Our Mission
Our Vision
A city where the architecture profession is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
Scholarships and Grants
Diversity Scholarship
The Diversity Scholarship seeks to attract and retain diverse, talented young professionals in Chicago and values new and unique voices in the profession.
Awards: Up to two recipients. Each receive $10,000 over two years
Established: 2019
Funding: Individual and corporate donations
Applications open: Week of March 2, 2026
Applications close: Friday, April 10, 2026 at 6:00 PM central
Martin Roche Travel Scholarship
Established in 1926 by architect Martin Roche, FAIA, this scholarship provides a student the opportunity to independently study architecture abroad.
Awards: $6,000
Established: 1926
Funding: AIA Chicago Foundation donations
Applications open: August 31, 2026
Applications close: October 22, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Early Career Grant
Coming in 2027, the Early Career Grant is an opportunity for young, unlicensed, or newly-licensed designers (22-25) to cover loans, exams, education, or mentorship.
Awards: Varies
Established: 2027
Funding: The Dubin Family and private individual and corporate donations
Awards
Dubin Family Young Architect Award
Submissions open: Week of April 27, 2026
Submissions close: Friday, June 12, 2026, 5:00 PM central
Award: $2,000
Roberta Feldman Architecture for Social Justice Award
Roberta Feldman Architecture for Social Justice Award, established in 2020, seeks to honor excellence in built projects and design programs guided by the conviction that access to high quality architecture is not a privilege, it is a human right.
Submissions open: Week of April 27, 2026
Submissions close: Friday, June 12, 2026, 5:00 PM central
Award: $2,500
Competitions
Chicago Student Award in Architecture
The Chicago Award in Architecture is an annual juried competition of student projects.
Awards: $200-$500
Outreach to professors to nominate: May 11, 2026
Deadline for students to submit work: June 15, 2026
Funding: Donations to the AIA Chicago Foundation
Disruptive Design
Disruptive Design was a three-part design competition that sought to address challenges associated with designing and building affordable, owner-occupied housing.
Awards: $200-$500
Timeline: This competition occurred in 2018-2019.
Funding: AIA Chicago, Northern Trust, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, LISC Chicago, NHS
"I'm inspired by those who embrace and explore differences. By doing so we can find common ground and hopefully stronger richer solutions."
2026 AIA Chicago Foundation Contributors
$100,000 Endowed Giving
Roberta M. Feldman, PhD, Assoc. AIA for the Roberta Feldman Architecture for Social Justice Award
$50,000+
Executive Service Corps (ESC) (in-kind services)
$1000-$4999
Cannon Design
Gensler
HOK
Kim Kerbis, in honor of Gertrude Lempp Kerbis, FAIA, first woman president of AIA Chicago
Perkins&Will
Cynthia and Eric Singer, and Taft Law
$500 - $999
Mary Woolever
$250 - $499
Jen Masengarb, Assoc AIA
Semple+Rappe Architects PC
$100 - $249
Noor Ain, Assoc. AIA
Timothy Brown AIA
Eckenhoff Saunders
Hana Ishikawa, AIA, ASLA Affiliate
$1-$99
Catherine Baker, FAIA
Thomas Bassett-Dilley, FAIA
Sara K. Beardsley, FAIA
Jeffrey Bone, FAIA
Jonathan Boyer, FAIA
Craig Brandt, FAIA
Mary Brush, FAIA
Scott Conwell, FAIA
Lynda Dossey, AIA
Carl D'Silva, FAIA
Dave Eckmann, FAIA
Douglas Farr, FAIA
Laura A Fisher, FAIA
Paul Florian, FAIA
Robert Forest, FAIA
Gordon Gill, FAIA
Julie Hacker FAIA & Stuart Cohen FAIA Cohen & Hacker Architects LLC
Walter Hainsfurther, FAIA
Philip Hamp, FAIA
Susan Heinking, FAIA
Phillip Johnson, FAIA
Helen Kessler, FAIA
Nathan Kipnis, FAIA
Peter Landon, FAIA
$1-$99 (continued)
Dirk Lohan, FAIA
Margaret McCurry, FAIA
Andrew Metter, FAIA
Renauld Mitchell, FAIA
Patricia Natke, FAIA
JinHwa Paradowicz, FAIA and Chris Paradowicz
Edward Peck, FAIA
Maria de los Angeles Pellot Paraza, FAIA
Frederick Phillips, FAIA
Robin Randall, FAIA
Pat Rossman, in honor of Justin Rossman
Thomas Roszak, FAIA
Gracia Maria Shiffrin, JD, FAIA
Charles T. Smith, FAIA
Marc Teer, FAIA
Robert Theel, FAIA
David Urschel, FAIA
Stephen Weiss, FAIA
Ashlen V. Williams, AIA, NOMA
Matthew Zelensek, AIA
2025 AIA Chicago Foundation Contributors
$100,000 Endowed Giving
Roberta M. Feldman, PhD, Assoc. AIA for the Roberta Feldman Architecture for Social Justice Award
$50,000+
Executive Service Corps (ESC) (in-kind services)
$1,000-$4,999
Nancy Abshire
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Anonymous
Cannon Design
Christopher Chwedyk, AIA
Susan Conger-Austin, AIA
Jan Anne Dubin and David Henry Dubin in honor of M. David and Joan J. Dubin
EXP
Gensler
JGMA
Jocarno Fund
Helen Kessler, FAIA
Krueck Sexton Partners
JinHwa Paradowicz, FAIA and Chris Paradowicz
Perkins Eastman
Perkins&Will
Cynthia and Eric Singer, Taft Law
Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB)
P.K. Vanderbeke, AIA
Dan Wheeler, FAIA and Julie Wheeler, AIA
WJW Architects
$500-$999
AIA Chicago
Matt Dumich, FAIA
Melissa Gibson, AIA and Jean-Marie Joassin, AIA, NOMA
Jasclyn and Michael Glynn
Jason Golub, AIA
LBBA Ltd.
