The Association for Chinese Art History (ACAH) is offering one Visiting Speaker grant of up to USD$1500. The aim of this grant is to lay the groundwork for student engagement with Chinese art and architectural history and the visual cultures of global and diasporic Chinas by providing opportunities for interaction with scholars outside of the home institution, and to raise the profile of Chinese art and architectural history and the visual cultures of global and diasporic Chinas more generally by providing an opportunity to invite a guest speaker for a public lecture.
This grant program will allow a faculty member to invite one guest speaker (art historian, artist, museum or cultural sector professional) to their campus in Spring 2026 for an in-person public lecture and an informal meeting with students to discuss their career and student research interests. Ideally, the guest speaker’s area of expertise and lecture topic will align with the faculty member’s teaching for the Spring 2026 academic term. The grant is intended to cover the speaker’s honorarium and to offset their travel expenses. The remaining expenses (meals, etc.) are expected to be covered by the grant recipient’s home institution. The faculty applicant must be a current ACAH member; the guest speaker need not be an ACAH member. Funds will be paid directly to the guest speaker and the payment request must be submitted within 30 days after the event and not later than 60 days with a final deadline of June 15, 2026 (whichever comes first). The grant recipient will be asked to credit ACAH and Bei Shan Tang Foundation support in the publicity for the lecture, and if possible, to make the lecture available to a broader audience in a hybrid mode, and will be asked to submit a brief report after completion of the programs.
To apply, please submit the following in one pdf file to achinesearthistory@gmail.com by December 5, 2025:
- Proposal (500 words maximum) that explains (1) 2-3 potential guest speakers and topics (expressions of interest may be sought, but please do not issue speaker invitations at this point), and (2) structure of the public and student programs, and (3) how the proposed programs align with the faculty applicant’s teaching in the Spring 2026 term and will impact student engagement with Chinese art and architectural history and the visual cultures of global and diasporic Chinas at the home institution.
- Budget for the proposed programs, including possible sources of funding from the home institution.
- Faculty applicant’s CV.
Present ACAH board members should not be considered as potential guest speakers. Only one ACAH funding opportunity will be granted to applicants in the same academic year. Applicants may not receive funding from the same ACAH funding opportunity in consecutive years.
Notification will be made by December 19, 2025.
