Penny White Project Fund Grant

Penny White Project Fund Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Harvard University
Amount: US $200 - US $4,500
Last Updated: January 02, 2026

Summary

The Penny White Project Fund Grant offers up to $50,000 annually for student research proposals at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Open to graduate and doctoral students, the fund encourages innovative projects that emphasize the connection between people and nature. Established in memory of Winifred G. White, the grant aims to support creative research addressing systemic inequities and environmental justice. Preference is given to Landscape Architecture students, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.

Overview

NOTE: It is strongly recommended that, in the preparation of their proposals, applicants consult the Scholarly Pursuits: A Guide to Professional Development during the Graduate Years, a guide written by Cynthia Verba, Fellowships Advisor at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Penny White Project Fund Grant The Penny White Project Fund annually awards up to $50,000 in project funding for student-submitted research proposals. The call is open to all graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students at the GSD, including collaborations across programs and disciplines. About Winifred G. (Penny) White had just completed her second year of the MLA program when she died suddenly of leukemia in 1976. In her memory that same year, her family established this fund to offer financial support for student projects. The goal was to “carry forward Penny’s ideal of a culture which emphasizes a close relationship between people and nature in a cohesive living environment.” The objectives of the Penny White Student Project Fund are: Promote creative thought by providing students with an opportunity to pursue their own original projects. Provide opportunities for students to diversify their graduate study in areas both within and outside the normal curriculum, for example, such fields as geomorphology, microclimatology, and soil mechanics.Promote the development of a land ethic, which integrates the preservation and enhancement of natural systems through studies of design, ecology, and natural science Funding Past awards have ranged from $200 to $4,500.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. All students across the GSD at the graduate and doctoral levels are eligible for support for any project that addresses the broad objectives of the fund. All students enrolled in the Harvard Graduate School of Design are eligible to submit project proposals that address the objectives of the Penny White Project Fund. Students may work individually or in teams, and in conjunction with or independently from their coursework.The Fund welcomes projects that promote research at the intersection of systemic inequity and social and environmental justice, and that focus on the advancement of the political agency of landscape architecture as an activist, collaborative, and participatory practice.

Ineligibility

Collaboration with students that have already received an award from the Penny White Project Fund is not allowed.Note that the GSD cannot support travel to locations considered high risk. Please review the risk ratings on the Harvard Global Support Services page.