Semple+Rappe Architects PC
Gracia Maria Shiffrin, JD, FAIA
Jonathan Solomon, FAIA
Chris-Annmarie Spencer
Lynette Stuhlmacher, Assoc AIA, in memory of David A. Stuhlmacher
UrbanWorks, Ltd
Mary Woolever
$250-$499
Joseph Caprile, FAIA
Laura A Fisher, FAIA
Ryan Gann, AIA
Palmyra Geraki, AIA - PALMYRA PLLC
Frederick Phillips, FAIA
Joseph Stypka
Peter Wojtowicz, AIA
$100-$249
Anonymous
Aggregate Studio - Josh Mings, AIA
Sara K. Beardsley, FAIA
Sheila & David Cahnman, In Memory of Hank Winkelman
Lori Day, AIA
Evans Debeza, AIA, in memory of Joseph Davis
Eve Fineman, Assoc. AIA
Jonathan L Fischel, FAIA
Michael Greco
Richie Hands, AIA, NOMA, NCARB
Thomas Harboe, FAIA
Beth A. Jacob, AIA
Daniel Jaconetti, AIA | HED
David Kennedy, AIA
Rana Lee
Binghao Li, AIA
Lightscape, Inc.
Anthony P. LoBello, AIA
Jen Masengarb, Assoc AIA
Richard C (Rik) Master, FAIA
Nicole Miller, AIA
Julia Mosqueda, Assoc. AIA
Kirstin Osgood in memory to Forrest Lammiman
RATIO
Anne Ross
JD Rossman, AIA
Eric Singer, Taft Law
Charles T. Smith, FAIA
Brett Taylor, AIA
Danielle Tillman, AIA, NOMA
Grant C. Uhlir, FAIA, Gensler
Urban Point LLC
$1-$99
AECONNECTION
Anonymous
Barbara Agness
Hsu Myat Aung
James Baird
Catherine Baker, FAIA
Thomas Bassett-Dilley, FAIA
Martha Bell, FAIA
Jenn Bollenbacher, Schuler Shook
Jeffrey Bone, FAIA
Craig Brandt, FAIA
Meghan Brown, AIA
Mary Brush, FAIA
Andrew Buck, AIA
Joseph Burns, FAIA
Amanda Carver
Philip Castillo, FAIA
Stephen Cavanaugh, FAIA
Elizabeth Cisneros
Stuart Cohen, FAIA
Katherine Darnstadt, AIA
Robby Deem | TEECOM
Drew Deering, FAIA
Division 32
Lynda Dossey, AIA
Carl D'Silva, FAIA
Jessica Duschean, AIA, in memory of Steve Nilles
Aimee Eckmann, FAIA
Rand Ekman, FAIA
Susan Carlotta Ellis, in memory of Alphonse L. Ellis
Peter Exley, FAIA
Kristine Fallon, FAIA
Douglas Farr, FAIA
Paul Florian, FAIA
Luigi Franceschina, AIA
Allison Freedland
Holly Gerberding, FAIA
Melissa Gibson, AIA and Jean-Marie Joassin, AIA, NOMA
Joseph Gonzalez, FAIA Emeritas
Fred Grier, AIA
Julie Hacker, FAIA
Philip Hamp, FAIA
Charles Hasbrouck, FAIA
Liao He, Studio Gang Architect
Victor Jimenez, AIA
Benjamin Johnson, AIA
Phillip Johnson, FAIA
Walker Johnson, FAIA Emeritus
Rubin Joseph, Assoc. AIA
Jash Joshi / Viraj Dave
$1-$99 (continued)
Dovydas Kackys
Michael Kendall, AIA
Susan King, FAIA
Nathan Kipnis, FAIA
Michaella Komzak, TERRA Engineering, Ltd
Chris Kusek, Schuler Shook
Adam Kushabi
Jessie LaFree, AIA
Peter Landon, FAIA
Frank Lee, FAIA
Patrick Loughran, FAIA
Alzira Maldonado Protsishin, AIA
William McCormick
Terrence McDonnell
Albert Mena
Andrew Metter, FAIA
Patricia Natke, FAIA
John Nelson, FAIA Emeritus
Chelsea Nguyen, AIA
James Prendergast, FAIA
Robin Randall, FAIA
Emily Ray, AIA
Thomas Rossiter, FAIA
Thomas Roszak, FAIA
SCOR
Linda Searl, FAIA
Mark Sexton, FAIA
Galila Shimeles
Adam Singer, RWE
Rachael Stoner, IES, Design IALD
Walter Street Architecture, in memory of Deborah Killingsworth, MD
Kaitlin Streyle, AIA
Studio ARQ, LLC
John Syvertsen, FAIA
Chey Taylor, AIA
Robert Theel, FAIA
Ann Thompson, FAIA
Alanah Timbrook
David Urschel, FAIA
Wesley Urschel, AIA
Mindy Viamontes, AIA
Shawn Waddell, AIA
Roderic Walton, FAIA
Peter Weismantle, FAIA
Stephen Weiss, FAIA
Kelly Westwood, AIA
Ashlen V. Williams, AIA, NOMA
Daniel Wood
Wei Yu, AIA
Liliana Zaragoza, JGMA
Liao & Jienan