Up to $5,000 available under Student Media Grant Program

This year (2023-2024) ConDev is cooperating with the Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism, to focus on the role that hospitality and tourism plays in the mediation of conflict worldwide.

Winners of the 2023-24 photo-journalism grants will be invited to Texas A&M to present their finished work as part of the celebration of the installation of the Buffett photography.

Theme

• This theme is chosen to:
  • commemorate the tenth anniversary of the installation of a selection of Howard G. Buffett photography at Texas A&M University, and
  • to celebrate the inauguration of the Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism in Texas A&M’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
• Each grant winner is expected to spend a minimum of two months during 2024 engaged in and documenting through photography and associated written or verbal commentary an issue that reflects the challenges faced by fragile and conflict-affected nations through the lens of tourism and/or hospitality.

Funding Information

• Those selected for the program will receive up to $5,000 to travel to any location they choose, domestic or international, as long as they secure proper approval from their university and any other relevant entities.

Project Examples

• The following list outlines examples of project ideas that students may consider for their proposals. These example projects are listed to simply provide students with a starting point upon which they may build their proposals:
  • The role of hospitality, hotel management, and tourism in humanizing different cultures, societies, and communities during ongoing conflicts.
  • The role of hospitality, hotel management, and tourism in mitigating conflict.
  • The persistence of hospitality, hotel management, and tourism during times of conflict.
  • Prosperity and economic development through hospitality and tourism in conflict zones.
  • Hospitality and tourism as a vehicle to economically, socially, and politically empower communities during times of conflict.
  • The empowerment of marginalized groups and communities through participation in hospitality and tourism in conflict areas.
  • Hospitality and nature-based tourism as a strategy to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.
  • Hospitality, hotel management and tourism as a tool for changing attitudes towards wildlife issues, social movements, development challenges, foreign nationals, cultural groups, etc.
  • Hospitality, hotel management and tourism as a valuable resource to help communities recover from conflict.
  • The recovery of hospitality, hotel management, and tourism following conflict-related interruptions.

Eligibility Criteria

• The program is open to undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at any accredited university worldwide.
• Students graduating in 2023 are also eligible to apply.

For more information, visit ConDev.