as well as artists and research-oriented curators.
The expected deliverable is a written document, whether an essay or extended research paper showing deep consideration and thorough, original research on the selected topic. Proposals are for written work only, not for art projects, exhibitions or events such as conferences or symposia.
Submission should include:
Please note that if you wish to include images with your application, the number should not exceed five and should be delivered in the .jpg format.
The funding for an individual research project will be decided by an international panel of experts. Grants are from US$ 5,000 up to 15,000.
// Joint research project
Eligible candidates are groups of 2-4 researchers comprised of academic faculty and/or graduate students in accredited institutions of higher education, and/or previously published independent scholars, writers, as well as artists and curators.
The expected deliverable is a publishable essay or a series of publishable essays, not an artwork, a series of artworks or an exhibition.
Submission should include:
Please note that if you wish to include images with your application, the number should not exceed five and should be delivered in the .jpg format.
The funding for a joint research project will be decided by an international panel of experts. Grants are from US$ 5,000 up to 15,000.
Going beyond Barthes’ famous “that-has-been” as photography’s quintessential characteristic, we are interested in the effects of photography on the body, be they conceptual, contextual, ideological, etc. When a body – be it human, non-human or post-human – is caught within a lens, its temporal-spatial qualities are altered.
How can we seek and explore these changes?
How did photography change the role, significance, function, and value of the human body? Has it re-defined or re-shaped our understanding of what a living body is in general and a human body in particular?
How do imaging technologies and devices relate to the body? Can they be conceived of extensions of the body? Can such devices be thought of as prostheses for the eye, the hand, the mind? Could it be argued that they have become extensions of consciousness, as well as supplements to human memory?
In what ways have imaging technologies changed the way we perceive and mold our bodies? How has photography’s role in visualizing the body, from the recording of corpuscular and neurological activities to satellite imagery of crowds, altered the ways in which we comprehend our corporeal selves? How has the medium shaped sexual pleasure and our sense of sexuality, including its reification?
How has the photographic documentation of violence shaped the biopolitics of control over the bodies of others? How do the particular uses of photography by law (police, prisons, the justice system, etc.) and the military influence our conceptions of the body?
How has the proliferation of photographic devices changed the politics of public and private space, and reconfigured the sovereignty of the subject?
Click here to submit your proposal.
In its early days, photography was linked inextricably with painting, either as a foe, supplement or servant. Later on video and other time-based media attached themselves to photography, denying the very possibility of photography’s autonomous status. In what ways can we think about photography in the context of other artistic disciplines and what can be achieved from placing photography and these others in tandem (in both theory and practice)?
Is photography a developmental extension of painting or is it fundamentally a different form of representation?
Photography’s relationship to the fine arts (sculpture and painting) has underscored its function as document; bearing this in mind, how accurate is the assertion that photographs that document artworks are at risk of always falling short of asserting their own auratic, independent status? Seen from a different perspective, how have the photographic recordings of architecture changed our understanding of architecture, or those of painting, sculpture, theatre, dance, etc.?
As painting’s historical styles—such as Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop—have represented distinct technological, economic, and socio-political reflections of the Zeitgeist, can photography’s history be similarly identified in coherent and useful taxonomies and if not, why not?
Is the condition of viewership essentially the same for photography as for time-based media?
Contemporary art has allowed rich play between photography and other media. Should we consider photography a “pure” medium or a hybrid one? How have the relationships between image and text, narrative and visual description, visuality and legibility been enriched by crossovers between photography and cinema, literature and poetry?
Click here to submit your proposal.
Foucault’s theorization of the panopticon as the “all-seeing eye” may have acquired a peculiar interpretation in postmodern culture, as we are constantly surrounded by cameras that register many of our activities. The Internet itself has brought an overflow of image producers who meticulously record their surroundings and everyday lives. How has photography changed and shaped us in an age in which the gap between public and private is being blurred continually? How does photography change the human possibility, entitlement, and practice of privacy in everyday life?
What are the historical, conceptual, and economic origins of contemporary practices of the invasion of privacy by photography? What would an archeology of photographic genres premised on the invasion of privacy look like (e.g. paparazzi, surveillance cameras, satellite-based photography, porn)?
On the other hand, in what ways is the border between private and public demarcated in the digital age?
Click here to submit your proposal.
The advent of photography offered new means to record, invoke, and commemorate that which is no longer there and so is linked to the preservation and archiving of memories. Rapid technological developments, however, constantly straddle the line between image production, conservation, and the dissemination of images, posing challenges not only to the archiving of visual data but also to its networks of circulation and consumption. In what ways have new technologies changed the way that we make, view, and display photographic images and how have they affected the ways in which we document, preserve, and access our past experiences?
What is the nature of the viewer’s photographic experience in terms of codifying the artifactual condition of “always already past” that is intrinsic to all photographs?
