SOM Foundation
The SOM Foundation was founded in 1979 with the goal to advance the design profession’s ability to address the key topics of our time by bringing together and supporting groups and individuals, each with the highest possible design aspirations. The Foundation’s grant programming was established in 1981 and currently offers five annual awards across the United States, Europe, and China. The grants support students and faculty of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, interior design, and engineering to undertake rigorous interdisciplinary research that can help shape our future. As of 2021, the SOM Foundation has awarded more than $2.7 million to over 281 fellows who have gone on to distinguish themselves in professional and academic careers. Some notable SOM Foundation award recipients include Marion Weiss (1982), Werner Sobek (1983), Douglas Garofalo (1987), Santiago Calatrava (1988), Joshua Ramus (1995), Ole Scheeren (2000), Catie Newell (2006), Brandon Clifford (2011), Biayna Bogosian and Kristine Mun (2018), [10] and Clare Lyster (2019). Awards The SOM Foundation currently offers five awards: Research Prize European Research Prize Structural Engineering Fellowship China Fellowship Robert L. Wesley Award Research Prize In 2018, the SOM Foundation introduced the Research Prize—an evolution of the former SOM Prize and SOM Travel Fellowship programs—to cultivate new ideas and meaningful research that addresses the critical issues of our time. Each year, two $40,000 prizes are awarded to faculty-led interdisciplinary teams based in the United States to conduct original research that contributes to the SOM Foundation’s current topic. European Research Prize In 2021, the SOM Foundation introduced the European Research Prize as an expansion of the US-based Research Prize to cultivate new ideas and meaningful research that addresses the critical issues of our time. The European Research Prize builds on the legacy of the UK Award that was established in 1996. Each year, one €20,000 prize is awarded to a faculty-led interdisciplinary team based in Europe to conduct original research that contributes to the SOM Foundation’s current topic. Structural Engineering Fellowship In 1998, the SOM Foundation created the Structural Engineering Traveling Fellowship, since renamed the Structural Engineering Fellowship, to support research that has the potential to influence the practice and teaching of how structures can positively impact our built environment. The $20,000 fellowship is awarded annually to a graduating student based in the United States who specializes in structural engineering to conduct independent travel and research that contributes to the SOM Foundation’s current topic. China Fellowship In 2006, the SOM Foundation established the China Prize, now the China Fellowship, to support emerging design leaders to broaden their education and contribute to their future professional and academic careers. The $5,000 China Fellowship is awarded annually to three students in the last two years of either an undergraduate or graduate program in architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, and urban design in the People’s Republic of China to conduct independent travel outside China and research that contributes to the SOM Foundation’s current topic. Robert L. Wesley Award In 2020, the SOM Foundation created the Robert L. Wesley Award—named