DEFINITIONS
AIA: American Institute of Architects
LFRT: The Large Firm Roundtable is a 501c6 member organization. (Independent of the American Institute of Architects (AIA)); and which collaborates with the national and local chapters of the AIA as appropriate.
YAF: The Young Architects Forum is a member group of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and is organized to address issues of particular importance to recently licensed architects (within 10 years or less of first licensure)
GENERAL APPLICATION AND ELIGIBILITY
Is the Future Forward Grant an award available for a firm?
No, this is an individual grant. A small group of individuals can apply, but a single leader must be designated to facilitate communication and grant funding disbursement.
If proposing as a small group, can the team be interdisciplinary?
Yes, the team can be interdisciplinary, however establish the architect as the point of contact / proposal lead. At least one individual on the team must be an architecture student, emerging professional in the field of architecture, or early career licensed architect.
How many individuals can be awarded a Future Forward Grant?
More than one individual can be awarded a Future Forward Grant. The jury may decide to split up the $10,000 amount to multiple individuals. If the selected proposal requests less than the grant amount, the jury reserves the ability to not award an additional winner up to the $10,000 amount. The jury also reserves the ability to award less than the requested amount. Requested grant size will not make an application more or less competitive.
Who should the reference be?
This should be someone who knows you or knows the work you are applying to perform. They should be qualified to comment, if needed, on your ability, the potential success of the project/proposal, and has your support. They can be an individual inside or outside your firm, professor, or mentor. They should not be a family member.
Is there a limit on how many ideas/applications each person can submit?
Multiple ideas may be submitted, but we suggest focusing your efforts into one best application. Each should be thoroughly thought through and supported by your reference(s). Should you choose to submit more than one proposal, the jury will expect distinct projects to be presented.
Is there some flexibility to understand the work may not be done in one year?
The work deliverables should be completed within one year of award, but there is some flexibility for a longer implementation schedule, up to 18 months. However, the applicant should consider the updates to the LFRT in the schedule and ensure that the underwriters of the grant see this as a meaningful investment. (LFRT CEOs currently meets in April and October each year.)
Who would be considered an expected benefactor for this project?
This would be the person/group who would benefit and use the project, product, or published research.
Our local AIA Emerging Professionals Committee is planning a symposium with guest lecturers. Is this research-focused and idea-sharing symposium eligible for the grant?
Events and conferences are not eligible for the Future Forward Grant. Please consider applying for College of Fellows’ Emerging Professionals or AIA Component Grants.
Should the project be imagined with a long-term vision in mind that goes beyond the initial funding from the grant?
While not required, the jury would be excited by this prospect as it speaks to the impact to the profession and grant intent.
How technical should a proposal be?
Depends on the proposal but avoid specific jargon. It should be understood by a broad audience, but this does not mean it shouldn’t be detailed enough to be considered thoughtful.
Could you elaborate on the expectations of the Executive Summary portion of the application?
An executive summary is intended to describe the project, process, or product and its impact in layman’s terms, no longer than a page in length.
Would a proposal be unattractive if it was more focused on developing resources for small to mid-size firms?
The level of disruption of the proposal is key. The identified benefactor of the proposal is not limited by firm size, and consideration of this will not make a proposal unattractive.
If a proposal could fit into multiple categories (PRACTICE, PROCESS, PRODUCT), how do you recommend choosing a category?
Choose the category that your proposal disrupts the most.
Is there precedent for completing the grant project earlier? E.g. within the calendar year of award issuance.
There is no precedent, but it would not make the proposal ineligible or less appealing to the jury.
Do you have any advice on what should NOT be included in an application?
(1) Please keep your name and any other identifying information (including other team members, firm/institution names) off the application. This will help the jury be impartial during their review. (2) Clearly communicate your message. (3) Consider brevity, as the jury will have many applications to review. (4) Also, be sure to eliminate spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
JURY AND SELECTION PROCESS
Who is on the jury / audience?
Besides the jury chair, there are two members of the LFRT (C-suite individuals in large firms) and two members of the YAF (practicing architects with fewer than 10 years of licensed practice).
What are the criteria for evaluating winning applications?
The checklist for jury consideration is dependent on the themes and quality of applications received, and thus will not be made public for an applicant’s review. However, please consider the grant’s intent is to “perpetuate innovation in the practice of architecture.”
Is the requested funding amount a consideration of the jury?
No. The merits of the proposal / idea are considered above all else.
Is the grant application evaluated based on the merit of the research proposal or also the applicant's qualifications? Should we include a resume or other qualifying materials?
Only submit requested materials. As mentioned, maintain anonymity.
The application will be evaluated solely on the merits of the proposal.
BUDGET AND FUNDING
How detailed does the proposed budget need to be?
The jury appreciates a budget that includes a breakdown describing how the funds would be spent. Individuals are not required to ask for the entire $10,000 amount. The budget does not require an accounting of every dollar, but it should be thoughtfully established. Time and wages spent in development will be accepted as part of the budget, but the grant should not be used to supplement or replace an individual’s salary or wages. Include a line item or statement in your budget for any other funding you are seeking for this project.
If my employer lets me work on this project during working hours, can this be added towards matching funds?
Yes. Time spent working on the project, and the wages associated with that time, can count toward matching funds.
Will having matching funds make an application more competitive?
Matching funds shows the jury that the idea has support, however the jury may not consider a proposal more competitive based on the inclusion of matching funds. The jury will weigh the merits of the idea above all else.
Does an LLC need to be established to help with the money transfer?
No, an LLC is not required. AIA National will assist with the money transfer once the Future Forward Grant has been awarded.
Is it necessary to participate in the AIA Conference on Architecture if I am selected as a grant award recipient?
Participation in the AIA Conference is not required, and proposal acceptance into the conference program is not guaranteed. It is recommended that the successful applicant apply to the Conference Call for Papers to present their work. AIA Conference proposals are typically requested in August/September for a deadline of submission in September/October and require a minimal amount of information to submit. There is time after the submission date to continue project development prior to the AIA Conference session.
The only presentation requirement will be to provide two (2) virtual presentations to the AIA Large Firm Roundtable (LFRT) in late fall 2025 and late spring 2026.
What if I don’t have funding to attend the AIA Conference on Architecture? Should this be built into my budget?
Participating in the AIA Conference on Architecture is not a requirement of the grant, nor is acceptance to speak guaranteed. Do not include conference fees and travel logistics in your budget breakdown. If a conference proposal is accepted, the standard speaker benefits will be offered.
PAST AWARDS
While these links to previous winners are provided by request, the jury strongly encourages that they not influence potential applicants. The scope of the grant is broad, and these were the best of the qualified applicant pools for their selected year.
2024: Silvia Colpani, Assoc. AIA, Alya Staber, and Elona Habipi of Jones Architecture https://www.aia.org/about-aia/press/2024-future-forward-grant-awarded-it-takes-village-initiative
2023: Christina Ciardullo https://www.aia.org/resource-center/supporting-transformational-architectural-practice
2022: Yuchen Song https://www.instagram.com/aiayaf/reel/Cp5oicmD2Zq/
Please email KathleenMcCormick@aia.org with any additional questions.