1. Fellowship

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, and urban design in the People’s Republic of China to conduct independent travel and research that contributes to the SOM Foundation’s current topic. The China Fellowship was created in 2006 to support emerging design leaders to broaden their education and contribute to their future professional and academic careers.

2. Topic: Envisioning Responsible Relationships with Materiality

According to a United Nations Environment Programme report published in 2020, “natural resource extraction and processing still account for more than 90 percent of global biodiversity loss and water stress, and around half of global greenhouse gas emissions.” In a context of global environmental crisis and enduring resource inequality, it is essential to continue to reevaluate our relationship with materiality.

This year’s topic seeks to explore materiality from the micro- to the macroscale, bringing together designers and researchers from multiple disciplines in order to envision sustainable, responsible, and ethical relationships with materials and the communities that they come from. How do we shape nonexploitative networks of extraction, production, distribution, and waste? What type of social, cultural, and environmental landscapes do those new networks define? What are the roles and responsibilities of nations, corporations, communities, and individuals in shaping these networks? What are ways to limit the long-term impact on Earth of the human consumption of materials? And what material innovations—technical or in their application—present new possibilities?

3. Eligibility

Applicant must be an undergraduate or graduate student in the last two years of a professionally accredited degree program in architecture, landscape architecture, or urban design in the People’s Republic of China. Chinese citizenship is not required. Students enrolled at universities in the People’s Republic of China who are currently participating in a study abroad program outside of the country are eligible for the award. Students from China who are enrolled at universities outside the People’s Republic of China are not eligible for the award. Applicant must intend to obtain a professionally accredited degree and enter the professional practice of architecture, landscape architecture, or urban design.

4. Application Requirements

Proposal:

• Each applicant should develop a proposal that explains how their research relates to this year’s topic, their interests and learning objectives, and how they and the profession may benefit from their research.
• The proposal should range between 750 and 1,250 words.
• A short abstract (no more than 50 words) should be included before the proposal.
• The proposal must include a title as well as appropriate labeling and footnoting as necessary.
• The proposal should include additional images that support the thesis.
  
• The applicant is encouraged to work with an advisor to develop the proposal; however, work must be entirely the applicant’s own.
• Nothing that identifies the applicant’s name, sex, race, creed, advisor, or university may be included in the proposal.

Travel Itinerary:

• The itinerary should include city(ies) and sites the applicant intends to document along with the estimated dates of travel. The travel itinerary should support the applicant’s proposal.
• The travel must take place outside of the People’s Republic of China and be a minimum of three weeks’ duration.
• The applicant is encouraged to work with an advisor to develop the itinerary; however, work must be entirely the applicant’s own.
• Nothing that identifies the applicant’s name, sex, race, creed, advisor, or school may be included in the travel itinerary.

Preliminary Budget:

• The preliminary budget should provide itemized use of the fellowship funds (e.g., travel, lodging, etc.).

Portfolio:

• The portfolio should include work that is the applicant’s own, completed at the university where the applicant is enrolled, and/or work prepared for other design competitions. Given the collaborative nature of most university programs, group work is allowed. However, it should be used sparingly. The applicant’s role in the group project must be clearly explained in the portfolio.

• Work that was prepared in a professional office should not be included in the portfolio.

• The portfolio can include text in Simplified Chinese. English translations are welcome but are not required.
• Nothing that identifies the applicant’s name, sex, race, creed, advisor, or university may be included in the portfolio.

Language

• Applications must be submitted in English.

5. Application Format

Single PDF format

A4, either portrait or landscape orientation

18 pages maximum

50 MB maximum

6. Application Deadline

Submit information via the application page form no later than Friday, April 8, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Applications received after that time will not be considered. The application page form will be available in January 2022.

7. Jury

This year’s jury will be led by Peter Duncan, China Practice Leader, SOM, Shanghai. The SOM Foundation reserves the right to choose not to award, to co-award, or to split the prize as the jury deems appropriate.

8. Notification of Award

Winners will be notified no later than Friday, May 13, 2021.

9. Recipient Responsibilities

By accepting the award, the recipients agree to:

• provide progress reports via email to the SOM Foundation Executive Director.
• complete their travel and research within eighteen months of receiving the award, or within an agreed-upon time, depending on circumstances.
• forfeit all fellowship money to the SOM Foundation in the event that travel and research are not completed within eighteen months, unless prior written approval is received from the SOM Foundation Executive Director.
• file a final report within four months after completing their travel and research.

Any changes to the proposal, including the itinerary and budget allocation, need to be submitted in writing and approved by the SOM Foundation.

10. Copyright

The winning applications will become part of the SOM Foundation’s archive. The SOM Foundation reserves the right to use the winning applications—and the recipients’ monthly progress reports and final report—or any portion of them in press releases, presentations, exhibits, history books, and similar publications, as well as for public access for student and educational purposes in all media, including online. Authors will retain the copyright of their work.