The Sundance Institute has received a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation that will sponsor a fellowship, a filmmaking prize and a new Sundance Film Festival panel.

These efforts are devoted to promoting indie pic projects that explore science and technological themes or depict scientists in innovative ways.

The Sundance feature program is currently seeking submissions for the fellowship, which enables the institute to provide year-round resources that will support a project from script to pre-production.

The Sloan grant also creates the $20,000 Alfred P. Sloan Prize, which will be presented to a dramatic feature that probes science or technology and screens at the Sundance festival. This project will be selected by a panel of film and science professionals and presented at the festival's awards ceremony. The cash prize may be split equally between writer and director.

Fest forum

During the festival, Sundance Institute and the Sloan Foundation will also present a Science in Film Forum. This annual panel discussion will feature filmmakers, scientists and other cultural thinkers who discuss issues that impact science and art.

Over the past five years, Sloan has partnered with the American Film Institute, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia U., NYU, UCLA and USC to establish annual awards in screenwriting and film production.

The foundation also inaugurated an annual Sloan Feature Film Prize at the Hamptons Intl. Film Festival and initiated screenwriting workshops at the Hamptons and Tribeca fests.

The New York-based Sloan Foundation was founded in 1934 and makes grants in science, technology and economic performance. Directed by Doron Weber, Sloan's program in public understanding of science supports books, radio, film, television and theater, including "Proof," "Copenhagen" and Alan Alda's "QED," as well as works from the Ensemble Studio Theater and the Manhattan Theater Club.