The Alexia Foundation Professional and Student Grant is a grant from The Alexia Foundation that funds visual storytellers—photographers and documentary journalists—pursuing projects that address significant issues of life on the planet. Submissions are evaluated as much on the strength of the project proposal as on the applicant's visual skills; storytelling impact and social relevance are paramount.

Applicants must submit a project synopsis, proposal, bio, résumé/CV, and a body of work through the Visura. co platform. All applicants are automatically considered for The Alexia Vision grants.

Eligible applicants include professional photographers (submission fee: $50) and students (free). Professional awards reach up to $20,000, with student scholarship opportunities also available. Applications are accepted on an annual cycle; check the Alexia Foundation website for current deadlines.

Potential applicants are encouraged to review these rules in preparation for their submission. Submissions will be processed through the Visura. co platform.

(See more below.) The open judging weekend will be held March 27–28 in Syracuse, New York. **Please check back periodically for information about additional grants.

** **SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS** Submissions must include a synopsis of the project, a proposal, your bio, a résumé/CV and a body of work. Stories may be in progress or planned. Entries are judged as much on the strength of the proposal as on the applicant’s visual skills.

What storytellers address and what their images say about life on the planet is more important than the approach chosen to address that topic. The submission fee is $50 for professionals; student submissions are free. Applicants may submit only one proposal per year.

All applicants will be considered for The Alexia Vision grants automatically. In addition, during the submission process, applicants will have the opportunity to indicate whether their application should also be considered for any of this year’s pop-up grants. IMPORTANT: Previous Alexia grant recipients must sit out the next three cycles before submitting another proposal.

For example, receiving a grant in 2020 means waiting through the 2021, 2022 and 2023 cycles before submitting for the 2024 cycle. **THE ALEXIA VISION GRANTS** For these two grants, we will be looking for strong projects that provide insight into issues around the world, foster cultural understanding, and inspire meaningful change by addressing socially significant topics. **Professional:** $20,000 and a Sony camera/lens.

The runner-up will receive $750, and award of excellence recipients will receive $250. **Student:** $2,000, a Sony camera/lens, acceptance to the Eddie Adams Workshop (unless previously attended), the tuition and fees to audit three courses during a semester at the S. I.

Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in New York, and they will be considered for a paid position as research assistant to The Alexia chair. The runner-up for this grant will receive $500, and award of excellence recipients will receive $250. **PROFESSIONAL POP-UP GRANTS** **POP-UP: The Alexia Conservation Grant sponsored by The fStopFoundation:**$5,000.

For this grant, we will be looking for strong projects that focus on positive aspects of conservation work in relation to human-wildlife conflict — how we can thrive living alongside wildlife that share our landscape. **POP-UP: The Alexia Environmental Change Grant sponsored by James Balog / Earth Vision Institute: $5,000.

**For this grant, we will be looking for a still photographer whose innovative image-making and ideas deepen human understanding of environmental change in the Anthropocene. Special consideration will be given to work with strong potential for public outreach. **POP-UP: The Alexia Health Grant sponsored by David Sutherland in memory of his wife, Pei Lin Huang:**$5,000.

For this grant, we will be looking for strong projects that provide meaningful insight into issues related to health, presenting them with depth, clarity and compassion. (David Sutherland was Alexia Tsairis’ professor and the inaugural director of the grants, beginning in 1991.) **STUDENT POP-UP GRANTS** **POP-UP:****The Alexia Conservation Grant sponsored by The fStopFoundation:** $1,000.

For this grant, we will be looking for strong projects that focus on positive aspects of conservation work in relation to human-wildlife conflict — how we can thrive living alongside wildlife that share our landscape. The fStop Foundation also is willing to provide guidance during production and publication. **POP-UP: The Alexia Faith Grant sponsored by Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University:**$1,000.

For this grant, we will be looking for strong projects that provide meaningful insight into issues related to faith. **POP-UP: The Alexia Green Space Grant sponsored by Phil Ashwood:**$1,000.

For this grant, we will be looking for strong projects that focus on landscape and reveal how people interact with green spaces in their everyday lives — parks, gardens, forests, farms, etc. — and that reveal these spaces as places of connection, rest, work, play and reflection. **POP-UP: The Alexia Health Grant sponsored by David Sutherland in memory of his wife, Pei Lin Huang:**$1,000.

