Sydney Otis
Anna Lyman
The John Belle Travel Fellowship
The John Belle Travel Fellowship is a $10,000 annual award by the Beyer Blinder Belle Foundation in honor of John Belle, FAIA, RIBA, Hon. PhD, a founding partner of Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners. John devoted his career to the public realm — the planning, design, restoration and adaptive reuse of public buildings and urban centers. The purpose of the Fellowship is to expand students’ understanding of the public realm in existing cities through travel and research, and how the knowledge gained might be applied to contemporary urban needs and design challenges.
The Harvard Graduate School of Design may submit up to 4 candidates each year for the Beyer Blinder Belle Foundation’s consideration.
Award Status
The application period for this award is now closed. Applications for 2027 will open in Fall 2026.
Eligibility
Applicants must be matriculated in a Master’s Degree program in Architecture, Historic Preservation and/or Urban Design at an NAAB accredited institution in the United States or at an eligible institution in Canada or the United Kingdom, and have completed at least one semester of graduate level study.
Criteria for Judging Submissions
- The Proposal topic should be relevant to John Belle’s career and his commitment to the public realm.
- The Proposal should be well-written, original, and include a clear intent & focus of study.
- The itinerary and budget should be realistic and practical in terms of time, travel, and cost.
- The Portfolio should illustrate technical skill & design talent, and have strong resonance with the proposal topic.
Winner Deliverables/ Terms of the Fellowship
- The $10,000 stipend will be distributed to the selected Fellow in two (2) installments:
- $8,000 after receipt & approval of the Fellow’s itinerary, budget, & travel proposal. This is in advance of the Fellow’s travel to pay for anticipated expenses.
- $2,000 upon receipt & approval of the final report.
- A final report of the travel and research in accordance with the Fellow’s approved itinerary shall be submitted digitally to Beyer Blinder Belle Foundation for approval prior to receipt of the final payment.
- Fellows are required to present their report to the Beyer Blinder Belle Foundation & their respective school.
- Final report shall not exceed 11”x17” or A3 page size. There is no page count limitation.
- The Beyer Blinder Belle Foundation reserves the right not to award a Fellowship in any given year.
Application Requirements:
- Travel/Research Proposal (1 PAGE ONLY, 11″x17″ OR A3 MAXIMUM SIZE)
- Proposals must be 500 words or less. Text should be clearly legible, at least 9 pt or larger.
- Illustrations on this page are allowed but not required.
- The proposal should outline the topic, its relevance to the Fellowship’s mission, and express relevance to the applicant’s interests and experience.
- An itinerary is required including a list of estimated dates of travel and approximate lengths of stay per location.
- A budget is required and should be realistic & practical based on the itinerary. The budget should be itemized with estimated costs by category and totaled.
- should be itemized with estimated costs by category and totaled.
Applicants must be able to travel during the summer of 2026. - Design Portfolio (10 PAGES ONLY, 11″x17″ OR A3 MAXIMUM SIZE)
- We suggest applicants discuss their travel proposal with their design studio professors.
- The portfolio should demonstrate the applicant’s current or previous design work, and be relevant to the topic of the travel proposal.
- Design work shown should be original work by the applicant, or in which the applicant was part of the creative team. If part of a creative team, be clear about the applicant’s role.
- Do not include a cover or table of contents or they will be counted toward the 10 page limit.
The Travel/Research Proposal and the Design Portfolio must not include names or identifiers of the applicant, the school, collaborators, professors, or advisors. This information is to appear on the Application Form only.
Notification of Recipients
Spring
Questions? Contact Renée Kalan at [email protected]
Jessica Rizkallah
Ferdinand Colloredo-Mansfeld Prize for Superior Achievement in Real Estate Studies
Hours
Mon-Fri; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Eligibility
GSD students from any degree program are eligible.
Winner Deliverables
No deliverable is expected from the recipient.
Notification of Recipients
The prize recipient will be announced at the GSD Awards and Diploma Ceremony as part of Commencement in May.
How to Apply
There is no application process.
Evaluation Criteria
A faculty committee chooses one student “who has exhibited superior academic achievement and leadership in real estate studies.”
Questions?
Contact Sarah Hutchinson at [email protected].
For more information about the award, please visit the Ferdinand Colloredo-Mansfeld Prize for Superior Achievement in Real Estate Studies overview page.
Druker Traveling Fellowship
Hours
Mon-Fri: 9a.m.–5p.m.
Eligibility
All candidates for Master’s degrees enrolled at the GSD, with a preference for graduating students.
Winner Deliverables
The fellowship must be completed within two years of its receipt, and the recipient will be expected to deliver a lecture at the GSD within two years of receiving the award, with the option to develop a publication on the research.
Notification of Recipients
The prize recipient will be announced at the GSD Awards and Diploma Ceremony as part of Commencement in May.
How to Apply
Cover Page:
An open call will be emailed to GSD students, inviting them to apply for the Fellowship. Applicants must submit a concise research statement that clearly describes their proposed research project.
