Creative Inquiry Program

Since 2011, the Curb Center has awarded grants to support Vanderbilt undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty and staff as they engage in arts-based inquiry and action to build a better Vanderbilt.

The Creative Inquiry Program makes awards to proposals that place creativity at the center of campus and community life by:

• applying creative problem-solving to issues impacting the Vanderbilt community and beyond;
• building the capacity of students, faculty, and staff to formulate and implement innovative approaches to intractable problems;
• piloting innovative ideas in curricula, media, design, creative practice, and expression for enhanced learning opportunities;
• fostering arts-based community engagement programs, projects, and events;
• and facilitating creative connections across disciplinary, social, and institutional boundaries.

We have awarded 90+ awards for projects ranging from exploring doctor-patient narratives to creating a quilt of shared experiences; from reimagining prison art to exploring the blurred lines between research and art; and from hosting a virtual soul food fest to producing an immigrant cookbook featuring recipes and stories from home.  These projects use creativity to listen to and learn from diverse populations and work toward a better today and tomorrow for all involved. See past and current awards to learn more about the projects we have funded and visit our application page to apply for a Creative Inquiry Grant.