For this grant, we will be looking for strong projects that provide meaningful insight into issues related to health, presenting them with depth, clarity and compassion. (David Sutherland was Alexia Tsairis’ professor and the inaugural director of the grants, beginning in 1991.) **POP-UP: The Alexia Sports Grant sponsored by the Sports Media Center at Newhouse, Syracuse University**: $1,000.

For this grant, we will be looking for strong projects that provide meaningful insight into issues related to sports. **NEW MENTOR GRANTS FOR STUDENTS** This year we are introducing a new initiative to pair student photographers with an accomplished mentor to guide them over the course of the following year as they develop their project.

As part of these grants, mentors will connect with the recipients via Zoom four times, though some mentors might have additional availability. In addition to mentorship, the recipient will receive $1,000 to help with expenses and production of the project. **MENTOR GRANT: The Alexia Disabilities Mentor Grant with Lynn Johnson:**$1,000.

For this grant, we will be looking for strong projects that provide meaningful insight into issues related to disabilities. Lynn Johnson, a National Geographic Explorer who has published 40 feature stories in National Geographic Magazine and worked for LIFE and Sports Illustrated, is known for photographing elusive topics. **MENTOR GRANT: The Alexia Education Mentor Grant with Sandra M.

Stevenson:** $1,000. For this grant we will be looking for strong projects that provide meaningful insight into issues related to education. Sandra M.

Stevenson is Education Week’s managing editor of visuals and immersive experiences and formerly worked at The Washington Post, CNN and The New York Times. **MENTOR GRANT: The Alexia Environmental Impact Mentor Grant with Whitney Johnson Latorre:** $1,000. For this grant, we will be looking for strong projects that provide meaningful insight into issues related to the environment.

Whitney Johnson Latorre is president and CEO of the Catalina Island Conservancy and previously served as vice president and executive director of visual content for National Geographic. **MENTOR GRANT: The Alexia Human Rights Mentor Grant with Ed Kashi sponsored by CODE^SHIFT at Newhouse, Syracuse University:** $1,000.

For this grant, we will be looking for strong projects that provide meaningful insight into issues related to human rights. Projects could explore themes such as social justice, equity and advocacy. Ed Kashi is an internationally recognized visual storyteller known for his long-term engagement with global social, humanitarian and geopolitical issues.

**MENTOR GRANT: The Alexia Portrait Series Mentor Grant with Gregory Heisler:**$1,000. For this grant, we will be looking for strong projects that use a portrait series to convey a meaningful concept or issue. Gregory Heisler has photographed more than 70 covers of Time Magazine, and his work is part of the permanent collection at the National Portrait Gallery.

**MENTOR GRANT: The Alexia Visual Innovation Mentor Grant with Stephen Wilkes:**$1,000. For this grant, we will be looking for strong projects that use visual innovation as a vehicle for deeper meaning, prioritizing conceptual intent over technical virtuosity alone. Stephen Wilkes is a photographer, filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer known for his groundbreaking fine art, editorial and commercial imagery.

**EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHER GRANT** **The Alexia Emerging Photographer Grant sponsored by the VII Foundation in memory of Paul Lowe:**Tuition to Level 3 of The Program for Narrative and Documentary Photography in Arles, France, plus accommodation and a per diem. The recipient of this grant will be selected from applicants to our student grants as well as professional applicants who have five years of experience or less.

The VII Foundation believes truthful visual journalism is an essential tool for citizens and decision-makers as they confront humanity’s challenges and seek sustainable solutions. In response, the foundation empowers new voices, fosters critical debates and creates stories that advocate change. Paul Lowe was an award-winning conflict photographer, author, academic and regular course leader for The VII Foundation’s educational programs.

**Details**: Tuition to Level 3 of The Program for Narrative and Documentary Photography in Arles, France, plus accommodation and a per diem. **Curriculum**: Level 3 of the Program for Narrative and Documentary Photography offers an immersive, interdisciplinary experience at the Alexandra Boulat Campus in Arles, France.

This intensive month-long program includes training in observation, interview techniques, public speaking, writing, constructing complex narratives, editing, improving technical skills and engaging in discourse and debate.

Level 3 classes are conducted in English and focus on teaching through practice and mentoring; they also include more theoretical concepts, integrating multi-disciplinary academic reading and research, writing, journaling, art disciplines, and workshops. After completing the course, students are skilled professionals ready to report on vital issues in their communities and understand their role in the context of contemporary journalism.

