The Deborah J. Norden Fund, a programme of The Architectural League of New York, awards travel grants to students and recent graduates committed to the study of architecture, architectural history, and urban studies.
For 30 years, the Fund has supported a diverse and fascinating array of projects, from the social impact of new architecture and planning interventions in Medellín, Colombia, to the insertion of built form into fragile ecosystems in Australia, to the role of cultural institutions in rural development in Brazil. After three decades of supporting exceptional research, the 2025 cycle of the Norden Fund competition will be the final granting year of the programme.
The intention of the fund is to support genuinely independent projects that require travel. Grant funds cannot be used for tuition, and grants will not be awarded to support participation in an organized program, such as a university’s summer abroad program. While requests for support of dissertation research will be considered, they are not a priority of the Fund.
The competition is open to current full-time residents (who need not be citizens) of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
In 2025, the Norden Fund will award a grant of up to 7,500 USD to one individual or team. Applicants must submit a proposal of up to three pages which succinctly describes the objectives of the grant request and how it will contribute to the applicant’s intellectual and creative development.
