Comics-to-Research Awards

We host two types of Comics-to-Research Awards. Our Graduate Awards are for UBC graduate students to collaborate with local cartoonists, comic artists, and graphic illustrators on knowledge mobilization projects and are always open but adjudicated on a rolling basis. Our Special Calls are posted whenever there is an active research project recruiting for graphic artists. Please see open calls below for more details.

Special Call for Artists (June 30): Linguaphobia, Linguistic Indifference, Linguistic Disobedience, & the Monolingual University

Special Call for Artists: Linguaphobia, Linguistic Indifference, Linguistic Disobedience, & the Monolingual University 
Drs. David Gramling & Ervin Malakaj, UBC Comics Studies Cluster

Strangely, there’s a scarcity of visual art, photography, and graphic narratives when it comes to matters of language(s), translation, multilingualism and other aspects of linguistic life. Either you get clip art of diverse-looking people communicating with lots of hand gestures, an abstract representation of language conveyed in speech balloons with various alphabets, a clash of cultures, or a message “lost in translation”.

This project seeks to expand the visual language around these themes, inviting critical, conceptual, experimental, experiential, personal, and political work of various kinds that tests the boundaries and critical power of the concepts below.

We invite artists to compose a visual narrative on one or more of the following topics. Artists can interpret these themes freely, though we encourage artists to take topic’s associated survey (linked next to the concept) before making a proposal:

Compensation:

Each artist will receive $1500 for their contribution to this project, which includes an initial consultation meeting and ongoing conversations with the project team,  participation in a one-day symposium to present works-in-progress, one round of revisions, the completion of a single 8-12-page comic, and a 500-750-word artist statement or reflection that elaborates on the comic by highlighting the artist’s intentions and motivations.  Artists will also be invited to participate a final symposium and an exhibition of their works at the conclusion of the project.

The team will engage up to six artists. Artists are encouraged to work in any language or mix of languages. About half of the projects should either be in English-only formats or feature appropriate translations for an English-speaking readership. The remaining projects might be in French, Indigenous languages, or other languages or mixes of languages.

Timeline:

  • June 30: Deadline for applications.
  • July 15: Artists will be notified of their selection.
  • July 21: Depending on the topic, artists might receive (or request) additional research material.
  • September 15: Thumbnails for graphic narratives will be due.
  • October 1: Project Team will provide feedback.
  • October 29: One-Day Symposium at UBC (Work-In-Progress Presentations)
  • December 31: Drafts of graphic narratives will be due.
  • January 31: Editorial comments and requested revisions will be provided.
  • February 29: Final versions of the graphic narratives are due.
  • April 2026: Exhibition & Final Symposium (Final Presentation of Works)

Application Instructions:

Application materials should include the following in one PDF document:

  • Letter of Interest (maximum 1 page)
  • 3 examples of comic art (maximum 10 pages)
  • OPTIONAL Creative Statement or Thumbnails (for one of the various themes)

For more information, please contact Dr. David Gramling, david.gramling@ubc.ca and cc Dr. Biz Nijdam, biz.nijdam@ubc.ca.

→ SUBMIT APPLICATION HERE

Call for Applications (rolling): Comics-to-Research Graduate Awards

Call for Applications: Comics-to-Research 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 in January, May, and September of each year.

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

→ SUBMIT APPLICATION HERE