Fellowships and Scholarships

AAF Minority/Disadvantaged Scholarships

AAF Minority/Disadvantaged Scholarship Nomination Form | PDF, 74K, 2 pages.

The American Architectural Foundation offers the Minority/Disadvantaged Scholarships in order to encourage diversity and equity in the architectural profession. These scholarships are open to high school seniors and college freshmen who plan to study architecture at a NAAB-accredited program. The scholarship program was established in 1970 by a grant from the Ford Foundation to aid students who would not otherwise have an opportunity to enter a professional degree program. Twenty awards are made per year and may be renewed for two additional years, ideally maintaining 60 students in the program in any given year. Scholarship amounts range between $500 and $2,500 and are determined by evaluation of financial need information provided by the student and the school.

The application process has two parts: an initial nomination by a high school guidance counselor, architect, or other individual who is aware of the student's interest and aptitude for architecture, and an application which is sent to eligible students after nominations are reviewed. The nomination form is due in the first week of December and the application, an essay, statement of disadvantaged circumstances, letters of recommendations, transcripts and a drawing are due on January 15 of each year. For further information contact Mary Felber at mfelber@aia.org or (202) 626-7511.

The Richard Morris Hunt Fellowship

The Richard Morris Hunt Fellowship, sponsored by the American Architectural Foundation and The French Heritage Society as part of a commitment to stewardship of American and French heritage, is awarded to architects pursuing a career in historic preservation. The fellowship permits young architects from France and the United States to observe and practice the latest preservation technologies and techniques in each other’s countries. Inaugurated in 1990 as part of the organizations’ commitment to foster stewardship of architectural heritage, the recipients represent the best their countries have to offer in the field of historic preservation.

The six-month fellowship is named for Richard Morris Hunt, the first American architect to study at the École des Beaux-Arts and one of the most renowned 19th century American architects The six-month fellowship alternates each year between a French and an American architect and carries a stipend of $25,000.

In 2009, an American architect will be selected to follow a six-month work/study program in France. For further information or to apply, contact Mary Felber at mfelber@aia.org or (202) 626-7511.

The American Architectural Foundation’s Traveling Fellowship
at the Sir John Soane’s Museum

The American Architectural Foundation’s Fellowship at the Sir John Soane’s Museum provides a $5,000 grant annually to enable a student in graduate degree programs in the history of art, architecture, interior design or related fields to travel to England to pursue research on any aspect of the work of Sir John Soane or the Sir John Soane’s Museum and collections. These include Egyptian antiquities, classical antiquities, casts, sculpture galleries, the history of museums, authentic restoration, architecture and architectural drawings c. 1650-1850, architectural models, architectural theory c. 1650-1850, neoclassical sculpture, the Grand Tour, Hogarth, George Dance Junior, Joseph Michael Gandy, Sir William Chambers, Sir Christopher Wren and Hawksmoor, architecture and decoration, Robert and James Adam and English Regency painting. In order to be eligible, an applicant must be enrolled in a graduate degree program in the history of art, architecture, the decorative arts, interior design or in a field appropriate to the fellowship’s purpose.

Sir John Soane, R.A. was an English architect of significance influence during the last quarter of the 18th century and early 19th century. He specialized in the Neo-Classical tradition. His most famous remaining works are the Bank of England and the Dulwich Picture Gallery, which has served as a model for many modern art galleries. He designed his own home, now the Sir John Soane Museum in London, which houses an impressive collection of antiques and architectural pieces.

Applications for the fellowship will be accepted until March 1. Application forms and additional information are available at www.soanefoundation.com/fellowship.html

The RTKL Traveling Fellowship

RTKL Traveling Fellowship Application | PDF, 74K, 3 pages.

The RTKL Traveling Fellowship is intended to encourage and support foreign travel undertaken to further education toward a professional degree. The fellowship was established by a $25,000 contribution to the American Architectural Foundation by the architecture firm RTKL in honor of one of its founders, Francis T. Taliaferro. Each year, one $2,500 fellowship is awarded to a student submitting the winning proposal outlining a foreign itinerary which is directly relevant to his or her educational goals. Students must complete travel prior to graduation. Application forms are available at NAAB-accredited programs, or you may download an application. Applications are due February 15.