Tutors for past editions of Level 3 include Monica Allende, Philip Blenkinsop, Dr. David Campbell, Jacqueline Farmer, Ziyah Gafic, Gary Knight, Ilvy Njiokiktjien Fiona Turner and Yonola Viguerie. The VII Foundation’s educational programs are run by VII Academy, which provides tuition-free courses in visual journalism to practitioners in the Majority World and underrepresented communities in G20 countries.

**Jurors**: The VII Foundation Because grant submissions will be processed through the Visura. co platform, you must have a Visura. co account to apply.

If you do not already have one, you will be prompted to create one when you begin your submission. The button at the bottom of this page will take you to Visura. co, where, beginning Jan.

13, you will be guided through the following steps. **STEP 2:**CREATE AN ENTRY. In this step, you will upload your content.

All fields, including captions, are required. In addition to being considered for The Alexia Vision grant, you will have an opportunity to indicate whether your application should also be considered for any of our new grants. You may save a draft and return to the entry when you’re ready to continue.

Here, you also will be prompted to read and accept terms and conditions. **STEP 3:**PAY THE FEE. Submission is $50 for professionals and free for students.

Paypal and credit cards are accepted. A limited number of professional fee waivers are available through partner organizations. (See more below.)

**STEP 4:** SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY. You will receive a confirmation email if the entry was completed correctly. **Synopsis:**Write a short paragraph (1-3 sentences, 400 characters maximum) that quickly summarizes your project and gives a general overview of the story you are trying to tell.

Reading this should give jurors an understanding of and context for images they’ll be seeing in your submission. Think of this as your “elevator pitch” for the project. **Proposal:**A more complete project description of 400–500 words (4000 characters maximum).

Start by clearly stating what the project is about, then explain why the topic is important now, how you will continue to work on the project, and what tangible outcomes (exhibit, book, film, website, etc.) will result from the work. Make note of any partnerships you’ve developed for the project that could enhance the impact of the work. **Do not put your name or****other identifying information on your proposal.

All applications will be judged anonymously. ****** **Bio/about statement:**An up to 300-word description (2000 characters maximum) that provides a picture of who you are as a visual communicator, including any relevant accomplishments and other information.

**Résumé/CV:**This much longer document formally outlines your professional experience to date (jobs held, responsibilities/skills, timeframes, clients, etc.) and includes your email address, phone number and mailing address along with the names, titles and phone numbers of three professional references. **Do not include any letters of recommendation.

** Submit a body of work consisting of at least five and up to 20 photographs and/or two short videos. Do not feel compelled to submit 20 images; previous grant recipients have submitted as few as 12. Select only your best photos and arrange them in a compelling sequence that reflects your vision and visual narrative.

Jurors often consider the edit and sequencing as evidence of your visual storytelling skills. If you have not yet begun working on the project, you may submit photos/videos made within the past three years that reflect your vision for the proposed project. In your written proposal, make sure to note that this work is from a different project.

There are no restrictions about when your photos/videos were made if they were produced specifically for your proposed project. You may submit diptychs and triptychs if that is the intentional format you have chosen for your project. That said, you still may not submit more than 20 total images.

So, if you intend to submit diptychs, you may submit up to 10; if you intend to submit triptychs, you may submit up to six, plus, if desired, two singles or a diptych. **Photo submissions:**Digital photo files must be formatted as medium-quality JPEG images at 6000 pixels for the longest dimension at 300 dpi, using the sRGB profile. Each image must have a caption in the file’s metadata/exif caption field.

**Do not include your name in captions or exif fields. ** **Video submissions:**You may provide up to two short videos/clips totaling no more than five minutes. They must represent your proposed project directly or an approach similar to the one you plan to tackle.

Either way, it must be your own work. If your work is significantly longer, create a five-minute compilation or trailer, or select a five-minute segment for the judges to review. Your video(s) should be at least 1920 x 1080 (1080p) and uploaded to Vimeo or YouTube.

You will then copy and paste the embed code into your entry. Please also upload a poster/thumbnail image and a brief written description of the film. Your project should be subtitled in English if the language is otherwise.

If your video is password-protected, remember to provide the password; we cannot guarantee viewing otherwise. IMPORTANT: We accept non-fiction projects only. We do not accept pitch decks; all relevant information must be conveyed in writing via the proposal.

The Alexia follows ethical photojournalistic standards as set forth by organizations such as Pictures of the Year International, the National Press Photographers Association and World Press Photo. Images may not be altered to change the structural integrity of photographed scenes unless they are clearly illustrative in nature.

