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Telephone: 312.787.4071
info@grahamfoundation.org
Criteria for Evaluation
Given the Graham Foundation’s interest in identifying the most promising dissertation projects, the following criteria are taken into consideration during the application review.
The Graham Foundaiton is primarily interested in projects that are original and have the potential to impact the field of architecture:
The Foundation also looks for the project’s feasibility and the applicant’s capacity:
Eligibility
PhD students who are presently candidates for a doctoral degree are eligible to apply.
Work being undertaken in pursuit of an academic degree is not otherwise eligible for Graham Foundation support.
Award Types
The Graham Foundation offers two Carter Manny Awards: one for a student at the research stage of the doctoral dissertation and one for a student at the writing stage of the doctoral dissertation.
Research Award
The Research Award assists students with research that is essential to the doctoral project. The Research Award can be used for travel, documentation, materials, supplies, and other research and development costs. Applicants for a Research Award must articulate research goals through a clearly defined work plan that outlines travel, archival visits, and research methods.
The Research Award is acknowledged with up to $20,000.
Writing Award
The Writing Award supports the timely completion of the PhD by assisting advanced doctoral students during the final stages of dissertation writing. While some of the award funds may be used to conclude research, the award is primarily intended to support and facilitate a period of uninterrupted writing. Applicants for a Writing Award must submit a writing sample (excerpt from a dissertation chapter), a dissertation table of contents, and a writing schedule.
The Writing Award is acknowledged with up to $25,000.
Citations of Special Recognition
A limited number of Citations of Special Recognition may be determined in some years in recognition of outstanding projects.
How to Apply
Applicants for the Carter Manny Award undergo a competitive selection and review process. Students must be nominated by their department to apply for the Carter Manny Award. Submitted applications are thoroughly reviewed by a diverse panel of recognized scholars in the fields of inquiry represented by the award.
The panel’s recommendations are presented to the foundation’s Board of Trustees. Upon award, recipients are asked to sign an Award Agreement that outlines the conditions of the award, such as reporting.
Calendar for the 2025 Carter Manny Award Cycle
Application available online: September 15, 2024
Application deadline: November 15, 2024, 5 p.m. Central Time
Award decision notification: June 2025
Award period: The one-year award period begins September 1, 2025 for the 2025–26 academic year
Application
To start an application for the 2024 Carter Manny Award, you will need a grant application account with an email address and a password.
When registering for a grant application account, applicants should use an email address that is frequently used and monitored. The email address will also be the primary form of correspondence throughout the application process. If a grant is awarded, grantees will continue to maintain and access their account throughout the duration of their award for functions such as grant reporting.
The Carter Manny Award application will request the following information:
Nomination Letter: This is a brief letter from your department or program administrator confirming that you have been nominated by your department to apply for the Carter Manny Award. The letter must also verify that you have completed all coursework; that you have advanced to PhD candidacy; and that your proposed dissertation has been formally approved by the department.
Reference Letters: Two letters of reference are also required as part of your application.
Attachments: Attachments will be uploaded with your application. The maximum size for all attachments combined is 20MB.
Carter Manny Award
Established in 1996 by the Graham Foundation, the Carter Manny Award supports the completion of outstanding doctoral dissertations on architecture and its role in the arts, culture, and society. As a predoctoral award program dedicated exclusively to architectural scholarship, the Carter Manny Award recognizes emerging scholars whose work promises to challenge and reshape contemporary discourse and impact the field at large. Eligible dissertation projects must focus on architecture, though scholarly investigations may be grounded in a range of academic disciplines and fields of inquiry that align with the mission of the Graham Foundation. These include: architecture and architectural history; art and art history; design; engineering; landscape architecture; urbanism; and other related fields. (See the Overview of Graham Foundation grant programs). The award assists students enrolled in graduate programs in architecture, art history, the fine arts, humanities, and the social sciences working on architecture topics.
Each year, the Graham Foundation offers two Carter Manny Awards: one Research Award for a student at the research stage of the doctoral dissertation and one Writing Award for a student at writing stage of the doctoral dissertation. The Research Award is acknowledged with up to $20,000 and the Writing Award is acknowledged with up to $25,000.
The Carter Manny Award applications are reviewed by a diverse panel of recognized scholars in the fields of inquiry represented by the award.
The Graham Foundation offers this prestigious annual award in honor of Carter H. Manny (1918–2017) and his long and distinguished service to the Graham Foundation. Manny served the Foundation since its inception in 1956, first as a trustee, then as the director from 1971–93, and after his retirement, as director emeritus.
