About

The W. Eugene Smith Grant for Student Photographers is designed to encourage and support students whose photographic work renews the tradition of W. Eugene Smith’s dedicated compassion as evidenced during his 45-year career as a photographic essayist. Special consideration will be given to work that promotes social change, that embraces new technologies and image distribution, and that seeks to integrate the tradition of photography and social change with contemporary practice. The judges will be looking for a photographer and project that seem most likely to use exemplary and compelling photojournalism and documentary photography (possibly supplemented by or incorporating multi-media) to address an issue of import and impact related to the human condition: social change, humanitarian concern, armed conflict, or other topics of interpersonal, psychological, cultural, social, environmental, scientific, medical and/or political significance, ideally expressing an underlying acknowledgement of our common humanity.

Requirements

A biography up to 1500 characters (spaces included). A CV, up to 2000 characters (spaces included), is optional, and can instead be submitted as a PDF of unlimited length.

The project description is a concise synopsis or summary of the project. This outline should be brief but comprehensive. Ideally, the project will be journalistically realizable, visually translatable, and humanistically driven. The description should not exceed 2000 characters (spaces included).

The project proposal should go into greater detail, describing the practical aspects of the applicant's plan. It should explain how the applicant will use the Smith Student Grant funds to complete the project. The proposal should not exceed 3000 characters (spaces included).

Student ID: A JPG of a current Student ID must be submitted, as the 40th image uploaded.

IMAGES: Applicants can submit up to 40 images total (including their Student ID). These should consist of representative images from the project being proposed to the W. Eugene Smith Grant for Student Photographers. The applicant can also include in their submission past work clearly marked as such, that represents the candidate's vision and their ability to execute the project being proposed to the fund. No AI generated imagery is allowed.

You must be 18years of age to apply for this grant.

Entrance Fee

$10 USD.

Application Fee Waiver: Through partnerships with the African Photojournalism Database, African Women in Photography, the Authority Collective, Black Women Photographers, Diversify Photo, the Everyday Projects, Foto Féminas, Indigenous Photograph, the Magnum Foundation, and Women Photograph, Center for Photography Ethiopia, MATCA, Market Photo Workshop, UCAB PhotoContact Project, the Smith Fund will be making a select number of application fee waivers available to photographers seeking to apply to the Eugene Smith Grant, and the Eugene Smith Student Grant. Photographers who cannot afford the submission fee should request a fee waiver from one of the following organizations before September 15, 2024. Please note: You must fit the demographic makeup of the individual organization from whom you are requesting the waiver.

African Photojournalism Database: apjd@worldpressphoto.org

African Women in Photography: sarah@africanwomeninphotography.org

Authority Collective: authoritycollective@gmail.com

Black Women Photographers: polly@blackwomenphotographers.com

Diversify Photo: info@diversify.photo

Everyday Projects: peter@everydayprojects.org

Foto Féminas: foto.feminas@gmail.com

Indigenous Photograph: hello@nativesphotograph.com

Magnum Foundation: tif@magnumfoundation.org

Women Photograph: daniella@womenphotograph.com

Center for Photography Ethiopia: mahederhaile@gmail.com

MATCA: info@lin-pham.com>

Market Photo Workshop: Khonad@marketphotoworkshop.co.za

UCAB PhotoContact Project: jperezda@ucab.edu.ve

VII Foundation: info@theviifoundation.org

Nuku Studio: info@nukustudio.org

Pathshala South Asian Media Institute: pathshala.hod.photo@gmail.com

Judging Information

For 2024, there will be two W. Eugene Smith Student Grants in the amount of $5,000. The grants provide two student photographers with the financial freedom to complete a photographic essay.

In the event the applicant is the recipient of a Student Grant, the applicant understands and agrees that $4,500 of the total Grant of $5,000 will be paid upon receipt of the Grant, and $500 will be paid upon receipt of twelve (12) digital images within eighteen (18) months after receipt of the Grant. The recipient must also submit a final report detailing how the grant was used and how the money contributed to the success of the project.

The images shall become part of the W. Eugene Smith Legacy Collection at the International Center of Photography in New York. Applicant also agrees that as part of the unrestricted gift, the Smith Fund may wxhibit the images and use them on a non-exclusive licensing basis to promote the activities of the Fund.

The W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, independently administers the grant program that provides photographers with the financial freedom to carry out or complete a major photographic essay.