Martin Roche Travel Scholarship

The following sections outline the requirements for submission to the Martin Roche Travel Scholarship.  All submissions will be submitted to the Reviewr Portal. 

GENERAL INFO

• Name
• Full Address (number, city, state, zip code):
• Phone number
• School Email address
• Personal Email address
• School attending
• Graduate or undergraduate
• Year in school
• Degree program
• Expected graduation date
• Are you a US citizen or US permanent resident?

PROPOSAL

• Title of study project
• Concise description of study topic (600 characters)
• List the country or countries to be visited
• Statement describing your travel study objectives. (Not to exceed 1800 characters)
• Statement describing how the proposed trip will help your architecture career? (Not to exceed 1800 characters)
• Proposed itinerary or timeline for your travel study (not to exceed 4000 characters)
• A concise general budget, outlining anticipated expenses for your travel study

ABOUT YOU

• Resume
• List any academic honors, scholarships, other awards or recognitions received

FACULTY ADVISOR FOR PROPOSAL

• Name and title of the faculty member at your college of architecture who has agreed to be the advisor for your study and who will be sending a letter of recommendation.

LETTERS OF REFERENCE

• The letters should summarize the academic merit and notable achievements of the nominee and why they should receive the travel scholarship.
• At least two 2 letters of recommendation, one from your advisor listed above
  • Letters should be addressed to: Martin Roche Scholarship Jury

NOTIFICATION

• The AIA Chicago office will notify winners following the final jury deliberations. Non-winners will be notified by email. Winners are kindly asked not to make their own announcements prior to AIA Chicago’s announcement

RECOGNITION

• Winners will be presented the award at the Building Together Awards ceremony December 4, 2025 at the Chicago Architecture Center.
• AIA Chicago will prepare and distribute a press release about the awardee. Additional materials may be requested from the winner to be used in publicizing the award in Chicago Architect, in the architecture media, and for the Chapter’s website.

STATEMENT FROM THE APPLICANT

• Checking this box in the application: "I affirm that this entry meets the requirements as stated in the Call for Entries. I verify that the entry is entirely the work of those listed in this form"
• Electronic Signatures & Release Forms

INDEMNIFICATION

AIA Chicago is not able to independently verify the information and claims made by entrants in their submittal and thus, AIA Chicago assumes all applicants will follow the national AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Standards. As such, entrants shall indemnify AIA Chicago from any liability for erroneous information or content within the submittal. As noted above, entrants shall assume sole responsibility for design and photo credits and copyrights that allow the Chapter to award, represent and promote projects and designers selected by the juries. 

• Undergraduate or Graduate students enrolled in a NAAB-accredited architecture program at the University of Illinois Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, or the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  
• Applicants must have a faculty advisor for the proposal.
• The proposal must describe an independent study of an architecture-related topic that takes place in a country other than the United States of America and that does not qualify for credit toward your degree program. 
• Graduating students may use the grant for travel during the summer immediately following graduation. 
• Following their travel, the recipient is required to present their work to the AIA Chicago community. 
• The grant is distributed in two parts: $5,000 before travel and the remaining $1,000 after the presentation. 

When applying, you can review past winning proposals to see what a successful submission looks like. These examples were originally submitted as PDFs, but the application process has since moved to an online portal without design options. As you review these proposals, focus on the content and not the design. We've removed letters of recommendation for privacy.

2022 - Ethan O'Kane, UIC - Research on the Pearling Path - Muharraq, Bahrain

2021 - Erik Schiller, IIT - Study of The Emergence of A Landscape Discipline in The Context of International Development and Post-Soviet Land Use - Republic of Georgia

2017 - Ruta Misiunas, UIC - Rebellious Construction: The Movement for Freedom of Expression in Soviet Construction - Lithuania

2016 - Devon Morris, UIC - Colonizing Heritage: The Adaptive Reuse of Myanmar's Architecture - Myanmar

2015 - Janina Sanchez, UIC - Political Urbanism: An urban catalogue of "Good Living" - Ecuador

All proposals will be evaluated by a five-member jury. The jury includes three (3) members of the AIA Chicago Foundation Board of Trustees and two (2) practicing architecture professionals who are not members of the Board. 

The Jury evaluates candidates based on how well the candidate: 

• The proposed independent study is academically and professionally relevant to the field of architecture. 
• The study shows clear focus with well-defined goals and objectives. 
• The itinerary or timeline outlines appropriate, complete, and achievable activities. 
• The budget is realistic and aligned with the study’s goals. 
• The project can be successfully completed within the $6,000 award. 
• Reference letters are strong and provide specific insight into the student’s work. 

• Recipient is recognized on AIA Chicago's communication channels
• Recipient is recognized in Chicago Architect magazine
• Recipient is acknowledged at Designight
• Recipient is acknowledged at Award Ceremony
• Opportunity to lecture to AIA Chicago members on the findings of your work

How do I upload my application?
You will upload your application through a portal called Reviewr.

Do I need to make an account?
Yes, you will need to make an account.

When can I travel?
You can travel any time while school is not in session. Summer is the most common, but winter break is also considered.

I am graduating in May, can I still apply for the scholarship and travel the summer after graduation?
Yes.

I am graduating in December, can I still apply for the scholarship and travel the winter break or summer after graduation?
Yes.

Do I need a faculty advisor for my proposal?
Yes, they will also be required to write one of the two letters of recommendations.

Who can apply for the travel scholarship?
Students enrolled in a NAAB accredited architecture program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Illinois Institute of Technology, or the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Do I need to be a US citizen?
Yes.

Are reference letters required?
Yes, at least two letters of recommendation are required. One must be from your faculty advisor on the travel scholarship proposal.

How are reference letters collected?
Reference letters are collected confidentially through the Reviewr portal.

Who should I address the reference letters to?
Reference letters should be addressed to... "Dear "Jury Chair for the Martin Roche Travel Scholarship"

Can I see examples of successful applications?
Yes, follow this link to review the applications.

How will the funds be distributed?
The first $5,000 will be dispersed to the recipient before travel via ACH. The final $1,000 will be dispersed upon completion of the required presentation of research.

What is expected for the required final presentation?
The final presentation can take any form. Past recipients have given slide deck presentations, produced videos, or even published a book.

When is the final presentation?
The recipient will work with AIA Chicago staff to determine date.

Where is the final presentation?
The recipient will work with AIA Chicago staff to determine a location.

Who is the audience for the final presentation?
The presentation will be posted on the AIA Chicago website. Anyone is welcome to attend.