Award Recipients
The Richard Solomon Award for Architectural Journalism
Richard Solomon, director of the Graham Foundation from 1993 to 2005, was a consummate professional whose thoughtful and careful consideration of informed and creative architectural discourse contributed immeasurably to a far-reaching architectural community.
Solomon had a particularly deep interest in architectural journalism. Whether through support of a student publication or an emerging or mature journal in the field, he sought to assure the highest standard and breadth of architectural journalism. This commitment is evident in Solomon's generous bequest of $50,000, in the form of a challenge grant, to the Graham Foundation in support of architectural journalism.
Owing to the generosity and kindness of friends and colleagues of the Graham Foundation, the Foundation is pleased to announce that the challenge was met and surpassed. The Graham Foundation is working to establish the Richard Solomon Award for Architectural Journalism.
How to Apply
The Graham Foundation Grants to Individuals application is an open submission, two-stage process. The review is very competitive and many more applications are received than is possible to fund. Funding decisions at all stages of the review are based on eligibility; alignment of the proposed project to Graham Foundation grant priorities and criteria for evaluation; and availability of grant funds.
Inquiry Form: Eligible individuals interested in applying for a grant from the Graham Foundation must first submit an Inquiry Form. The Inquiry Form is available on the Foundation's website for each annual open call application period and must be submitted online.
Proposal Form: After Inquiry Forms are reviewed, applicants whose projects best match the Graham Foundation grant priorities and criteria for evaluation are invited to submit a Proposal Form and supplementary materials. An invitation to submit a Proposal Form does not guarantee eventual funding. Applicants who are not invited to submit a Proposal Form are declined by email.
Award Decision: Funding recommendations are presented to the Graham Foundation Board of Trustees for consideration. If a grant is awarded, grantees are asked to sign a grant agreement outlining the conditions of the grant, such as annual reporting and acknowledgement of Graham Foundation support within the project.
Inquiry Form
Eligible individuals interested in applying for a grant from the Graham Foundation must first submit an Inquiry Form. Only one Inquiry Form may be submitted per year. Applicants whose projects best match the Graham Foundation grant priorities and criteria for evaluation are invited to submit a Proposal Form and supplementary materials. An invitation to submit a Proposal Form does not guarantee eventual funding.
To create a grant application account or to start a new Inquiry Form, click here
To resume work on your existing Inquiry Form, go to My Account
The deadline to submit an Inquiry Form is September 15, 2024, 5 p.m. Central Time.
Calendar for 2025 Grants to Individuals cycle
FIRST STAGE
Inquiry Form Available: July 31, 2024
Inquiry Form Deadline: September 15, 2024, 5 p.m. (Central Time)
SECOND STAGE
Proposal Form Invitation: December 2024–January 2025
Proposal Form Submission: February 2025
AWARD STAGE
Grant Decision Notification: May 30, 2025
Earliest Project Start Date: June 15, 2025
Eligibility
The Graham Foundation grantmaking programs focus on supporting individuals and organizations in the United States, however, the Foundation also awards grants internationally. Note that regardless of where a supported grant project originates, all final products must be disseminated in English.
Grants to Individuals:
Fiscal Agent:
The Graham Foundation does not require individuals to have a fiscal agent. However, individuals working on independent projects who are required by their organization to apply for and receive funding under the aegis of the organization (e.g., a faculty member of an academic institution) may use a fiscal agent. Individuals that require a fiscal agent must follow all guidelines, eligibility requirements, and deadlines for Grants to Individuals. If invited to the second stage of review, applicants must indicate the intention to use a fiscal agent on the Proposal Form.
Ineligible Costs:
Priorities and Criteria
For individuals, Graham Foundation grant priorities are to:
Criteria for Evaluation
Projects with the greatest potential for funding directly connect to the Graham Foundation's mission to explore ideas in architecture and fulfill the following criteria:
Grant Types
The Graham Foundation offers two types of grants to individuals: Production and Presentation grants and Research and Development grants.
Production and Presentation:
These grants assist individuals with the production-related expenses that are necessary to take a project from conceptualization to realization and public presentation. These projects include, but are not limited to, exhibitions, installations; film/video/new media web initiatives; public programs; and publications.
Projects must have clearly defined goals, work plans, budgets, and production and dissemination plans.
Committed Producers: Individuals applying for Production and Presentation grants must have an agreement in place with a committed producer for the project, that is, an entity committed to producing and/or presenting an individual's project. Examples of committed producers include museums, publishers, and other entities.
Grant amount: Production and Presentation grants to individuals do not exceed $20,000 and are likely to be less. The average grant amount range for Production and Presentation grants is $5,000 to $15,000. Given the demand for funding, the Graham Foundation is rarely able to fund projects at the full request amount.
