The goal of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation film school program is to influence the next generation of filmmakers to create more realistic and dramatic stories about science and technology and to challenge existing stereotypes about scientists and engineers through the visual media. The program aims to help aspiring and professional screenwriters and filmmakers integrate science and technology themes and characters into their work. This innovative program awards prizes at six leading film schools, each of which arranges a yearly Sloan symposium, where the students’ participation is required for eligibility to apply for the Sloan student awards.
Grant categories are 1st Year Screenwriting Award, 2nd Year Screenwriting Award, Production Award, and a Sloan Tuition Scholarship. Recent screenwriting award recipients include Samantha Managhan (Volition) and Nidhi Vergese (Life in A Box). Production grant recipients include Joseph Mauceri, Seth Kamphuijs, and Jonathan Eisen (Through the Air to Calais) and The Pros and Cons of Breathing).
Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama awards Screenwriting grants. Recent recipients include Dean Poynor’s Salk, James Sandlin Ashby (Boltzmann’s Demon) and France-Luce Benson (Healing Roots).
Columbia University’s Film Department awards Screenwriting and Production grants. Production grant recipients include Jeremy Craig (Terrebonne) and Rafael del Toro (6 ft. in 7 min). Screenwriting grant recipients include Matthew Nolte Evans (The Wizard of Sussex) and Roberto Bentivegna (A Day in March).
NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts awards Screenwriting and Production grants. Recent recipients of the Screenwriting grant include Alexander Davidson (On the Twilight of Tomorrow) and Karen Odyniec (Charm School for Primates). Production grant recipients include Musa Syeed (Valley of Saints) and Jesse Israel (May).
UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television awards both Screenwriting and Production grants. Recent recipients of the Screenwriting grant include Anna Parry (Cardigan Bay) and Charles William Coulter (First in Flight). Production grant recipients include Nicole Haeusser (The Death Strip) and Eli Akira Kaufman (California King).
University of Southern California
In addition to Screenwriting and Production grants, the USC School of Cinematic Art administers an Animation grant, recent recipients of which include Katalin Nivelt Anguelov (Paprika) and Amanda Tasse (Reality Clock).