Douglas A. Garofalo Fellowship 2026 – 2027

The UIC School of Architecture at the University of Illinois Chicago has opened the call for submissions for the Douglas A. Garofalo Fellowship 2026–27, a prestigious nine month visiting faculty fellowship dedicated to emerging architects and designers engaged in teaching, research, and critical practice.

Named in honor of architect and educator Douglas A. Garofalo, the fellowship offers a rare opportunity to operate within one of the most diverse and intellectually driven public research universities in the United States. Positioned at the intersection of pedagogy and independent inquiry, the program supports fellows in developing design studios, leading seminar courses, and advancing original research within an international academic environment.

TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND PUBLIC DISCOURSE

The Garofalo Fellowship is structured as a full time academic appointment, running from mid August 2026 through mid May 2027, with residency in Chicago required throughout the term. The selected fellow will contribute directly to the school’s curriculum while pursuing a self directed research agenda that culminates in a public lecture hosted by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, alongside an exhibition or public conversation at the UIC School of Architecture.

Now in its thirteenth year, the fellowship has become a vital platform for architectural experimentation and pedagogical innovation. Previous fellows have shaped the school’s intellectual culture through diverse approaches spanning architectural theory, urban research, visual practice, and alternative forms of spatial production. The current fellow, Nile Greenberg, continues this legacy, reinforcing the program’s commitment to emerging voices in global architectural discourse.

ARCHITECTURE AS CULTURAL PRACTICE

Operating within Chicago’s only public research university, the UIC School of Architecture frames architecture as a cultural practice grounded in the organization of information, the identification of patterns, and the strategic deployment of conceptual, visual, material, and behavioral systems. With an international faculty body and a strong emphasis on critical inquiry, the school provides a fertile context for experimentation at the early stages of professional practice.

The Garofalo Fellowship is designed to mirror the formative conditions that shaped Doug Garofalo’s own career, offering an emerging architect the time, institutional support, and public platform to develop a distinct voice within architecture’s expanding cultural field.

APPLICATION AND TIMELINE

Applications are open to individual candidates and must be submitted through the official UIC portal. The deadline for submission is February 21, 2026 at 5:00 pm CST. Shortlisted finalists will be invited to Chicago in April 2026 for interviews and public presentations, with final decisions announced by the end of the month.

There is no application fee. The fellowship is offered as an equal opportunity appointment, with accommodations available throughout the application and employment process.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Douglas A. Garofalo Fellowship 2026–27 invites emerging architects, designers, and educators to engage architecture as a critical and public practice. Positioned between teaching, research, and exhibition, the fellowship offers a unique platform to test ideas, develop pedagogy, and contribute to contemporary architectural culture within a globally connected academic environment.

Further information and application access are available via the UIC School of Architecture.