Grant period: Production and Presentation grants must be completed within two years of the project start date. Upon completion, grant recipients must complete a grant report. If funded, grantees should allow sufficient time to meet the grant requirements and acknowledge Graham Foundation support in all published media.
Research and Development:
Though the majority of the grantmaking program focuses on Production and Presentation grants, the Graham Foundation recognizes that projects may require support at early stages of formation. Research and Development grants support research-related expenses such as travel, documentation, materials, supplies, and other development costs. Projects must have clearly defined goals, work plans, and budgets.
A recipient of a Research and Development Grant is eligible to apply for a Production and Presentation Grant for the same project once the first grant has been satisfied, however, future funding is not guaranteed.
Grant amount: Research and Development Grants do not exceed $10,000 and are likely to be less. Given the demand for funding, the Graham Foundation is not always able to fund grantees at the full request amount.
How to Apply
The Graham Foundation’s application for Grants to Organizations is an open submission, single-stage process. The review is very competitive, as many more applications are received than the Graham is able to fund. Funding decisions are based on eligibility; alignment of the proposed project to Graham Foundation grant priorities and criteria for evaluation; and availability of grant funds.
Application: Eligible organizations interested in applying for a grant from the Graham Foundation must submit an application. The application is available on the Foundation’s website for each annual open call period and must be submitted online.
Award Decision: Funding recommendations are presented to the Graham Foundation Board of Trustees for consideration. If a grant is awarded, grantees are asked to sign a grant agreement outlining the conditions of the grant, such as annual reporting and acknowledgement of Graham Foundation support within the project.
Calendar for 2025 Grants to Organizations cycle
Application available online: January 15, 2025
Application deadline: February 25, 2025, 5 p.m. Central Time
Grant decision notification: by June 30, 2025
Earliest project start date: September 15, 2025
Application
The application deadline for the Graham Foundation’s 2024 Grants to Organizations is February 25, 2025, 5 p.m. Central Time. Organizations with eligible projects are invited to apply for funding consideration for projects that begin after September 15, 2025.
To start an application, applicants must establish an account with an email address and a password.
Please note the application is comprehensive and applicants are encouraged to review the requirements well ahead of the deadline. For convenience, a printer-friendly version of the form (including all fields, questions, and requirements) is available through a link on the form, accessible when an applicant is logged into the account.
When registering for a grant application account, applicants should use an email address at their organization that is frequently used and monitored. The email address will also be the primary form of correspondence throughout the application process. If a grant is awarded, grantees will continue to maintain and access the account throughout the duration of the award for functions such as grant reporting.
Application for 2025 Grants to Organizations
The application requests the following information:
Attachments (Uploaded with the application.)
Calendar for 2025 Grants to Organizations cycle
Application available online: January 15, 2025
Application deadline: February 25, 2025, 5 p.m. Central Time
Grant decision notification: by June 30, 2025
Earliest project start date: September 15, 2025
Eligibility
The Graham Foundation grantmaking programs focus on supporting individuals and organizations in the United States, however, the Foundation also awards grants internationally. Note that regardless of where a supported grant project originates, all final products must be disseminated in English.
Grants to Organizations:
Ineligible Costs:
Priorities and Criteria
For organizations, funding priorities are to:
Overall, the Graham Foundation is most interested in opportunities that align with the above priorities, further the mission of the Foundation, and enable critical support at key points in the development of a project or career.
Criteria for Evaluation
Projects with the greatest potential for funding directly connect to the Graham Foundation's mission to explore ideas in architecture and fulfill the following criteria:
Grant Types
The Graham Foundation offers Production and Presentation grants to organizations.
These grants assist organizations with the production-related expenses that are necessary to take a project from conceptualization to realization and public presentation. These projects include, but are not limited to, exhibitions, installations; film/video/new media web initiatives; public programs; and publications.
Projects must have clearly defined goals, work plans, budgets, and production and dissemination plans.
Grant amount: Production and Presentation grants to organizations do not exceed $30,000 and are likely to be much less. Given the demand for funding, the Graham Foundation is rarely able to fund projects at the full request amount.
Grant period: Production and Presentation grants must be completed within two years of the project start date. Upon completion, grant recipients must complete a grant report. If funded, grantees should allow sufficient time to meet the grant requirements and acknowledge Graham Foundation support in all published media.
Applications for Publication Support: Unless the applicant is a publisher, an organization applying for a publication grant must have a committed publisher for the work, confirmed by a signed publication agreement.
Carter H. Manny
Richard Solomon
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