Institutional Capacity-Building Scholarship
This scholarship supports a “department of one” or sole evaluator within a small or under-resourced informal learning institution to attend the in-person conference. You do not need to have “evaluator” in your title - you just need to be doing the work (or trying to start with institutional support). You could be a newcomer to VSA, or someone who has attended previously but is now in a role where you have fewer resources to do this work.
Requirements:
- Must be currently employed at a museum or other informal learning institution, including but not limited to zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and libraries.
- Must be the only employee doing (or starting) evaluation within your institution, or one of a few in which no other full-time employees do evaluation as a primary job requirement.
You are a good fit for the Capacity-Building Scholarship if:
- You are trying to get started with evaluation at your institution for the first time, OR
- You need insight from the field to expand your current evaluation practice.
We are looking for candidates that will:
- Engage in conference events and sessions with curiosity and enthusiasm.
- Bring new perspectives and thoughtful dialogue to the conference.
- Engage with the VSA community beyond the conference and stay involved.
- Provide feedback and reflection following the conference to help us continue to improve the scholarship experience
The Institutional Capacity-Building Scholarship provides:
- Registration to the VSA conference, including evening events
- Compensation for ground or air travel to and from the conference, up to $600
- A reserved room in the conference hotel for up to 4 nights
- Per diem to cover meals and incidentals for each day of the conference
- A one-year membership to VSA
- Public acknowledgement prior to the conference on VSA’s website and social media, and during the conference opening and closing events
- Mentorship, camaraderie, and support during the conference via interactions with the Conference Planning Committee, VSA Board, and VSA membership at large
Click here to view a copy of the written application and requirements.
Application and Review Process:
The extended deadline is now March 9, 2026.
Written applications are reviewed by VSA volunteers. Based on reviews, the top 2-3 candidates for each scholarship type will be invited to an interview with members of the VSA Scholarships team to make a final selection. All candidates will be notified of final decisions in April.