How might the history of photography be articulated in terms of an evolution from the family album through the archive and database to Web-based collaborative photo-sharing environments, such as Flickr? What other histories of photo-archiving can be suggested?
For every episode in the history of photo-archiving, what are the historical, economic, social, political, and conceptual origins of different archiving practices? Will digital technology re-shape the archival field in the next 50 years?
Click here to submit your proposal.
Can we think of the existence of photography before it was actually invented? What are photography’s possible histories and genealogies? Researchers addressing the conditions that gave birth to photography are invited to offer alternatives and to build on previous scholarly research (such as Jonathan Crary’s and Geoffrey Batchen’s) about the origin of photography.
Who is the first photographer? What is the first photograph?
When did the history of photography begin? What was the last pre-photographic moment? Is photography modern?
How can the pre-figuration of photographic practices, technologies, and images before the 1850s help deepen our understanding of photographic images?
Do contemporary digital practices of photographic manipulation contradict classical theories of mimesis or, on the contrary, instantiate them?
Click here to submit your proposal.
The SIP’s grant programs support innovative research that advances philosophical, historical, and contemporary thinking and making in the fields of photography, which we consider to include everything from art photography to documentary work; video; photography used in surveillance, medical imaging, and new applications. We seek to take a leading global role in fostering knowledge communities around the impact of photography in the world today and tomorrow.
Grants applications are reviewed by panels of leading international experts whose experiences range over the full spectrum of The SIP’s interests in scholarship, philosophical inquiry, art, and curatorial practice. All grants are for one year of support. All grantees who seek a second year of support must submit a Grant Renewal application no less than sixty days prior to the annual application deadline. The first year’s performance and reports will be a significant deciding factor in renewal of the grant.
Grants are awarded based upon merit under the following review criteria: Originality, clarity, feasibility, relevance, and accessibility. For further information, please refer to Submission Guidelines.
Click here to submit your proposal.
All submissions received before the submission deadline will be checked for eligibility, i.e., to verify they meet the submission guidelines.
Eligible proposals will be forwarded for review by an international panel of experts. The review process will be completed within a period of several weeks after the submission deadline.
All eligible applicants will be notified by e-mail at the end of the review period.
When an application is approved for funding, a formal agreement is sent with the terms of the grant, including:
A pre-proposal submission process is available for applicants who wish for their proposals to be checked for eligibility before the submission deadline.
All submissions received by 21/2/2011 will be checked and applicants will be informed of any items missing from their submission and will be given time to re-submit the proposal by the submission deadline of 1/3/2011.
The Panel Chair is Steven Henry Madoff. This panel consists of leading international experts whose experiences range over the full spectrum of The SIP’s interests in scholarship, philosophical inquiry, art, and curatorial practice.
The members of this review committee will be disclosed after the deadline for submission of applications.
Q: What is The SIP?
A: The Shpilman Institute for Photography (The SIP) is a research institute dedicated to photography. The SIP initiates and supports innovative scholarly work and artistic projects that advance the understanding of photography and related media. You may find more information here.
Q: Where are you located?
A: The SIP was founded in Tel Aviv where the first ten events have been hosted. Upcoming events in 2011 include a symposium in Paris and other collaborations in Europe and the US. The SIP online platform is part of our ongoing commitment to the online dissemination of all our activities.
Q: Who should submit research proposals?
A: We are offering funding to writers, theorists, and researchers from various disciplines (be they academic faculty, Ph.D. candidates, independent scholars, photographic practitioners, and research-oriented curators. Undergraduates should not apply.)
Q: Can I send in my proposal by mail? What’s the address?
A: No, all submissions are to be made online.
You are invited to use contact us for additional inquiries.
Q: My proposal refers to a project for which I have received another grant from the University in which I study. Is that acceptable?
A: Of course. Within your submission you are required to indicate all funding sources – both current and future funding (estimated funds and potential resources).
Please note that you have to be specific regarding overhead costs within your institution.
Q: In my paper I am referring to a specific function of photography (for example: scientific photography). Can I submit it as a proposal in your open call?
A: Yes.
Q: I am not sure if my proposal suits the “General Call” or the “Philosophy Call”. What should I do?
A: Your paper should address one or more of the listed themes. You should determine to which of the themes your paper is more relevant, and apply to that call.
You can also consult with us at callsadmin@thesip.org
Q: I wish to submit this paper to a conference. If it is accepted, I will have additional travel expenses. Can I include those in the proposed budget?
A: Yes, you should include travel expenses in your budget, as well as information regarding the activity. Note that the panel will consider this while reviewing your proposal.
Q: Will you publish the paper once it is completed?
A: In accordance with our Legal Guidelines (see below), The SIP supports the publication of research projects that have been recipients in our annual grants program in various forms and on various platforms.
