SAH IDEAS Research Fellowships
The Society of Architectural Historians recognizes the work it must undertake to make reparations for past harms and redress foundational structural inequities, and has charged the SAH IDEAS Committee with acting to care for its diverse community by reckoning with past injustices and accounting for future sustainability. As a small but concrete step forward, the SAH IDEAS Research Fellowships have been established to support a cohort of five emerging scholars per year, self-identifying as members of groups historically marginalized by SAH and the academy at large. These fellowships are intended to nurture research that challenges existing paradigms, as defined by applicants, and represents previously underrecognized and/or unsupported directions for architectural history as researched, thought, or applied. In addition to providing research support, the fellowships are intended to create mentored cohorts to support the work of emerging scholars.
The Award
Each fellowship includes a one-time award of $1,000 and a commitment of close mentorship from a senior colleague from the SAH community to be paired with the fellow for the duration of one year. The fellowship also involves guided lateral interaction across the cohort, to encourage peer support. Awardees and mentors will commit to regular meetings throughout the year, with a calendar shared shortly after the cohort is announced.
SAH offers one year of digital membership to awardees.
Criteria for Application
For the 2027 award cycle, emerging scholars anywhere in the world who have received a terminal master’s degree or Ph.D. on or after June 1, 2021, and who are not currently enrolled in a program of study or applying for further studies for the duration of the fellowship are eligible to apply. SAH aims to support research impacted by foundational structural inequities related to scholars’ backgrounds or areas of research that are not yet well supported in the field of architectural history.
Applicants do not need to be a current SAH member to apply.
Reporting Requirements
Recipients are required to submit a preliminary report of 500 words with images, as appropriate, written by the fellow and approved by their mentor. A final project report will be due at the end of the fellowship. The final “report” may take the form of a 1,000-2,000-word written report, a video presentation of work, or another format approved by the IDEAS Committee. The final report is intended to stimulate scholarly argument and provide fellows with concrete output they can continue to refine and present as part of future funding applications or academic presentations.
With the fellow’s permission, the final report and images will form a contribution to the SAH Blog, SAH Archipedia (if applicable), and the digital SAHARA image archive or another SAH publishing platform.
Applications for the 2027 award cycle are open through August 31, 2026.
To apply, please submit a statement of interest that frames your research aims in relation to your goals and need for mentorship and peer support (500 words maximum), along with a CV (2 pages maximum), through the application form.
