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Design Grants in the US

Currently 3 active design grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in the US. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.

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Open calls

  1. American Academy in Rome: Rome Prize Fellowship 2027-28

    American Academy in Rome · Rome, Italy (residential fellowship at the Academy; US organisation with NYC office). RESTRICTED: US citizens for most categories; foreign nationals resident in the US for the 3 years preceding the deadline may apply only in certain categories. · Deadline: 01 Nov 2026 · Award: Stipends of USD 16,000 (half-term, about 5 months) and USD 30,000 (full-term, about 10 months), plus housing, workspace and weekday meals. Approximately 30 fellowships per year. APPLICATION FEE: USD 50 by 1 November (USD 60 for multiple categories); USD 80/90 in the late window to 15 November.

    The Rome Prize supports roughly 30 artists and scholars a year with a residential fellowship at the American Academy in Rome; disciplines include Design and Visual Arts, where media and new-genre work is regularly funded. Fellows receive a USD 16,000 (half-term) or USD 30,000 (full-term) stipend plus housing, workspace and weekday meals on the Academy's Janiculum campus. ELIGIBILITY: US citizens for most categories; foreign nationals who have lived in the US for the three years preceding the deadline may apply in Environmental Arts and Humanities and certain postdoctoral categories. FEES: USD 50 (one category) or USD 60 (multiple) by 1 November 2026; a late window runs to 15 November at USD 80/90. DEADLINE: 1 November 2026.

  2. Beam Center: 2027 Beam Camp Project Open Call (USD 5,000 commission, remote-friendly)

    Beam Center · Brooklyn, New York, USA (organisation); the work is built in Strafford, New Hampshire by 100+ youth. Designer collaborates remotely; optional site visit with travel reimbursed. Open worldwide, any age, individuals or teams. · Deadline: 30 Nov 2026 · Award: USD 5,000 award to the selected proposer, plus a fabrication budget of approximately USD 15,000. No application fee.

    Annual design commission for an ambitious, technically challenging large-scale public artwork or structure, built over summer 2027 by more than 100 young people working with Beam staff. The selected designer collaborates through bi-weekly remote planning meetings and may visit the build with travel reimbursed, making this genuinely remote-friendly for a physical commission. A strong fit for creative-technology and installation practices. AWARD: USD 5,000 to the proposer plus roughly USD 15,000 in fabrication budget. ELIGIBILITY: open worldwide, any age, individuals or teams. DEADLINE: 30 November 2026, 11:59pm EST.

  3. Loeb Fellowship 2027-28 at Harvard Graduate School of Design

    Harvard Graduate School of Design · Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. Open internationally; fellows must remain in residence in the Cambridge area while classes are in session (J-1 visa for international fellows). · Deadline: 05 Jan 2027 · Award: Stipend of USD 57,500 for the academic year (taxable), plus housing for fellows and their families coming from outside the Boston/Cambridge area through 30 June, and a travel grant covering approximately one economy round trip home per semester. No application fee.

    The Loeb Fellowship at Harvard Graduate School of Design is a year-long residential fellowship for accomplished mid-career practitioners shaping the built and natural environment: urban designers, public artists, architects, landscape architects, urban planners, developers, journalists, civic leaders, policymakers and community development leaders (past fellows have included a theater director, public artists and a documentary filmmaker). Fellows audit courses at the GSD and across Harvard (minimum one GSD course per semester), engage with the school community, and join a lifelong global alumni network. SUPPORT: a stipend of USD 57,500 for the academic year (taxable income), housing through 30 June for fellows and families of modest size coming from outside the Boston/Cambridge area, and a travel grant covering roughly one economy round trip home per semester. ELIGIBILITY: minimum 8 years of experience in the field (a typical class averages about 42 years of age); international candidates are encouraged to apply and must be eligible for a J-1 visa at selection; fellows must remain in residence in the Cambridge area while classes are in session. HOW TO APPLY: via SlideRoom with a resume, three recommendation letters (due 7 days after the deadline) and optional supplemental materials. No application fee. DEADLINE: 5 January 2027 at 11:59 PM ET for the 2027-28 class.

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