IDEAL Internship Grants
IDEAL Internship Grants support institutions offering paid decorative arts internships that help students build professional skills and broaden access to curatorial and other museum careers.
Funder: The Decorative Arts Trust
Due Dates: August 31, 2027 (Annual application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $5,000 per paid internship; second-year funding possible with demonstrated impact
Summary: Supports paid decorative arts internships that broaden students’ access to museum careers and advance inclusivity, diversity, equity, access, and leadership.
Key Information: Funded institutions must have at least one staff member maintain Trust membership throughout the project.
Description
The Decorative Arts Trust’s IDEAL Internship Grants support institutions offering paid internships that expand access to curatorial and other museum careers. The program seeks to address long-standing barriers faced by students from disadvantaged and underserved backgrounds and encourage a wider range of perspectives, narratives, and voices within museums, historic sites, and other cultural organizations stewarding the decorative arts.
The Trust supports summer and academic-year internships focused on decorative arts, material culture, object-based research, exhibitions, communications, and educational programming. Interns work toward a defined goal or capstone project supporting their academic and professional growth, with individual interests incorporated whenever possible. Host institutions also provide broader professional development, peer networking, and public outreach opportunities, such as tours and presentations.
