The Deborah J. Norden Fund awards up to $5,000 annually in travel and study grants to students and recent graduates in the fields of architecture, architectural history, and urban studies.
The Fund has supported a fascinating array of projects, from a study of the Cambodian modernist Vann Molyvann, to the social impact of new architecture and planning interventions in Medellin, Colombia, to the insertion of built form into fragile ecosystems in Australia, to the stereotomy of complex surfaces in French Baroque architecture.
Submission Requirements and Process
Applicants must submit a maximum three-page proposal, which succinctly describes the objectives of the grant request and how it will contribute to the applicant’s intellectual and creative development. The grant amount requested (up to $5,000), a maximum two-page résumé, and a projected schedule and budget for travel and other costs must also be included. An addendum of no more than four pages may be submitted in order to include images, maps, or other supporting material. Applicants must request two letters of recommendation from individuals who are knowledgeable about the applicant’s ability and project. Applicants must reside in, but need not be citizens of, the U.S., Canada, or Mexico.
The application process is extremely competitive. The intention of the fund is to support genuinely independent projects that require travel. Grant funds cannot be used for tuition, and grants will not be awarded to support participation in an organized program, such as a university’s summer abroad program. While requests for support of dissertation research will be considered, they are not a priority of the fund. Preference will be given to strong proposals from applicants who have not had this sort of opportunity before.
Application Format and Deadlines
Applicants must submit their proposals, résumés, schedules, budgets, and optional addenda digitally as letter-sized PDFs. The applicant’s name and project title must appear on the top of the first page of the PDF. The application PDF should be emailed to norden@archleague.org with the subject line “Norden Application 2014” by 11:59 p.m. EST on April 17, 2014. Faxed, mailed, and late applications will not be accepted.
The two letters of recommendation must be sent directly by the recommenders to The Architectural League by mail or email PDF. Letters of recommendation must be received or postmarked by May 1, 2014.
Letters of recommendation should be mailed to:
The Deborah J. Norden Fund
The Architectural League of New York
594 Broadway, Suite 607
New York, NY 10012
PDF recommendations should be emailed to: norden@archleague.org, subject: “Norden Fund Recommendation – last name of applicant”
For more information and application please visit the The Deborah J. Norden Fund 2014 page.
