Thank you for your interest in our maker-in-residence program.

Please fill out the following form in order to apply for the 2020 program. Applications are due by 5pm, September 15, 2020. Applicants will be contacted via email about the status of their application by September 29. 

Please note that this residency program is only open to Troy residents whose taxable income in the last year was $39,526 or less. Applicants must be individuals; teams are not accepted. All participants must be 18 or older. 

Basic Information

Taxable Income*

About the Maker

Maker Statement*

Tell us a little about yourself! Please provide us with a short (2-4 paragraph) "Maker Statement," introducing us to you and your work. We want to know about your background, the kinds of things you make, and your philosophy as a Maker.

Schedule*

If accepted as our maker-in-residence, you will be given a subsidized membership for 3-6 months, depending on the time needed to complete your project. We expect that the bulk of your project will be completed within our facility, and that the program start date will be somewhere between October 1 and November 1. Keeping this in mind, please provide a tentative schedule for when you would be in the facility completing your project:

Shareable Skills*

We are a membership-based organization, and encourage all members to volunteer at the facility, socialize with other members and collaborate on projects. In the spirit of this, our maker-in-residence will be asked to share their skills at the end of the program; this may be in the form of a class, workshop, presentation etc. based on your preference. 

Please provide a brief description of skills/knowledge/ability you may be willing to share during your time with us, and how you would like to go about doing so. For example, you may wish to host drop-in hours where people can ask you advice on projects, or teach a class in one of the workzones. If you are open to hosting a class or workshop, please specify if you would prefer to teach children or adults. 

Portfolio* 

Please provide a portfolio of projects you have completed in the past. Please note that this does not need to be a professional-grade portfolio; we are just looking to gather information about your skill level and the types of projects you create.

Project Proposal

Project Proposal Guidelines  

Please provide a one page (minimum) overview of your project idea and how you are planning on making it. Your overview should include some text, but can also include sketches, pictures, diagrams etc. You can type directly into the form field below, or upload a document. 

For more information on the guidlines for your project proposal, please review the rubric below. 

Work Zones*

Please check off the Work Zones your proposed project would make use of. 

Maker-in-Residence Program Agreement

Please review the terms and conditions of our maker-in-residence program. 

This is not an offer of employment, and as a “maker-in-residence”  (MIR) you will be considered an independent contractor. The maker-in-residence is a contracted position for between 3 and 6 months of time, depending on time needed to complete the project. The MIR is also considered a member of the Tech Valley Center of Gravity (TVCOG) and as such will be expected to abide by all TVCOG membership policies. 

TVCOG’s MIR will be granted access to the following as part of the residency program: 

-Dues-free Super Maker Membership for 3-6 months

-24/7 access to the building (Please note, this may be subject to change as hours of access may be limited due to COVID-19 restrictions)

-Access to equipment in all Zones (after safety orientation)

-Free access to equipment in Prototyping Center for project creation (training costs not included)

-Free 5’x8’ studio space to work on your project 

-A one-time stipend payment of $500 

-Limited technical support from COG staff

-Members-only rate for classes and equipment training 

-Networking opportunities with our 250 COG members

The maker-in-residence will receive a one-time payment of $500. This stipend is to cover the costs of the project they will be working on at the TVCOG, and to compensate for time spent completing the residency requirements. The stipend will be paid out at the completion of the residency, after deduction of any material procurements, classes, or other costs requested by the MIR. 

TVCOG can procure materials for the project using its corporate tax-exempt accounts; the cost of these procurements will be deducted from the stipend. The MIR is responsible for all costs associated with personal projects created at TVCOG, including machine use time in the Prototyping Center, and assumes responsibility for any travel costs related to the MIR program. 

All work on the project shall be done at TVCOG to the fullest extent possible. The maker-in-residence will be required to spend a minimum of 10 hours per week onsite at TVCOG and is expected to maintain a regular schedule in order to facilitate promotion of the program. Their schedule will be negotiated with TVCOG staff at the beginning of the residency. A 5’x 8’ studio space will be provided to the MIR for the duration of the program; the MIR shall vacate the studio space within 1 week of finishing the residency.

In the interest of  promoting the program, the MIR will be expected to provide weekly photographic and text updates regarding their project to be shared in social media. The MIR will also be required to complete a final project summary at the end of the program. This summary  shall include specifics about the build process, such as materials used, tools used, and fabrication problems overcome. The summary format varies, and will be decided on by both TVCOG staff and the MIR. Our maker-in-residence will also be required to host an end-of-program event to share their skills at the end of the program; this may be in the form of a class, workshop, presentation etc. based on your preference. The final project summary and end-of-project event shall be completed within 3 months of the residency’s end.

At the discretion of both the MIR and TVCOG staff, the MIR may also offer workshop(s), drop-in sessions, or other venues to share their skills with the public in addition to the end-of-program events required of the MIR. Any events will be made available to the general public, with TVCOG responsible for participant recruitment and advertising, as well as any costs for workshop materials. All costs, event times and locations are to be determined and/or approved by TVCOG staff in consultation with the MIR.The MIR will be responsible for providing a list of all necessary consumable supplies for any such workshop to TVCOG staff at least three weeks ahead of their scheduled date. All leftover supplies will become the property of TVCOG.

TVCOG has unlimited permission to use photos, videos, or other digital media of the project for its own advertising and marketing purposes. TVCOG shall also have the option to display the finished work within the building for a period of up to 3 months after the residency is completed. The MIR shall remove the project from the CoG upon completion of the display period.

The MIR owns all Intellectual Property (IP) associated with their project or anything else they have personally created at the TVCoG. 

Please note, all participants in the residency program must be at least 18 years of age, and may be subject to a criminal background check, at the discretion of TVCOG staff.