Organizer Information
The Image Centre (IMC) is a photography museum, research centre, and collecting institution at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in Toronto, Canada. Established in 2012, the IMC is dedicated to the exhibition, research, preservation, and collection of photography and related media. Its holdings now include nearly 500,000 photographic objects, including major photojournalism, fine-art photography, and archival collections.
Since 2014, the IMC has offered competitive research fellowships supporting research based on its photography collections. For 2027, six fellowships are available to Canadian and international applicants.
Title & Description
The Image Centre Research Fellowships 2027
The Image Centre Research Fellowships 2027 support original research related to photography using the collections and resources of The Image Centre and/or the Toronto Metropolitan University Archives and Special Collections. Fellows conduct research on-site in Toronto and gain direct access to collection materials and the Peter Higdon Research Centre.
The 2027 program includes six fellowships covering different academic and artistic career stages. The Howard Tanenbaum Fellowship for Artistic Research is specifically intended for artists and other applicants undertaking artistic research, while the other fellowships primarily support scholarly research at postgraduate and postdoctoral levels.
Categories
- Photography
- Visual Art
- Artistic Research
- Film
- Video
- Photo History
- Archival Research
- Cultural Research
- Scholarly Research
Eligibility
The fellowships are open to Canadian and international applicants. Eligibility varies by fellowship:
- IMC/AMC Postdoctoral Fellowship: PhD required.
- Nadir Mohamed Postdoctoral Fellowship: PhD required.
- Penny Rubinoff Fellowship: Master’s degree required; current PhD students are eligible, but PhD holders and postdoctoral researchers are excluded.
- Elaine Ling Fellowship: Current master’s students or recent master’s graduates; doctoral students, PhD holders, and postdoctoral researchers are ineligible.
- Howard Tanenbaum Fellowship for Artistic Research: Open to applicants at any educational level and independent artists with relevant experience and demonstrated interests.
- Wendy Snyder MacNeil Research Fellowship: Applicants should hold or be working toward at least an undergraduate degree and/or be photo-based artists, with research focused on new perspectives on women photographers, including Wendy Snyder MacNeil.
Program Benefits & Awards
- IMC/AMC Postdoctoral Fellowship: CAD $70,000 annual salary plus benefits and a research stipend for research in London, UK.
- Nadir Mohamed Postdoctoral Fellowship: CAD $10,000 stipend.
- Penny Rubinoff Fellowship: CAD $5,000 stipend.
- Elaine Ling Fellowship: CAD $4,000 stipend.
- Howard Tanenbaum Fellowship: CAD $4,000 stipend.
- Wendy Snyder MacNeil Fellowship: CAD $4,000 stipend.
The stipends support travel, research, and related expenses. Fellows also receive access to the IMC’s collections and Peter Higdon Research Centre and, where applicable, TMU Archives and Special Collections.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 18 October 2026
- Fellowship Periods:
- Nadir Mohamed, Penny Rubinoff, Elaine Ling, Howard Tanenbaum, and Wendy Snyder MacNeil: between February 15 and December 15, 2027, with the required residency length depending on the fellowship.
- IMC/AMC Postdoctoral Fellowship: July 1, 2027–June 30, 2028.
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Additional Details
Fellows are responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel and accommodation in Toronto; the fellowship stipend is intended to offset these expenses. International applicants are responsible for obtaining any required Canadian travel visa.
Applicants should contact the IMC Research Program Coordinator before preparing an application if they have questions about the collections or proposed research. Past IMC fellowship winners may not reapply for five years following submission of their previous final report.
Artists interested in conducting artistic research in the collections are specifically directed to the Howard Tanenbaum Fellowship. Applicants should demonstrate awareness of copyright considerations when using historical images and propose creative methodologies and outputs. The fellowship does not include access to production facilities such as printing labs or darkrooms.
Each fellow must submit a two-page fellowship report within one month after completing the fellowship.