College of Liberal Arts Academy for Creative Endeavors Fellowship Program

The College of Liberal Arts Academy for Creative Endeavors Fellowship Advancing Creative Excellence supports faculty pursuing ambitious, innovative and impactful creative endeavors scholarship. The program recognizes that creative work in the arts, design, performance, music, creative writing and related fields as a vital form of scholarly inquiry that contributes to Purdue University's mission of discovery, innovation and global impact.

The fellowship program seeks to foster transformative projects that advance knowledge, engage audiences and elevate the role of creativity within a comprehensive research university. ACE Fellowships provide faculty with the time, resources and support needed to develop and produce significant creative projects, explore new directions in creative scholarship and expand the visibility and influence of their work.

In addition to supporting the development and completion of creative works, ACE Fellowships are intended to strengthen the competitiveness of faculty for prestigious awards, exhibitions, performances, publications and external funding opportunities. In some cases, fellowship-supported projects may serve as the foundation for larger-scale grant proposals and interdisciplinary initiatives that extend the impact of creative scholarship beyond the arts.

Award Support

Each ACE Fellowship provides up to $10,000 in flexible funding to support creative endeavors activities. Funds may be used individually or in combination for:

  • One course buyout during the academic year (subject to Department Head approval) to provide dedicated time for creative scholarship.
  • Summer salary support to advance a creative project, complete a significant scholarly work or develop a competitive grant or award proposal.
  • Project expenses, including but not limited to:
    • Materials and supplies
    • Equipment and specialized resources
    • Travel related to research, creation, performance, exhibition or collaboration
    • Transportation and shipping costs for creative works
    • Entry or submission fees
    • Other approved expenses directly supporting the proposed project

Eligibility and Expectations

ACE Fellowships are awarded competitively to tenure and clinical stream faculty whose proposed projects demonstrate artistic excellence, originality, scholarly significance and potential for impact. Fellows will be expected to make meaningful progress on their proposed creative project during the award period and to contribute to the visibility of creative scholarship within the College of Liberal Arts through presentations, exhibitions, performances, publications or other public-facing outcomes. Recipients are expected to be active members of the ACE community as part of the fellowship. A fellowship outcome report is required at the end of the fellowship period.

Application Deadline: Deadline to apply for FY 26-27 is October 15, 2026 for projects beginning January 1, 2027.

Application Materials:

  • Project Narrative providing an overview, the innovative contribution, goals and outcomes and potential impact.
  • Fellowship plan, timeline and milestones
  • Budget and justification
  • Letter of support from Department Head
  • Current CV

Application: Combine all application materials into a single PDF form and Submit through InfoReady using this link before October 15, 2026: (Link Coming Soon)