Toning of images — saturation, contrast, vignetting, dynamic range, etc. — must be within reasonable limits, as determined by the judges. We reserve the right to request raw files or untoned . jpg files of submitted images from entrants selected as finalists, with the goal of ensuring the integrity of those images.

If you cannot provide raw or untoned files, you might be ineligible to receive an Alexia grant. **The submission of AI imagery is NOT ACCEPTABLE for The Alexia grants and will disqualify your application.

** All applicants understand that The Alexia/Syracuse University will comply with all applicable U.S. export control and economic sanctions laws and regulations, including the screening of applicants and/or grant recipients against lists of export control-restricted parties to ensure compliance with sanctions regulations.

(This means that we must abide by US laws and cannot provide payment or other tangible awards to applicants deemed ineligible.) **Professionals:** If you do not qualify as a student, you must enter as a professional. Grant applicants who are employed full time must ensure they have any necessary permissions from their employer to allow time to complete their project within one year.

**Students:**Students must be fully engaged in academic pursuit at a college, university, community college or center of photography at the time of their submission or have graduated in 2025. For most students, that means they’re enrolled full-time and taking courses; others might be on an internship before completing their degree or working on their master’s project or thesis as part of an advanced degree. Ph.

D. students are eligible if they are actively pursuing their degree. You will be prompted to provide proof of current enrollment or recent graduation (in the form of a PDF or .

jpg) during the submission process. **JUDGING CRITERIA AND PROCESS** Grants will go to visual storytellers who demonstrate the potential to produce significant projects that share The Alexia’s mission and who demonstrate the ability to accomplish their projects.

The Alexia Vision Grant submissions will be judged by a three-member jury based on the topic and the strength of the submitted materials — both the visuals and the proposal itself. The jury will review submissions before the live judging (March 27–28) and advance only selected entries for reassessment on that weekend, at the end of which they’ll choose The Alexia Vision grant recipients, runners-up and award of excellence honorees.

The Alexia Emerging Photographer Grant will be selected by the VII Foundation. Other Alexia grants will be selected according to the unique guidelines associated with each grant, and their selection committees can include the three-member jury, The Alexia chair and relevant experts. **PROFESSIONAL****GRANTS** **The Alexia Vision Grant:** $20,000 and a Sony camera/lens.

The runner-up will receive $750, and award of excellence recipients will receive $250. **The Alexia Conservation Grant sponsored by The fStop Foundation:**$5,000. The fStop Foundation also is willing to provide guidance during production and publication.

**The Alexia Environmental Change Grant sponsored by James Balog / Earth Vision Institute**: $5,000 **The Alexia Health Grant sponsored by David Sutherland in memory of his wife, Pei Lin Huang:**$5,000 _IMPORTANT NOTE: All funds distributed to recipients outside of the United States might be taxed up to 30% of the amount awarded.

_ **The Alexia Vision Grant (student):** $2,000, a Sony camera/lens, acceptance to the Eddie Adams Workshop (unless previously attended), the tuition and fees to audit three courses during a semester at the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in New York, and they will be considered for a paid position as research assistant to The Alexia chair.

The runner-up for this grant will receive $500, and award of excellence recipients will receive $250. **The Alexia Conservation Grant sponsored by The fStop Foundation**: $1,000. The fStop Foundation also is willing to provide guidance during production and publication.

**The Alexia Education Issues Grant with Mentor Sandra M.

Stevenson:** $1,000 **The Alexia Environmental Impact Mentor Grant with Whitney Johnson Latorre:** $1,000 **The Alexia Faith Grant sponsored by Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University:**$1,000 **The Alexia Green Space Grant sponsored by Phil Ashwood:**$1,000 **The Alexia Health Grant sponsored by David Sutherland in memory of his wife, Pei Lin Huang:**$1,000 **The Alexia Human Rights Mentor Grant with Ed Kashi sponsored by CODE^SHIFT at Newhouse, Syracuse University:** $1,000 **The Alexia Portrait Series Mentor Grant with Gregory Heisler:**$1,000 **The Alexia Sports Grant sponsored by the Sports Media Center at Newhouse, Syracuse University**: $1,000 **The Alexia Visual Innovation Mentor Grant with Stephen Wilkes:**$1,000 All submitted images will be considered for inclusion in Alexia exhibitions and publications curated throughout the year.

