You have until September 1 to apply for the American Institute of Architect's (AIA) Upjohn Research Initiative. The Upjohn program funds up to six research grants of $15,000-$30,000 per recipient annually for projects completed in a six to 18 month period. Proposals should address the value of design, practice issues, or novel materials and methods of construction. The research should relate to architectural knowledge that can readily be applied/transferred within the discipline. Read on for 2015's preferred themes.
The funds must be fully matched with hard dollars, with a maximum of 10% allocated for overhead. To transfer the knowledge gained through the Upjohn grants, recipient project findings and outcomes will be published by the AIA electronically and in a nationally-distributed publication.
Preferred themes for 2015 grants (in alphabetical order):
- Building Performance: Specifically, measurement, metrics, design practices or other research that addresses energy and/or water performance of a building
- Climate Change Mitigation: Examples include, but are not limited to, resilient design strategies/approaches to address climate change impacts, lowering carbon footprint of buildings and materials
- Human Impact and Wellness: Materials or practices/processes that address mitigating the impact of the built environment on human well-being, including innovative approaches to measuring/monitoring human impacts, addressing obesity through design, and ergonomic considerations
- Technology and Innovation: Examples include, but are not limited to, innovative materials, visualization/design tools/practices, mobility of information, that advance the profession