Overview
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation New Media Program extends the Foundation's science communication mission into interactive, digital, and emerging media formats. Where the Film Program supports linear narrative storytelling, the New Media Program funds interactive documentaries, science-themed games, immersive installations, podcast series, smartphone apps, museum exhibits, ebooks, art and science festivals, and other cultural projects that engage audiences with scientific and technological subjects outside conventional broadcast and theatrical windows.
The program is administered directly by the Sloan Foundation rather than through institutional partners. Recent grants have ranged from $50,000 to $250,000 per project, depending on scope and partner organization. The program is active and accepting inquiries as of 2026.
History
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation was established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan Jr., former president and chairman of General Motors. The Foundation's Public Understanding of Science, Technology, and Economics program has funded science communication across media for decades. The New Media Program emerged as digital and interactive formats created new opportunities for science engagement beyond print and broadcast. The program is administered by Program Director Doron Weber, who also oversees the Film and Theater programs. In 2025, the Sloan Foundation made $88.8 million in total grants across all programs. The Foundation's 2025 grant to the American Museum of the Moving Image was $890,667 over 3 years, supporting the Sloan Science and Film website, the Sloan Grand Jury Prize, and the Sloan Student Discovery Prize. Notable New Media-funded projects include In Silico, Coded Bias, and Particle Fever.
What It Funds
The New Media Program funds projects in which science, mathematics, or technology is central to the audience experience. Supported media types include:
- Interactive documentaries and digital storytelling that use non-linear or participatory formats to explore scientific subjects
- Science-themed games including educational games, serious games, and commercial games with substantive scientific content
- Immersive installations and experiences including VR, AR, and mixed reality projects
- Podcast series on scientific subjects, produced by media organizations or independent producers
- Smartphone apps that engage users with scientific content or tools
- Museum exhibits that incorporate scientific themes or interactive technology
- Opera, dance, and music productions that integrate scientific content
- Conferences and art/science festivals that bridge scientific and cultural audiences
- Ebooks and digital publications on science and technology topics
The program focuses on taking advantage of unique opportunities to incorporate scientific content into public programs and extending the reach of science-themed content to new audiences and demographics, particularly younger audiences who encounter science primarily through digital platforms.
Typical Award Size Range
Recent New Media Program grants have ranged from $50,000 to $250,000. The broader Public Understanding of Science, Technology, and Economics program (under which New Media falls) makes grants ranging from $10,000 to $500,000. Grant size depends on the project scope, the applicant organization's capacity, and the Foundation's assessment of the project's potential impact.
The Foundation's 2025 grant to the American Museum of the Moving Image was $890,667 over three years, supporting the Sloan Science and Film website, the Sloan Grand Jury Prize, and the Sloan Student Discovery Prize. This illustrates the range of multi-year commitments the Foundation makes to institutional partners within the broader Public Understanding program.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be nonprofit organizations, including universities and cultural institutions
- Media production companies may apply through fiscal sponsorship by a 501(c)(3) organization
- Projects must have a digital or interactive component
- Science, technology, or mathematics must be central to the audience experience, not merely decorative
- Purely informational or educational content without a storytelling or experiential design dimension is generally outside the program's scope
- The program is national in scope; applicants across the US may apply
- Individuals cannot apply directly; applications must come from or through a nonprofit organization
The Foundation's guidelines on what it does not fund should be reviewed before submitting a letter of inquiry. The Foundation does not fund projects that lack a substantive scientific dimension or that use science as a superficial backdrop.
Payment Structure
Sloan Foundation grants are disbursed to the applicant nonprofit organization after board approval. Grant funds are typically paid in installments tied to project milestones, with the specific schedule negotiated in the grant agreement. Multi-year grants, such as the $890,667 award to the Museum of the Moving Image, are disbursed across the grant period in annual or milestone-based installments. Grant recipients must submit progress reports and financial reports to receive subsequent installments.
Past Recipients and What They Made with the Money
Sloan New Media grants have funded ambitious science-focused digital and interactive projects:
- In Silico (directed by Noah Hutton) - A documentary exploring the Blue Brain Project's attempt to simulate the human brain. Sloan New Media funding supported the project's digital and interactive components. The film provides a decade-long look at computational neuroscience.
- Coded Bias (directed by Shalini Kantayya) - A documentary exploring algorithmic bias and facial recognition technology. Sloan support helped fund the project's interactive and digital engagement components. The film premiered at Sundance and was distributed on Netflix.
- Particle Fever (directed by Mark Levinson) - A documentary following the Large Hadron Collider and the discovery of the Higgs boson. Sloan funding supported the project's digital outreach and engagement strategy. The film premiered at Sundance and was shortlisted for an Academy Award.
What Makes an Application Competitive
The Sloan Foundation evaluates New Media inquiries on several concrete signals:
- Scientific substance: Science, technology, or mathematics must be central to the audience experience, not merely decorative. The Foundation rejects projects that use science as a superficial backdrop.
- Format innovation: The program funds projects that take advantage of unique opportunities in digital and interactive formats. Projects that could be done equally well in print or broadcast face a disadvantage.
- Audience reach: The Foundation prioritizes projects that extend science content to new audiences, particularly younger demographics who encounter science through digital platforms.
- Institutional capacity: Applicants must be nonprofit organizations or apply through fiscal sponsorship by a 501(c)(3). The Foundation assesses the applicant organization's ability to manage the grant and deliver the project.
- Director qualifications: Letters of inquiry should clearly state the applicant organization's qualifications and the scientific subject matter. Work samples and prior projects carry significant weight.
Application Process
Unlike the Film Program, which routes applications through partner organizations, the New Media Program accepts inquiries directly:
- Letter of Inquiry: Email a one-page letter of inquiry to Program Director Doron Weber at the Sloan Foundation. Telephone inquiries are not accepted.
- Review: Foundation staff review the letter of inquiry and determine whether to invite a full proposal.
- Full Proposal: If invited, applicants submit a detailed proposal including project description, budget, timeline, and scientific content plan.
- Board Approval: Grants are approved by the Foundation's board on a quarterly basis.
Letters of inquiry should clearly state the scientific subject matter, the media format, the target audience, the applicant organization's qualifications, and the requested grant amount. The Foundation reviews inquiries on a rolling basis throughout the year. Check the Sloan Foundation New Media page for the most current information.
What Filmmakers Should Know
The Sloan New Media Program is not a traditional film grant. It funds interactive, digital, and emerging media projects, not linear narrative films. Filmmakers whose projects have both a linear film component and an interactive or digital component may be eligible for both the New Media Program and the Sloan Film Program, but should apply to the program that best matches the primary format. The key requirement: science, technology, or mathematics must be central to the audience experience. The Foundation does not fund projects that lack a substantive scientific dimension. Individuals cannot apply directly. Applications must come from or through a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Media production companies can apply through fiscal sponsorship. The program is administered by Program Director Doron Weber, who also oversees the Film and Theater programs. The Foundation reviews inquiries on a rolling basis, so there is no fixed deadline. The Sloan Science and Film website at scienceandfilm.org, maintained by the Museum of the Moving Image, is the most comprehensive resource for information about all Sloan-supported film and media projects.
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See Also
For the Sloan Foundation's film and television funding, see the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Television Program entry. For the Sloan Theater Program, see the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Theater Program entry. For understanding how new media funding fits into a distribution strategy, see Film Distribution Deals Explained. For an overview of film grant categories, see Film Grants and Funding. To estimate project costs, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator.
