Applications are now being accepted for the 2025 SAH | Places | Graham Foundation Prize on Race and the Built Environment.
The prize, a collaboration between the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH), Places Journal, and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, supports original public scholarship that considers race and the built environment through a contemporary lens. There are no geographical restrictions; proposals on global and transnational subjects are welcome.
Award Details
The winner of the SAH | Places | Graham Foundation Prize will receive an honorarium of $5,000 to produce a major work of public scholarship, to be published in Places Journal and presented as a public lecture through the co-sponsorship of the Society of Architectural Historians and the Graham Foundation. The recipient will have a period of 18 months to complete the article and develop the lecture. During this time, the recipient will be expected to participate in select SAH programming and may plan additional process workshops or events within the Society, if desired. Travel and accommodation associated with the public lecture is funded in addition to the honorarium.
Award Timeline
March 2025: Call for Proposals announced
April 28, 2025, 11:59 pm CST: Applications due
July 2025: Prize recipient announced
July 2025 – July 2026: Research and development of lecture and article
July 2026 – October 2026: Publication of article and presentation of public lecture
Updated March 10 to reflect an updated decision date.
Criteria for Application
The SAH | Places Graham Foundation Prize on Race and the Built Environment is open to mid-career, senior, and independent scholars who demonstrate a strong commitment to public scholarship.
Application Documents/Requirements
A cover letter outlining the significance of the proposed topic
A brief proposal describing the prospective article, no more than 500 words
Two or Three samples of published writing, including a work of public scholarship, if possible
An up-to-date CV, no longer than five pages
Application documents should be assembled into a single PDF in the above numerical order.
Application Deadline
Applications must be submitted through Dropbox in a single PDF with the naming convention: "SAHPlacesGrahamPrize_LastName_FirstName" no later than 11:59 pm CST on Monday, April 28, 2025.
About the SAH | Places | Graham Foundation Prize
The prize, initially called the SAH | Places Prize, was envisioned by Charles L. Davis, II, co-founder of the SAH Race + Architectural History Affiliate Group. The SAH Race + Architectural History Affiliate Group was established by the Society of Architectural Historians in 2019 to promote research activities that analyze the racial discourses of architectural history, past and present. The group’s activities promote a race-conscious architectural history that analyzes the constitutive role of race thinking in the social construction and representation of cultural differences abroad.
SAH, Places Journal, and the Graham Foundation strive to develop an inclusive academic culture that promotes the dissemination of pioneering research produced by both new entrants and senior scholars in the field. The goals of the SAH | Places | Graham Foundation Prize are threefold: to create a platform for existing and new scholarship in the field; to reach new publics for this work; and to develop mentorships and networking opportunities for graduate students and junior scholars.
