Thoma Foundation Research & Travel Award
Thoma Foundation Research & Travel Award supports scholars’ research and travel to advance the study of art in Spanish colonial South America, including the Caribbean, particularly painting and sculpture.
Funder: Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation
Due Dates: December 15, 2026 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $25,000 for projects lasting up to six months
Summary: Supports individual scholars’ research and travel advancing the study of art of Spanish colonial South America, including the Caribbean.
Key Information: Applicants must be able to communicate and conduct research in both English and Spanish.
Description
The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation’s annual Research & Travel Award helps defray research-related expenses for scholars, curators, art historians, and advanced graduate students working on MA theses or PhD dissertations. It supports projects advancing the art history of Spanish colonial South America, including the Caribbean, particularly painting and sculpture.
The program prioritizes rigorous, original research that engages relevant scholarship and current debates in the field. Projects must lead to a measurable scholarly or public-facing outcome commensurate with the award, such as a dissertation, book manuscript, museum exhibition, scholarly essay, journal article, or lecture series. Several scholars receive funding each year, selected by an anonymous international jury of four accomplished professionals.
