Time Out Grant

A person wearing a cap, dark t-shirt, and belt with various pouches hanging from it smiles while holding a video camera rig equipped with a microphone and shoulder support, standing on brightly painted outdoor stairs.

Take Time Out to Change the World

Established in 1988, the Time Out Grant seeks to inspire Vassar alums to pursue an original, bold interest, project, or business that could innovate the world around them.

We are pleased to announce Gilad Thaler ’13 as the recipient of the 2026 Time Out Grant. Thaler, an award-winning journalist, cinematographer, director, and producer, will use the grant to develop After the Assignment, a working title for a documentary project exploring the potential long-term effects of trauma on journalists who report on traumatic events. Thaler has worked across a range of newsrooms, covering breaking news stories from the COVID-19 pandemic to mass shootings and war. Drawing on interviews, archival footage, and his own experiences, Thaler will examine how journalists navigate the emotional demands of covering traumatic stories and how news organizations can better understand and address the effects of secondary traumatic stress. The project aims to reduce stigma and strengthen support for journalists working in these environments.

Thaler (pictured) was selected out of 234 applicants because the committee felt his project exemplified the spirit of the Time Out Grant.

Time Out Grant Details

Proposals can be in any field including science, business, education, the arts, human services, environment, or others.
The project can take place over a minimum of 12 months and may extend for up to 2 years.
The Awardee is not required to leave their current job to accept the award.
Any Vassar alum 35 years or older by June 30, 2026 was able to apply for the current grant by the deadline of December 19, 2025.
The Time Out Grant of $150,000 is awarded every other year.
The proposals do not need to be related to the applicant’s current career.
At Vassar’s discretion, the proposed venture can be funded with complementary grants, provided the Time Out Grant is the lead funding source.
The latest grant was awarded in the spring of 2026.
Applications for the next grant will open in Fall/Winter 2027 and the recipient will be awarded in Spring 2028.

Questions? Reach out to us at timeoutgrant@vassar.edu.

Each of these Vassar graduates, and many others over the past three decades, was able to realize a dream that encompassed their own lives and the lives of others, thanks to the Time Out Grant, funded by an extraordinarily generous, anonymous Vassar alumna.