The American Society of Interior Designers Foundation (ASIDF) announced this week it will be accepting proposals for the 2018 Transform Grants. These grants will help ASIDF fulfill its mission to benefit the health, safety, and welfare of the public by funding research projects that demonstrate the impact of design on the human experience. All are welcome to submit proposals through June 27, 2018.
This year, researchers are challenged to choose a specific topic and propose a project that empirically investigates the issue of choice; generates results that provide metrics on the impact of design; and translates the findings into actionable design recommendations, guidelines and/or tools that designers can apply to their design projects to make them as impactful as possible.
“ASID believes that Design Impacts Lives. Sound, evidence-based design can make a notable impact on the lives of all who encounter a well-designed space,” said BJ Miller, FASID, CCIM, chair, ASIDF Board of Trustees. “The ASID Foundation looks forward to receiving proposals that explore the potential of interior design to improve the human experience for all people, wherever they live, work, play, learn and heal.”
Awarded annually, the Transform Grants support applied research in interior design and human behavior. In 2018, the Foundation will award up to $100,000 to research projects that examine the knowledge and produce evidence-based design principles necessary to improve the human experience within space, making a significant impact on lives.
The Transform Grants include two types of research studies:
Grant A – Seed/Start-up Funds: Up to $30,000 to support the exploration or pilot phase of broader research initiatives; to be completed in nine months or less (not including dissemination).
Grant B – Research Project: Up to $70,000 to investigate how design can transform lives; to be completed in 15 months or less (not including dissemination).
A panel of expert judges will evaluate submissions and prioritize the top five studies for each grant type, and the ASIDF’s Board of Trustees will make the final funding decisions. The evaluation criteria is based on the significance of the study, the innovativeness of research questions, the strength of research methods, the potential impact of design, the applicability of research findings, the feasibility of budget and timeline, the strength and breadth of the target audience reach, and the overall quality of the submission.
The deadline for submissions is June 27, 2018. For a complete description of guidelines and additional information, download the RFP.
