W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund
A $30,000 grant supporting photographers and visual storytellers pursuing documentary or photojournalism projects that address humanitarian and social issues.
The W. Eugene Smith Grant honours the legacy of one of photography's great humanists by supporting visual storytellers whose work carries on his tradition of compassionate, socially engaged documentary photography.
Open to photographers worldwide (excluding current students, who have their own dedicated award), the grant provides $30,000 USD to help a photographer begin or complete a major photographic project. Two finalist grants of $10,000 USD are also awarded. Funds are disbursed in two instalments — the majority on receipt of the grant, with the remainder paid on delivery of twelve digital images and twelve prints within 18 months.
The jury is looking for projects that use compelling photojournalism or documentary photography to address issues of human significance: social change, humanitarian concern, armed conflict, cultural, environmental, medical, scientific or political topics — ideally with an underlying sense of shared humanity. Work that embraces new technologies, multimedia, or contemporary approaches to image distribution is particularly welcomed.
What you'll submit:
No AI-generated imagery is permitted. Applicants must be 18 or older. Students should apply for the W. Eugene Smith Student Grant instead.
Application fee: $50 USD. Fee waivers are available through a range of partner organisations including African Photojournalism Database, African Women in Photography, Authority Collective, Black Women Photographers, Diversify Photo, Everyday Projects, Foto Féminas, Indigenous Photograph, Magnum Foundation, Women Photograph, Center for Photography Ethiopia, Matca, Market Photo Workshop, VII Foundation, UCAB PhotoContact Project, Nuku Studio, Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, and Maleza. Contact the relevant organisation directly to request a waiver.
A three-member international jury reviews all applications in two rounds: first selecting finalists based on the merit of their proposals, then inviting finalists to refine submissions and answer specific questions before the final selection.
Grantees' images and prints become part of the W. Eugene Smith Legacy Collection at the International Center of Photography (ICP), with a non-exclusive, non-commercial licence granted to the Smith Fund and ICP for exhibition and reproduction purposes.
Timeline:
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