Call for Applications: Research-to-Comics Graduate Awards
UBC Comics Studies Cluster
The UBC Comics Studies Cluster is excited to announce a new initiative supporting UBC graduate students in transforming their research into compelling short comics and graphic narratives!
We invite applications for awards to commission a cartoonist or comic artist to create an 8–12-page comic based on your graduate research. This is a unique opportunity to share your work with broader audiences through visual storytelling as arts-based knowledge mobilization.
Awardees will receive:
- Up to $1000 to cover the commissioning of a local cartoonist, illustrator or graphic artist
- Assistance in drafting an artists call for cartoonists, illustrators or graphic artists
- Support with artist recruitment and project onboarding
- Access to consulting, feedback and revision support from the UBC Comics Studies Cluster
- An open-access digital dissemination platform through the UBC Pop Culture Cluster’s Pop Pedagogies Initiative
Whether your research is in the humanities, sciences, or any field in between, we welcome proposals that think creatively about how academic knowledge can be communicated through comics as an arts-based method.
Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis—apply any time! Applications will be adjudicated on a quarterly basis.
To apply, please include the following in a single PDF doc and upload with the application:
- A brief description (300–500 words) of your research project and its key insights
- Your vision for the comic (150-300 words) including tone, audience, and goals
- A short statement (150–300 words) on how this opportunity would support your academic and/or public engagement work
- Your abbreviated CV (max. 2 pages)
- Simple budget if the project requires more than an artist’s fee
Send any questions to: pop.culture@ubc.ca