Robert L. Wesley Award Grant

The Robert L. Wesley Award, established by the SOM Foundation in 2020, honors BIPOC undergraduate students in architecture and related fields. Each year, three students receive a $10,000 award along with mentorship from leading BIPOC professionals. This initiative aims to support the educational journey of these students, enabling them to pursue their aspirations in design without financial constraints. The award fosters a community of support, encouraging the next generation of licensed architects to thrive.

The Foundation’s award programming was established in 1981 and currently offers six annual awards across the United States, Europe, and China. The awards support students and faculty of architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, urban design, and engineering to undertake rigorous interdisciplinary research that can help shape our future.
In 2020, the SOM Foundation created the Robert L. Wesley Award—named in honor of the first Black partner at SOM—to support BIPOC undergraduate students enrolled in architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, urban design, or engineering programs in the United States. Each year, three students will receive a $10,000 award in addition to a yearlong mentorship program that connects the students with leading BIPOC practitioners and educators. The awards are unrestricted in their use to best support the needs of students. Students are also supported by Black Spectacles as they work toward becoming licensed architects.

Eligibility

The Robert L. Wesley Award is open to BIPOC students enrolled in an accredited architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, urban design, or engineering undergraduate program in the United States. Applicants need to be enrolled in a four- or five-year undergraduate program and can be enrolled in any year of their undergraduate program. A recipient of the Robert L. Wesley Award is not excluded from reapplying in subsequent years while enrolled in an undergraduate program.