Alfred P. Sloan Foundation New Media Program

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.

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.

Grant Amounts and Funding 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.

How to Apply

Unlike the Film Program, which routes applications through partner organizations, the New Media Program accepts inquiries directly. The application process is:

1. Letter of Inquiry: Email a one-page letter of inquiry to Program Director Doron Weber at the Sloan Foundation. Telephone inquiries are not accepted.
2. Review: Foundation staff review the letter of inquiry and determine whether to invite a full proposal.
3. Full Proposal: If invited, applicants submit a detailed proposal including project description, budget, timeline, and scientific content plan.
4. 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.

Relationship to the Film Program

The New Media Program operates alongside the Sloan Foundation's Film Program, which funds linear narrative and documentary features through partner organizations. Filmmakers whose projects have both a linear film component and an interactive or digital component may be eligible for both programs, but should apply to the program that best matches the primary format of their project.

The Foundation also funds the Sloan Science and Film website (scienceandfilm.org), maintained by the Museum of the Moving Image, which is the most comprehensive resource for information about all Sloan-supported film and media projects across all programs.

Who Should Apply

Interactive media creators, game designers, podcast producers, museum curators, digital storytellers, and cultural institutions developing projects in which scientific or technological subjects are central to the audience experience. The program is particularly relevant for practitioners working at the boundary of interactive design and science communication who want institutional backing for ambitious experimental work. Applicants must be or be sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

See Also

For the Sloan Foundation's film and television funding programs, see the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Film Program entry. For the Sundance-specific Sloan awards, see the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship and Commissioning Grant entry. For understanding how new media funding fits into a broader distribution strategy, see Distribution Deals: What Filmmakers Need to Know. For an overview of film grant categories and how they compare, see Film Grants and Funding.