Schiff Foundation Fellowship for Critical Architectural Writing

The Division of the Social Sciences is pleased to invite applicants for the Schiff Foundation Fellowship for Critical Architectural Writing. This award, in its seventh year, is administered by the Department of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago. The program is designed to recognize young, talented writers and engage them in critical discussions about the built environment.

The award for 2011 is $5,000 which will be given to one student enrolled in a degree-granting, graduate-level program at a Chicago-area university.  Each school is allowed 2 submissions from students enrolled in courses during the 2011-12 academic year.  Students must have taken a course in Spring 2011, Autumn 2011, or be taking a course in Winter 2012 that includes critical writing about the built environment.

Social Sciences student applications are due to the Social Sciences Dean of Students Office by Friday, February 24^th.  Students should email their application as a word attachment to ssd-fellowships@uchicago.edu.  Two students will be chosen from among applicants to the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Divinity Schools to forward to the competition, along with a letter of support from each student's department chair.  

Each application must include:

1. An unpublished, original text, not to exceed 10 pages or 3,000 words (300 words per page), which is a critical /analytical commentary on an aspect (of their choosing) of the built environment.  The text should have originated as an essay for a course taken in Spring 2011, Autumn 2011, or Winter 2012.  The texts must be double-spaced in 12 pt Times New Roman font, with no less than one-inch margins.  All citations must appear as endnotes on separate pages and are not counted in the page or word limits.  Students may choose to write on any regional, national, or international topic related to architecture or the built environment.  Students may choose to include up to two pages of images as an appendix at the conclusion of the paper.

2. The student's name and university affiliation should not appear on any of the text pages.  Instead, s/he should create a simple cover page that includes the title, author's name, school's name, and program/department of study. 

3. The submission must also include a one-page resume with the student's telephone number and an email address and information on the Spring 2011, Autumn 2011, or Winter 2012 course (class, seminar, or independent study) in which the student was/is enrolled.

The winning student will be notified in May 2012 and the award will be presented at a luncheon on a date to be determined.  The prize or fellowship award may be used for any purpose towards the winner's education.