Q: I submitted my proposal to your website and would like to change some of the details and add more materials. Is that possible?
A: Unfortunately, once you have uploaded your proposal, it cannot be changed.
Q: Do you support artistic projects, exhibitions or collections?
A: No, in this round we are only offering grants for essays or extended scholarly papers. There are no exceptions.
Q: Is there a length limit on the research deliverables?
A: There is no word limit to the proposed research for the deliverable of an essay or extended scholarly paper. However, the submission includes two texts that are limited: a 500-word abstract and a proposal (not more than three pages, 12 point type, 1.5 line spacing). Proposals that exceed these word lengths will not be considered.
Q: If approved, when can I expect to receive the grant?
A: The grant will be divided to three equal payments:
I – throughout May 2011 (and only after signing the mutual contract);
II – throughout September 2011;
III – throughout December 2011.
Q: Do you expect me to hand in a fully detailed budget on submission?
A: Yes, we expect a budget with your proposal that details to the best of your knowledge at the time of submission precisely what the grant will be used for and what expenses will be incurred in the process of the work, with figures attached in Euros or dollars in such basic categories as travel and accommodation expenses; research expenses (including such items as archive access when relevant materials are not otherwise accessible, research assistants, and materials specifically relevant to your proposed work); office supplies (not including computers); and any additional categories that are specific to the work you propose.
Q: In my institution we usually write in our local language. Is it possible to submit a proposal that is not in English?
A: No, as the panel is international, all proposals must be submitted in English.
Q: Will the grant support textual research that accompanies an exhibition or artistic production?
A: Yes, The SIP is open to textual research, scholarly writing, or a text accompanying an exhibition that can be published in a catalogue and is not limited to academic publishing, as long as this research and writing fulfill the mission of The SIP that is described on this website.
All applications must be submitted through The SIP’s website and Upload Form.
Criteria for review include:
Notwithstanding the above, the SIP reserves the right to choose the grantees on the basis of whatever considerations it determines appropriate, at its sole, absolute discretion, without having to provide explanations or details of the said considerations.
Researchers who are chosen by The SIP to receive grants will be required, as a condition of the grant, to sign an agreement that will include, among other conditions, the following undertakings of the researcher to:
1. Warrant that s/he is the original author and sole proprietor of the project, the project has not been published, that no other party has interest, title or right in project and that no part of the project violates or infringes any right of any third party.
2. Inform The SIP about all third parties involved in the project, either as funders or as participants in some other manner.
3. The Agreement will detail the sum of the grant and payment terms, which will be tied to progress and to acceptance of reports. The researcher will accept The SIP’s funding policy, including the policy on terminating projects and that any breach of the researcher’s obligations shall terminate funding.
4. The SIP encourages the publication of the supported research in professional journals and academic publishing houses. The Grantee grants The SIP the right to publish and/or use the Work, and/or any part thereof, in any medium, as the SIP sees fit as part of its not-for-profit purposes. The Grantee agrees to assist The SIP in such publication or use by providing supporting electronic files if required and available. Access to this material will be free through The SIP’s World Wide Web site (or its electronic successor). If publication of the Work in scholarly journals or as a stand-alone book is pending The SIP may delay its use of said rights.
5. Report, on a quarterly basis, to The SIP about the project and adhere to The SIPs instructions in regards to reporting, including report forms, meetings or calls.
6. Grant The SIP non-exclusive rights to use his/her name, image, sound and goodwill in regards to online and printed publications of The SIP and promotional material, such as (but not limited to) its website, blog, promotional material and presentations.
7. During the 12-month Grant period, The SIP holds the right to contact the Grantee regarding activities directed by The SIP or others, such as conferences, blogs, online events, and publications related to the Grantee’s Work, and in which The SIP may invite the Grantee to participate.
8. Agree to defend, hold The SIP harmless and to immediately indemnify The SIP against any costs, losses, damages and/or expenses incurred with regard to any claim made by any third party in connection with the project, including but not limited to with regard to intellectual property, privacy, publicity rights, goodwill, commercial tort claims or any other claim that the project or any part thereof violates or infringes third-party rights. Moreover, the researcher will agree to cooperate in pursuing any claim or other action seeking to protect or enforce any right you granted to The SIP in the project. If any such claim or action fails because of facts that constitute a breach of any of the foregoing warranties, the researcher will reimburse whoever brings such claim or action for expenses and attorneys’ fees incurred therein.
9. Prominently credit The SIP on every publication of the project, including papers, presentations, media appearance and other publications, in a manner to be reasonably requested by The SIP, and notify The SIP well enough in advance of any such publication to allow such decision to be made.
10. Acknowledge that The SIP is not required to publish the project in any of its publications.
11. Resolve any dispute with The SIP solely in the competent courts of Israel and under Israeli law.
