This category is exempt from the Council’s two request limit.

Applicants to this category go directly to panel and are not subject to staff review.

Independent Projects allow for individuals (or a team) to explore creatively or to research an issue or problem in architecture, design and/or historic preservation which advances that field and contributes to the public’s understanding of design. The category seeks projects that are innovative in nature and emphasize artistry and design excellence.

Design fields which are supported include: architecture, landscape architecture, graphic, fashion, industrial, furniture, and interior design.

Independent Projects originate with the individual (or team). Applications may only be submitted through a sponsoring organization.

Previously funded projects have included the development of design prototypes, historical studies of building types, critical and theoretical analyses, and explorations of new technology for the design fields.

Funds awarded for Independent Projects are individual artist awards, but are not fellowships. All funded projects are awarded the full amount requested up to $10,000. Requests must include the artist’s fee and may include related project expenses. In addition, sponsoring organizations are eligible to receive an administrative fee of $750 for each funded project.

Prerequisites

Only architecture, design and historic preservation professionals who are New York State residents are eligible to apply for Independent Projects. Visual artists whose work references the built environment are not eligible for support.

Individuals may be associated with only one project request per year. If individuals appear on more than one request, both requests will be deemed ineligible for support.

Student projects are ineligible for support. Currently matriculated students must document that their projects are not related to the completion of a degree. Faculty members’ projects may not be part of a course curriculum.

NYSCA funds cannot be used for out-of-state travel expenses.

Registration Instructions:

During registration, enter as the “Project Title” the artist/designer’s last name followed by the name of the project. For example: Smith: Suburban Landscapes or Thompson: Green Design.

Application Instructions

The online application form includes the questions below. Applicants are also required to submit: online Organizational Budget for the current fiscal year, Project Budget (please use the Budget Notes section to detail income and expense items), Cultural Data Project Report and support materials.

New applicants are encouraged to contact NYSCA staff before the deadline.

Application Narrative Questions

Artistic/Programmatic

1. Project Overview
Describe the project. Discuss how this project will make a significant impact on the development of the field.

Managerial/Fiscal

2. Project Management
Detail the time frame for project completion during the application grant period. If more than one person is involved, describe how the work will be delegated or coordinated.

Service to the Public

3. Project Accessibility
Discuss how this project will be made accessible to the public. Please describe any specific audience being targeted.

Budget note: Project budgets should include only the architect/designer's fee and other project-related expenses (up to $10,000), and the administrative fee of $750 per project.

Support Materials

4. Support Materials

Please list all of the support materials being submitted. These materials are critical to the application’s assessment. Required support materials are listed below.

Support Material

This application may be supported by the following material only.

1. Resumes or biographical statements. Maximum of 2 pages each.

2. Either a Power Point presentation of up to 15 images with descriptive text, or a website reference, representative of recent work and of the proposed project. Power Point is preferred.

3. For projects intended for installation in public spaces only: documented permission to use the site.

4. For projects involving a publication only: an outline and up to 5 pages of sample text.

Electronic Materials Guidelines for Submission of Support Materials

Instructions for FY13 Support Materials
The Council is now requiring electronic submission of all Support Materials, including forms, documents and work samples.

There are Exemptions to this requirement. Please see Exemptions to Electronic Support Materials below.

Remember to review Program Specific Requirements for all Support Materials indicated in each Program’s guidelines.

Support Materials can only be submitted electronically while the Council’s online Registration and Application period is open.

Requirements for Electronic Submission of Support Materials
Electronic Support Materials must be submitted online to http://nysca.slideroom.com. Remember to review Program Specific Requirements indicated in each Program’s guidelines prior to uploading. All Support Materials including forms and documents for all Program categories including General Support, Project Support, Regrants and Partnerships, can be uploaded as images, video, audio and/or PDF.

If the Support Material is in the form of a URL(s), please create a separate text document titled URL Support Materials, a description of the work sample/content and the URL (link) embedded in the text document. Include this document when uploading all your Support Materials online to http://nysca.slideroom.com.

For Time-Based Media (video and audio) the following is a general guideline to help applicants prepare content for electronic submission:

Images: 5MB maximum (jpg, png, tif file formats)
Videos: 60MB maximum (mov, mp4, wmv, flv file formats)
Audio: 30MB maximum (mp3 file format)
PDF: 10MB maximum (pdf file format)

60MB per Video clips is approximately 6 minutes
30MB per Audio clip is approximately 10 minutes
10MB per PDF is adequate for up to 10 pages of graphical content. Most text only documents are less than ½ MB.

IMPORTANT: When uploading all time-based materials (audio and video), the maximum length allowed is no more than six minutes per sound and/or video clip.

The maximum number of electronic items allowed (uploads) is no more than twenty-five (25) per proposal. For example: One PDF equals one item, one JPG equals one item and one media clip equals one item.

INSTRUCTIONS for uploading and Technical Assistance during the electronic materials submission process are available by emailing your question to support@slideroom.com Monday through Saturday, between 9am and 9pm, Central Standard Time.

Ensuring the Playback Quality of Your Hard Copy Support Materials

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure the availability, quality, compatibility, and playback stability of all Support Materials which are exempt from the electronic materials submission requirement

Applicants are encouraged to test and verify that their Support Materials are playable prior to submission.

All Support Materials should be able to meet basic presentation requirements for the following hardware:

• Windows XP PC
• 1.6 GHz processor
• 256 mb RAM

In addition, all Hard Copy Support Materials should be able to meet basic presentation requirements for the following software:

• For Time-based Work (Film, Moving Images, Music and Soundwork): VideoLAN VLC Media Player (click here for a complete list of compatible file formats)
• For Still Images: Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 OR XnView multimedia viewer (click here for a complete list of compatible file formats)
• For Electronic Print Materials: Microsoft Word 2003 OR Adobe Acrobat Reader (most current version)