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ARCHITECTURAL FORUM SCHOLARSHIPS

AIA Rhode Island Architectural Forum is pleased to announce its Annual Scholarship Awards Program for 2025.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Each year, the AIAri Architectural Forum awards scholarships to students studying in NAAB-accredited undergraduate and graduate architecture degree programs to help them achieve their dream of becoming an architect.

Applicants will be considered for one of the following scholarships (note that applicants do not need to select which scholarship they are applying to, but instead will automatically be considered for all scholarships offered): 

  • The Norton E. Salk Scholarship for Design Excellence
  • DF Pray Foundation Scholarship
  • AIA Architecture Scholarship

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible, applicants must either be:

  • Enrolled in a NAAB-accredited undergraduate or graduate architecture program in Rhode Island, or
  • A Rhode Island resident enrolled in a NAAB-accredited undergraduate or graduate architecture program outside of Rhode Island

Applicants must be enrolled in their professional studies for the 2025 – 2026 academic year. Prior applicants and recipients are encouraged to apply.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must submit the following four (4) items as a single PDF. This file should be no larger than 15MB. Please include your name and contact information on each page.

  1. Letter of Intent, including a narrative describing your current academic status and a statement of how receiving a scholarship would further your academic ambitions (1 page)
  2. Portfolio including any illustrative material that is representative of your design experience and interests. (PDF format, maximum of six (6) pages)
  3. Letter of Recommendation written by a faculty member of the school at which you are currently enrolled or a professional reference
  4. Letter of Eligibility for financial aid, including the extent of need from the financial aid office of the school in which you are currently enrolled

Submissions should be sent via email, addressed to aiariforum@gmail.com with the subject line: Application Forum Scholarship Application

Attach submission material as a single PDF to this email. Electronic links to files will not be accepted. To be considered, applicants must include all the required materials in the PDF attached to their application email.

APPLICATION PROCESS
For more information on applying for a scholarship, view the application requirements.

APPLICATION DEADLINE – APPLY TODAY!

Applications must be emailed by Monday, December 15, 2025, at 5:00 pm

APPLICATION AWARD

The Scholarship Award Committee of the AIAri Architectural Forum will review the applications and determine the number of scholarships to award and the amount of each award.

Applicants will be notified of decisions by December 31, 2025.

Scholarship funds will be paid directly to the current academic institutions of the award recipients.

CONTACT
Questions?
Email aiariforum@gmail.com

The Norton E. Salk Scholarship for Design Excellence

Norton E. Salk, AIA was a doer throughout his lifetime. A lifelong Rhode Island resident, he graduated from Classical High School, attended Brown University for one year, joined the U.S. Army Corps, and served in the Corps of Engineers. While in the Corps, he spent time in Italy and developed a great admiration of and passion for classical architecture. It led, following his return to the states and graduation from the University of Michigan, to a 55-year career as an architect.

Mr. Salk designed schools, nursing homes, shopping centers, office buildings, and private residences, including the A.T. Cross Headquarters, Southern New England School of Law, Western Hills Middle School, and a wing of the Rhode Island Veterans’ Home. The last five years of his practice were devoted primarily to pro bono work, including design of the Jewish War Veterans’ Memorial and consulting to Sophia Academy.

His children note that Mr. Salk also shared his enthusiasm for the profession by devoting time to professional organizations, including serving as president of the Rhode Island chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute, and by mentoring architectural students, including his daughter.

“I remember visiting projects and seeing his work. I was in awe,” she shares, noting that she especially enjoyed working with him. “When faced with a challenging project, my father said to me, ‘Design is a problem waiting to be solved.’”

Norton E. Salk, AIA will continue to nurture architecture students through this scholarship fund, designated for the AIA Rhode Island Architectural Forum and to be used to assist students majoring in architecture at accredited Rhode Island schools.