Applications must be submitted electronically by the deadline below to the Department of Urban Planning and Design at [email protected].
Application Deadline: Monday, February 9, 2026, at 12:00 PM (EST).
All applications must the include the items below in the order they are listed.
- Druker Traveling Fellowship Application
- Applicant Name
- Degree Program
- Expected Graduation Date
- GSD Email Address
- Permanent Email Address
Statement of Proposed Research:
- Why travel is necessary to the research.
- How travel will enrich their design education and professional development
- Travel itinerary (locations, durations of stay, and agenda), and any commentary related to feasibility of travel (e.g. visa restrictions or safety considerations)
- How it will be possible to complete the work within 2 years
- 1,250-word maximum
- Travel Itinerary (locations, durations of stay, and agenda)
Portfolio:
- Must demonstrate high-quality work at the GSD
- 12-pages maximum
- 8.5 x11” format
Resume:
- Must demonstrate relevant experience and knowledge, as well as the potential benefits of travel
GSD Transcript:
- Must demonstrate excellence and the ability to complete independent work
- Unofficial transcripts can be downloaded from my.Harvard
- Please provide a list of instructors for all courses, if not included in the transcript.
Evaluation Criteria
Applicants will be considered based on their ability to demonstrate excellence and innovation through their proposed research and supporting materials as outlined above.
Questions?
Contact Sarah Hutchinson at [email protected].
For more information about the award, please visit the Druker Traveling Fellowship overview page.
APA Outstanding Student Award
Hours
Mon-Fri: 9a.m.–5p.m.
Eligibility
The nominee must be a MUP student in the final year of their program.
Winner Deliverables
No deliverable is expected from the recipient.
Notification of Recipients
The prize recipient will be announced at the GSD Awards and Diploma Ceremony as part of Commencement in May.
How to Apply
There is no application process.
Evaluation Criteria
The APA Outstanding Student Award recognizes outstanding attainment in the study of planning by students graduating from Planning Accreditation Board (PAB)-accredited planning programs during the academic year of the award.
Each PAB-accredited program convenes a faculty committee to select the GSD nominee. The criteria include, but are not limited to, academic achievement, leadership, commitment to planning as a career, and community service. The American Planning Association grants the award.
Questions?
Contact Sarah Hutchinson at [email protected].
For more information about the award, please visit the APA Outstanding Student Award overview page.
UPD Thesis Prize in Urban Planning and Urban Design
Hours
Mon-Fri: 9a.m.–5p.m.
Eligibility
Recipients must be a graduating student in the Urban Planning and Urban Design programs who presented an independent thesis.
Winner Deliverables
No deliverable is expected from the recipient.
Notification of Recipients
The prize recipients will be announced at the GSD Awards and Diploma Ceremony as part of Commencement in May.
How to Apply
There is no application process.
Evaluation Criteria
Faculty and advisors submit nominations for this award.
A faculty committee chooses one student from each the Urban Planning and Urban Design programs “who has presented exemplary thesis work.”
Questions?
Contact Sarah Hutchinson at [email protected].
For more information about the award, please visit the Urban Planning and Design Thesis Prize overview page.
Award for Excellence in Project-Based Urban Planning
Hours
Mon-Fri: 9a.m.–5p.m.
Eligibility
Recipients must be a MUP student in their final year of their program.
Winner Deliverables
No deliverable is expected from the recipient.
Notification of Recipients
The prize recipient will be announced at the GSD Awards and Diploma Ceremony as part of Commencement in May.
How to Apply
Eligible students will be notified by email that they are eligible to apply and must submit a digital portfolio (maximum 10 pages).
Students may include work from option studios or courses approved by the program director to meet the project-based course requirement taken during their time as a MUP. This includes approved HKS and MIT courses but does not include independent thesis projects.
Evaluation Criteria
A faculty committee will review submitted portfolios to determine a winner on the basis of “demonstrated exceptional ability in urban planning projects including research and design studios throughout their course of study.”
Questions?
Contact Sarah Hutchinson at [email protected].
For more information about the award, please visit the Award for Excellence in Project-Based Urban Planning overview page.
Award for Outstanding Leadership in Urban Planning, Urban Design, and Real Estate
Hours
Mon-Fri: 9a.m.–5p.m.
Eligibility
Recipients must be a MUP, MAUD-MLAUD, or MRE student in their final year of their program.
Winner Deliverables
No deliverable is expected from the recipient.
Notification of Recipients
The prize recipient will be announced at the GSD Awards and Diploma Ceremony as part of Commencement in May.
How to Apply
Eligible students will be invited by email to nominate a peer for this award. Self-nominations are not accepted.
Evaluation Criteria
A faculty committee chooses one student from each the Urban Planning, Urban Design, and Real Estate programs “who has demonstrated the highest standards of leadership, excellence in academic studies, and promise of achievement”.
Questions?
Contact Sarah Hutchinson at [email protected].
For more information about the award, please visit the Award for Outstanding Leadership in Urban Planning, Urban Design, and Real Estate overview page.