Grants are awarded to support the production of significant projects that align with The Alexia’s mission and demonstrate the creator’s ability to successfully bring them to life.

Submissions must include a project synopsis, a detailed proposal, a biography, a résumé/CV, and a body of work. Projects may be in progress or planned. Applications are evaluated both on the strength of the proposal and on the applicant’s visual skills. More than the chosen approach, emphasis is placed on the relevance of the subject matter and on what the story and images convey about life on our planet.

All applicants are automatically considered for The Alexia Vision grants. In addition, during the submission process, applicants may indicate whether they wish to be considered for any of this year’s pop-up grants.

All submitted images may be considered for inclusion in Alexia exhibitions and publications curated throughout the year. Photographers whose work is selected will be contacted for approval.

Student grants

These grants enable current college student photographers and filmmakers to produce bodies of work that align with The Alexia’s mission.

We also encourage a diversity of creators, issues and approaches, and value work that elevates understanding and inspires meaningful change.

Student applicants are encouraged to consider proposing projects located close to where they live, as a successful body of work is more likely with easy and repeated access. Most student grant recipients are already working on their projects when they apply.

The Alexia Vision Grant (student): $2,000, a Sony camera/lens, acceptance to the Eddie Adams Workshop (other finalists will receive priority consideration), tuition and fees to audit three courses during one semester at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University (New York), and consideration for a paid position as a research assistant to The Alexia chair. The runner-up will receive $500, and award of excellence recipients will receive $250.

For this grant, projects should offer meaningful insight into global issues, encourage cultural understanding, and address socially significant topics in ways that inspire positive change.

POP-UP: The Alexia Conservation Grant, sponsored by The fStop Foundation: $1,000. This grant supports projects highlighting constructive conservation efforts related to human-wildlife conflict, exploring how communities and wildlife can coexist sustainably. The fStop Foundation may also provide guidance during production and publication.

POP-UP: The Alexia Human Rights Grant, sponsored by CODE^SHIFT at Newhouse, Syracuse University: $1,000. This grant supports projects offering strong insight into human rights issues, including social justice, equity, and advocacy, with particular attention to marginalized communities. CODE^SHIFT will be available to provide mentorship and guidance during production and publication.

POP-UP: The Alexia Sports Grant, sponsored by the Sports Media Center at Newhouse, Syracuse University: $1,000. This grant supports projects that bring thoughtful perspective to issues connected to sports and society.

POP-UP MENTOR GRANT: The Alexia Portrait Series Mentor Grant with master portraitist Gregory Heisler: $1,000. This grant supports portrait series that communicate a strong concept or social issue. Gregory Heisler, whose work is part of the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, will mentor the recipient over the course of the following year.

Image: Ukraine has faced immense challenges since Russia’s invasion in 2014. Families, especially in eastern Ukraine, live with constant uncertainty, fear and disruption. Seeing the Unseen shows the Russo-Ukrainian war through the eyes of civilians, offering a perspective often overlooked — not about battles or military strategies, but about the everyday lives of those caught in the middle. Here, Uliana is with her mother Aliona in Slatyne, Kharkiv region, in August 2024. (By Iva Sidash, The Alexia Vision Grant 2025 student runner-up)