AMS Subventions for Individuals (February Round)

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Application Deadline: 11:59pm ET, 17 February 2026

OVERVIEW:

Publication subventions are granted to individuals and institutions for any topics within music studies. The endowment supporting general music studies publications was established through the generous bequests of Manfred Bukofzer, Lloyd Hibberd, Otto Kinkeldey, Dragan Plamenac, and Gustave Reese. Publication subventions were later supported by additional funding through the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, and the generous contributions of many individual donors.

Now, the American Musicological Society grants approximately $80,000 each year to help with expenses involved in the publication of works of musical scholarship, including books, essay collections, articles, chapters in essay collections, special issues of journals, and works in non-print media.

This application is for individual applicants. Publishers and other institutions should consult the application for institutions. For additional information about the AMS subvention program, please visit the AMS website.

ELIGIBILITY

Individual subventions are awarded only for work written by members of the AMS. Applications for any amount up to $2500 will receive consideration. No individual can receive a subvention more than once in a three-year period. Applications that are not complete will not be considered.

Individual authors or editors may apply for assistance to defray costs associated with the preparation of works on music studies that are slated for publication. Examples include costs related to illustrations, musical examples, facsimiles, accompanying audio or video examples, permissions, indexing, translations, and copy-editing.

Proposals from scholars at all stages of their careers are welcome. Projects that make use of newer technologies are also encouraged.

In addition to the standard subvention funds, works by early career professionals may also be eligible for funding from the AMS 75 PAYS subvention fund, which provides support for the publication of first books by professionals in the early stages of their music research or teaching career. Click here for complete eligibility criteria and information on eligibility appeals regarding the AMS 75 PAYS subvention fund.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The following materials are required:

  1. A short written abstract (1,000 words maximum) that describes the project and its contribution to musical scholarship.
  2. A copy of your draft publication, regardless of format (book manuscript, article draft, digital resource, CD, multimedia application, etc.). Please indicate the date and version (if applicable) on your draft. 
  3. A copy of the contract or letter of agreement that demonstrates final acceptance for publication or distribution. Include any clauses that stipulate which expenses are the author’s/creator’s responsibility.
  4. A budget (itemized list of expenses) describing how the subvention would be used.
  5. (Optional): copies of invoices or receipts to support the proposed budget. (Consolidate multiple files into one.)
  6. Copies of the readers’ reports and author’s responses with names redacted. Include the dates the reports were written. (Consolidate multiple files into one.) If submitting an application for a project that does not have readers’ reports, consult the AMS Office (ams@amsmusicology.org) for guidance.

Application deadlines are February 15 and August 15 each year. If this date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is the following business day.

NOTIFICATION AND USE OF FUNDS

Decisions will be announced no later than five months after each deadline. Recipients of subventions are requested to forward a copy of the final product (book, article, resource) upon publication. All awards must be claimed within eighteen months of the granting of the subvention. The claiming of awards may require the submission of receipts, invoices, and other documentation.

Important Notes:

  1. Start your application early. You may save an incomplete form and continue later.
  2. You MUST click the 'Submit' button at the end of the form to submit your application. Applications not submitted by the deadline cannot be considered.
  3. Upon submission of your application form you will receive an email confirmation. You may also view your application by signing into your Submittable account and clicking "My Submissions".
  4. If you have any questions about your application, please contact the AMS office at ams@amsmusicology.org. For technical questions about Submittable, please visit submittable.com/contact.

Application Deadline: 11:59pm ET, 17 February 2026

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