Access Copyright Foundation: Marian Hebb Research Grants

Deadline: February 15, 2026

Program Summary:

Marian Hebb Research Grants support inquiry, information gathering and exploration to individuals and organizations relevant to Canadian publishing, writing and visual arts, and toward the realization of a publishable work in progress.

Through its grant programs, Access Copyright Foundation works to: 

• increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of literature and visual arts created by Canadians 
• advance the development and promotion of literary and visual arts in Canada by providing grants and other forms of financial assistance to creators and publishers of works intended for publication in Canada or Canada and other countries 
• advance professional expertise and knowledge in the Canadian creative and publishing community by providing development grants to creators, arts professionals and publishers 
• advance knowledge and innovative thinking by providing research grants to Canadian writers, visual artists, arts organizations and publishers. 

What We Fund:

Creators: For individual creators (writers and visual artists) engaged in research essential to the realization of a publishable work-in-progress, the research grant may be used to inform the content of a work or to explore an artistic process or technique. 

Research may entail gathering information or authenticating detail by accessing primary or secondary sources. Eligible activities may include travel, interviews, consultation or archival and bibliographic investigation focused on the content, ideas, themes or techniques of a publishable work-in-progress.   

Marian Hebb Research Grant Creators applicants may elect one of two options:  

Creators Grant A: Creators may apply for up to $7,500 for projects involving travel and significant third-party expenses, providing a breakdown of research travel expenses, eligible activities and timeline as outlined in the Access Copyright Foundation Program Guidelines. Grant A travel and research activities must be initiated within one year of results notification and final reports must include documentation and receipts for major expenses. Grant A recipients who later decide against travelling may retain $3,000 for at-home research but must return the remaining grant funds.  

Creators Grant B: Creators who do not intend to travel or incur significant third-party expenses may apply for a grant of up to $3,000 to pursue local research; digital, bibliographic, documentary or remote research from home or to hire a researcher with access to material not available to the applicant (such as documents in a special collection or foreign archive). The grant may be used to cover subsistence, local transportation, researcher or document fees, fees to access online events, material or presentations. Grant B applicants must describe their proposed research activities and workplan but will not be required to submit receipts unless requested on review of the final report. 

Organizations and Publishers: Organizations and Publishers may apply for up to $10,000 whether their research activities will be conducted in person or virtually. (See page 6 of Application Guidelines for information on eligible organizations.)

The level of funding awarded in each grant category will be as recommended by the Research Grant review panel based on their assessment of an application’s merit against the program assessment criteria and its final ranking. Please contact the Program Consultant with any questions or concerns. 

Eligible Applicants:

Access Copyright Foundation programs support the following types of creators, organizations and arts professionals working in publishing and the literary and visual arts: 

Creators: Professional writers and visual artists who have completed formal or informal training in their discipline, maintain an artistic practice that includes publishing, and publish or present their work in a manner recognized by their professional peers. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents and meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• One professionally published book (excluding self-published books and chapbooks) 
• One exhibition catalogue 
• Eight publications in periodicals or journals. 

Arts Professionals: Self-employed professionals working freelance in the writing, publishing and visual arts sector, including but not limited to: 

• Editors, book coaches, translators, illustrators, designers 
• Publicists, independent literary agents, marketing and promotion specialists  
• Program, editorial, administrative, marketing and production staff of eligible organizations and publishers 
• Publishing consultants.  Arts professionals must be self-employed, have formal or informal training and a résumé demonstrating their contribution to the creation, production, presentation or promotion of publishable Canadian content.  

Arts professionals currently serving as contract or term employees of eligible publishers or arts organizations may not apply independently. 

Artist Groups: Informal collectives or small groups of professional writers or visual artists that: 

• Have a mandate to provide mutual support, critique, discourse, professional or skills development  
• Have a minimum of five active members 
• Have met or have convened online at least monthly for one year prior to the date of application. 

Organizations and Publishers: Publishers or publishing, writing and visual arts organizations located in Canada that: 

• Are legally registered in Canada as non-profit organizations, or are independent professional book or periodical publishers at least 75% Canadian-owned and controlled 
• Have a program mandate that supports the interests of Canadian writers or visual artists 
• Provide advocacy, research, promotion, public education, professional development and other support services to Canadian publishers, writers or visual artists or  
• Are literary or visual arts institutions in Canada operated by municipalities or government bodies but maintaining artistic control and separate financial records. 

Eligible organizations and publishers must apply on behalf of program, editorial, administrative, marketing and production staff, including term or contract employees. 

To be eligible for Access Copyright Foundation grants, organizations must:  

• Pay artist fees or royalties to artists they engage 
• Have been in continuous operation for at least one year prior to the date of application and have published or presented programs, events, festivals or readings series to the public featuring Canadian literary or visual artists and content throughout that time. 

Eligible Artistic Disciplines: Grants to individual creators must be for literary or visual works that are intended for professional publication, whether in text or in images that can be reproduced and published in print or digital formats. Works created for exhibition, screening, streaming, performance or installation but not for publication as text or images are ineligible.  

Publishable work: We consider literary or visual work to be publishable if it can be reproduced in print or digital format. Publishable literary work includes fiction, poetry, non-fiction and playwriting, but does not include spoken word or screenplays, or any other work not primarily for publication in print or digital formats. Eligible visual work includes photographs, illustrations, paintings, drawings and printmaking for publication, but does not include performance art, sculptural or fine craft works, works created solely for gallery exhibition or installations. Works in other artistic disciplines such as music, dance, media or film are not eligible. If the project or event includes other disciplines, but still has a writing or visual art component, please contact the Program Consultant for advice.