Photographers with selected images would be contacted for approval. **The Alexia Emerging Photographer Grant sponsored by the VII Foundation in memory of Paul Lowe:**Tuition to Level 3 of The Program for Narrative and Documentary Photography in Arles, France, plus accommodation and a per diem. _IMPORTANT NOTE: All funds distributed to recipients outside of the United States might be taxed up to 30% of the amount awarded.

_ **EXPECTATIONS OF GRANT RECIPIENTS** **Professional grant recipients** are expected to produce a substantial body of work on the project they proposed — usually clocking in about one to three months of field time — within one year of signing the grant agreement. These recipients will then submit 60 high-resolution images or a high-resolution digital file of their film to The Alexia Chair.

**Student grant recipients**are expected to make meaningful progress on their project within one year of signing the grant agreement. These recipients will then submit at least 20 high-resolution images or a high-resolution digital file of their film to The Alexia Chair.

**All grant recip****ients working with still photography**will consider images made during the entirety of their project in choosing the final images and will consult with The Alexia Chair to create the selection. The goal is to reflect the full scope of the project, including any worthy imagery made before the grant was awarded. All images must have captions.

**All grant recipients working on a film** also will consider footage shot during the entirety of their project and will consult with The Alexia Chair at least three times: at the rough-cut stage, midway and just before the final cut.

**All grant recipients** also must submit at the end of that year a thorough document that 1) outlines how they completed/advanced the project, 2) lists any publication or public presentation of the work, and 3) elaborates on challenges, triumphs and lessons learned.

Lastly, **all grant recipients will credit The Alexia at Newhouse/Syracuse University** if their project (in part or in its entirety) is published or screened during production or within three years of completion. The Alexia Chair may also use submitted materials and completed projects in their educational responsibilities.

Each applicant warrants and represents that every photograph/film submitted with their entry is their own original work and that they have the unrestricted right to grant The Alexia the license described above.

**Alexia grants will be awarded subject to these additional terms:**The license granted herein by the applicant to The Alexia for use of photographs/films submitted with the applicant’s Alexia grant application shall be extended in all its terms to all works created by the applicant in the course of any project funded in any part by the applicant’s Alexia grant.

Each applicant shall be deemed to have consented to the use of their name, portrait and/or picture by The Alexia in promotional and public relations materials or for any other purpose related to The Alexia.

Each applicant shall agree to reasonable requests by The Alexia to present such applicant’s work and/or represent The Alexia at photography workshops, seminars and/or conventions, provided that any necessary expense associated with such presentations is paid by The Alexia.

Each applicant shall be responsible for determining his or her own tax liability arising from acceptance of the Alexia grant, and for satisfaction of any such liability.

Through a partnership with African Photojournalism Database, African Women in Photography, Arab Documentary Photography Program, Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, The Authority Collective, Balkanium, Black Women Photographers, Diversify Photo, Eddie Adams Workshop, The Everyday Projects, Festival of Ethical Photography, Foto Feminas, Fotoist International Photography Festival, Gulf Photo Plus, Indigenous Photograph, Magnum Foundation, Manzana Uno Festival, National Press Photography Association (NPPA), Photo Circle (Kathmandu), Pingyao International Photography Festival, The Raw Society, Reuters Pictures, Sarajevo Photography Festival, Vilnius Photo Circle, VII Foundation, Visura, Women Photograph, and World Press, The Alexia is offering a limited number of submission fee waivers.

Photographers/filmmakers who cannot afford the submission fee and are members of one of the partner organizations listed above can apply for a waiver from their organization beginning Jan. 13. Given that there are a limited number of waivers, we recommend you apply for one as soon as possible.

(Professional category only; student entries are free.) **How to apply:**Begin your grant competition entry. If you are not already a Visura.

co member, you will be prompted to create an account at the beginning of the grant submission process. Next, follow these steps: 2. Save the entry as a draft.

(You will be allowed to return to edit your submission until the closing deadline.) 3. Click the Preview button, then copy the URL of that preview page.

4. Share that URL via email with your partner organization for their review ALONG WITH YOUR PROJECT SYNOPSIS (a short paragraph of 1-3 sentences that succinctly summarizes your project and gives a general overview of the concept). 5.

If your waiver request is accepted, your organization will email you a unique code to use in the payment step of the submission process. **Note:**We do not require that you justify your request, but we do operate on an honor code and trust that if you are asking for a fee waiver it is because you need it.