Because of the generosity of the Sirens community, we are pleased to offer thirteen 2021 Sirens scholarships across four categories: those who identify as BIPOC; those submitting exemplary programming proposals; those with financial hardships; and librarians, educators, and publishing professionals. These individuals are critical to our conversations, and for a number of reasons, they sometimes find it difficult to attend without additional support.

This year, we are also again offering three Sabrina Chin “Braver Than You Think” Memorial Scholarships. Sabrina Chin co-chaired Sirens for a number of years before her passing in 2019, and her family has funded these scholarships to help us continue her work with Sirens. These scholarships will provide funds to help cover costs directly related to attending or presenting at Sirens. All Sirens attendees who receive one of our 2021 Sirens scholarships are eligible for these scholarships as well, but in awarding them, we’ll prioritize first-time Sirens attendees and first-time presenters.

Please note that these new scholarships are in addition to the sixteen scholarships that we awarded last year, which due to the cancellation of Sirens last year, will be valid this year instead. The spectacular Sirens community, in the middle of a pandemic, raised additional funds to award additional scholarships. Thank you to everyone who helped make these scholarships possible!

If you need assistance to attend Sirens, we hope you’ll apply for a scholarship. We designed this program specifically to help additional voices join our conference and our community—and your voice makes Sirens more thoughtful, more vibrant, more interesting, and just plain better.

To apply, please see the application instructions and deadline for each type of scholarship below. If you have any questions or concerns, please write to us at (scholarships at sirensconference.org).

BIPOC Individuals

People of color live in a world that often tells then that they don’t belong or that their voices don’t matter, particularly in speculative fiction. This year, Sirens is providing four Sirens registrations and round-trip shuttle tickets to those who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) in the hope that this will enable them to attend Sirens in October. If the number of requests is greater than the available scholarships, we will create a randomized list for funding priority. Individuals may receive a scholarship for people of color only once every three years.

To Apply: Please click here to complete our application form.

Deadline: May 15, 2021. Recipients will be contacted by June 1, 2021, and must accept or decline the scholarship by July 10, 2021.

Programming Presenters

Every voice at Sirens is vital to the brilliance of our conversations, but we always appreciate the skill, talent, and expertise that our accepted programming presenters have volunteered to share with our community. This year, Sirens is recognizing three exemplary programming proposals with a Sirens registration and round-trip shuttle ticket. (Selected presentations with co-presenters who have opted in for scholarship eligibility will share the funds equally across selected presenters.) These are merit-based scholarships and will be selected by a committee. Please note that, if you’ve received a programming scholarship in the last three years, you are not eligible this year (though your co-presenters may be).

To Apply: Those interested in applying for a programming scholarship must apply as part of their proposal submission.

Deadline: May 15, 2021. Scholarships will be given concurrently with programming proposal acceptances and must be accepted or declined by July 10, 2020.

Financial Hardship

People sometimes say that money makes the world go ’round; we’d like to counter with the idea that generosity makes the world go ’round. This year, Sirens is providing Sirens registrations and round-trip shuttle tickets to three individuals with financial hardships in the hope that this will enable them to attend Sirens in October. If the number of requests is greater than the available scholarships, we will create a randomized list for funding priority. Individuals may receive a financial hardship scholarship only once every three years.

To Apply: Please click here to complete our application form.

Deadline: May 15, 2021. Recipients will be contacted by June 1, 2021, and must accept or decline the scholarship by July 10, 2021.

Professionals

Librarians, educators, and publishing professionals so often provide exceptional services to book-loving communities—and are, especially at the beginning of their careers or when working with underserved populations, so often paid poorly for their efforts. Their voices—and their work—are critically important to our conversations. This year, we have raised funds to assist three librarians, educators, and publishing professionals (which may be anyone from an editor to an agent to a publicist to a cover designer to a bookseller) with a Sirens registration and a round-trip shuttle ticket. If the number of requests is greater than the available scholarships, we will create a randomized list for funding priority. Individuals may receive a professional scholarship only once every three years.

To Apply: Please click here to complete our application form.

Deadline: May 15, 2021. Recipients will be contacted by June 1, 2021, and must accept or decline the scholarship by July 10, 2021.

2021 Sabrina Chin “Braver Than You Think” Memorial Scholarships

Before her passing in 2019, co-chair Sabrina Chin was the warmth and welcome of Sirens for many people, but especially those new to our community. In her memory, her family has funded three 2021 Sabrina Chin “Braver Than You Think” Memorial Scholarships: $500 to be used for any expenses directly related to attending or presenting at Sirens, from travel expenses to purchasing research materials. Recipients will be required to provide receipts for reimbursement.

These scholarships will be provided to two first-time attendees and one first-time presenter who receive one of our 2021 Sirens scholarships. If the number of requests is greater than the available scholarships, we will create a randomized list for funding priority. If we do not have enough qualifying first-time attendees/presenters, we will allocate any remaining Sabrina Chin scholarships to 2021 Sirens scholarship recipients, including returning attendees, on a random basis.

To Apply: For first-time attendees, please click here to complete our application form. First-time presenters must apply as part of their proposal submission.

Deadline: May 1, 2021; recipients will be contacted by June 1, 2021 (or for presenters, concurrently with programming proposal acceptances), and must accept or decline the scholarship by July 10, 2021.

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