CASE Access Fund

Purpose:

To provide CASE members with financial support towards the development or presentation of works (audio projects, performances, conference presentations, installation, new media, etc.) that align with CASE values and support the development of acoustic ecology work in Canada.

Value & Duration:

Up to $300 per cycle; two awards will be distributed annually (one within the Summer/Fall application cycle; one within the Winter/Spring application cycle). The application cycles are separated by six-month periods.

Timeline and Details:

	Summer / Fall Application Cycle – For projects, performances, materials, or presentations to be completed between August 1, 2026 – January 31, 2027	Winter / Spring Application Cycle – For projects, performances, materials or presentations to be completed between February 1, 2027 – July 31, 2027
Details	Date	Date
Applications open for Spring / Summer CASE access fund at 9am ET	July 14, 2026	January 12, 2027
Applications close at 8pm ET / 5pm PT; Jury finishes reviewing applications	August 18, 2026	February 16, 2027
One CASE Member is chosen by lottery system and will have one week to confirm acceptance of the fund	August 18, 2026	February 16, 2027
The recipient must confirm acceptance; all other applicants are notified of their status via email	August 25, 2026	February 23, 2027
Funds are dispersed to the chosen recipient	September 1, 2026	March 2, 2027
CASE Membership is notified of the access fund recipient within the newsletter and on the website	September 8, 2026	March 9, 2027
Following the use of the funds, the access fund recipient will share a brief outline of their work in a 100 word description (optional media upload as well) to be distributed to CASE membership in a newsletter and on the CASE website	Late Fall 2026 (TBC)	Late Spring 2027 (TBC)

Eligibility:

All applicants to this fund must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Applicants must be a CASE member and have paid membership dues for the year at time of application.
- If you are not yet a member, you can learn more about our membership structure here: https://www.soundecology.ca/members/
Applicants must provide all application materials (outlined below). The application must align with the timeline of the application cycle (6-month period).

Should the applicant receive an award, they will also be expected to produce a 100-word description (and optional media links) at the completion of their project. This description will be shared with CASE membership via the newsletter and posted on the CASE website.

**Applicants in full-time positions with access to internal/external grant funding are encouraged to consider leaving this opportunity for other members.

Maximum Support:

CASE members can apply once per 6-month cycle, up to two applications per calendar year. Recipients of the CASE access fund are eligible to receive a maximum of 1 award per calendar year.

Application Process:

Prepare materials:
1. Short biography, approximately 200-300 words
2. Maximum 1-page outline of the intended project, presentation, material / technological needs, or performance. The ~1-page outline should include:
  1. A brief description about the work that you are developing and its relationship to CASE
  2. A brief description about how this award will be used to support your work (ex. to buy equipment, travel costs, registration fees, event rentals, etc.).
  3. The intended audience for this presentation (i.e. context for a performance venue, conference, installation, or digital upload)
3. Optional: Multimedia materials
Submit materials within the Google application form (or via the email address below if Google access is a barrier).

Adjudication:

A team of CASE board members will review all applications to ensure they meet the requirements for submission outlined under the eligibility criteria above. Recipients of the CASE fund will be selected through a lottery system. This approach ensures that all qualified applicants have an equal chance of selection, free from bias or subjective evaluation.

All eligible applicants will be assigned a unique identifier and selections will be made using a randomization process. Selected applicants will be notified by email per the timeline above and will have one week to confirm acceptance. Should the participant fail to respond and confirm acceptance within one week, the same randomization method will be used to select another applicant.

Payment:

Payments will be disbursed from the Treasurer of CASE, Doug Friesen, who will discuss methods of transfer with the member directly.

Questions or Comments:

We invite any questions or comments about this new fund via email: info@soundecology.ca

Summer/Fall Application Link: https://forms.gle/7Gt4MqcKGrmPiXih9