NCARB Grant FAQs

NCARB Grant FAQs

If you have any additional questions not addressed in the information on the website, the 2011 NCARB Grant Submission Form, or the FAQs, please submit them to NCARBGrantQuestions@ncarb.org by Tuesday, 4 October 2011, 5:00 p.m. EDT. Answers to questions received by will be posted regularly below until Friday, 7 October 2011.

1. General Questions

2. Review of Proposals and Announcement of Recipients

3. Awards and Award Amounts

4. Format and Submission Requirements

5. Faculty and School Eligibility Requirements

6. Non-Faculty Architect Practitioner Eligilibility Requirements

7. Proposal Eligibility Requirements

8. Budget

9. Submission Deadline

10. Miscellaneous

1. General Questions

How is the NCARB Grant different from the NCARB Prize?
The NCARB Grant was created to address the need for support to create educational initiatives that integrate practice and education while the NCARB Prize was designed to showcase and reward diverse programs and activities that integrate practice and education in an academic setting.

Will NCARB reinstate the NCARB Prize Program?
NCARB does not have plans to reinstate the NCARB Prize Program. NCARB is increasing focus on the NCARB Grant Program and will continue to support the academy through the NCARB Grant.

Are there any new review criteria for the 2011 NCARB Grant proposals?
In addition to criteria such as integration of non-faculty architect practitioners, creation of innovative concepts and methods to integrate practice and education, and effectiveness in responding to relevant issues identified in the 2007 Practice Analysis of Architecture and "The Boyer Report," several new criteria have been added. These include the proposal's effectiveness in raising awareness of the architect's responsibility for the public health, safety, and welfare and its effectiveness in raising awareness about issues central to practice. Please refer to the 2011 NCARB Grant Program review and assessment criteria.

How do the NCARB Grant Program objectives relate to the school's objectives?
The NCARB Grant and its objectives support architecture schools' efforts to create academic initiatives that will have a long-term, ongoing impact on architecture students, faculty, and the curriculum by integrating practice and education in the academy. Within the larger objective of integrating of practice and education in the academy, the 2011 NCARB Grant criteria includes two specific issues: raising student awareness about issues central to practice and the architect's responsibility for the public health, safety, and welfare. These and other objectives are aligned with the NAAB 2009 Conditions for Accreditation that "define minimum standards that professional degree programs in architecture are expected to meet in order to ensure that students are prepared to move to the next steps in their careers including internship and licensure."

What is "the Boyer Report?"
The "Boyer Report," the informal name for Building Community: A New Future for Architecture, Education, and Practice, was a study of architecture education and practice undertaken by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The report is referred to as "The Boyer Report" in recognition of Dr. Ernest Boyer, a noted educator, former U.S. Commissioner of Education, and co-author. The report identified a "sense of disconnection... between the two separate worlds of architecture education and practice." The 30-month study examined architecture programs and architecture firms and surveyed students, faculty, administration, alumni, interns, and architects. The study was significant because it drew attention to "the gulf dividing architecture schools and the practice world [that] has grown perilously wide."

The Boyer Report is out of print and I cannot find a copy online. How do I find out more about the Boyer Report?
Although the Boyer Report is out of print, architecture libraries may have a copy. NCARB undertook a review of the report to evaluate issues and recommendations that the report raised. These are summarized in the Report of the NCARB Carnegie/Boyer Review Task Force, which is available on the NCARB website here.

What is the 2007 Practice Analysis of Architecture?
The 2007 Practice Analysis of Architecture is one of several periodic studies that NCARB regularly undertakes to determine the tasks and knowledge/skills that are important to the competent performance of recently licensed architects. The results of the 2007 Practice Analysis of Architecture provide a psychometrically valid foundation of empirically derived data upon which the Architect Registration Examination^® (ARE^®) and the Intern Development Program (IDP) are based.

Why are the 2007 Practice Analysis of Architecture and the Boyer Report relevant to the NCARB Grant Program?
The NCARB Grant was created to support creation of educational initiatives that integrate practice and education in the academy. Both documents outline a variety of issues that are central to the integration of practice and education in the academy that faculty members may want to reference. Within the larger objective of integrating of practice and education, the 2011 NCARB Grant Program allows faculty members to develop proposals that respond to these criteria in relation to their institution's specific context and needs.

Why has the Grant proposal form become more complex over the past few years?
Although the Grant proposal form requires more information than in previous years, it has been developed to focus on key concepts and elements of proposals. Faculty members can use this to help them develop proposals and focus on key issues that are important for the review process and facilitate the development of their ideas and concepts. It is intended to focus on aspects of projects that they might overlook and also ensure that all required information is submitted.

Based on previous proposals, what suggestions do you have to make the submission process more effective?
Following are some pointers that may be beneficial:

It may be easier to compose proposal items in another program that has more features such as spell/grammar check and cut and paste the final text into the form
Request letters of commitment, registration verification from non-faculty architect practitioners, and letters of commitment from school administration as soon as possible
Double check to make sure that registration information is accurate and meets eligibility requirements for the proposal duration
Double check that all required information and documents have been provided, including details such as the order of PDF documents, bookmarking, and word counts. Make sure all required documents are included on one file (including the Excel budget spreadsheet).

Is the NCARB Grant an annual program?
Yes, the NCARB Grant is an annual program. Each grant is for a one-year term time period; projects must begin in January and be offered no later than the following fall term.

What is the schedule for the 2012 NCARB Grant Program?
It is anticipated that the 2012 NCARB Grant Program schedule will be similar to the 2011 NCARB Grant Program.

2. Review of Proposals and Announcement of Recipients

When will proposals be reviewed and when will I be notified of the results?
The NCARB Practice Education Committee will meet in November 2011 to review all eligible proposals. NCARB Grant recipients will be announced at the ACSA Administrators Conference, and the committee's decisions will be communicated by letter to all project directors in November 2011.

Who are NCARB Practice Education Committee members?
Members of the Practice Education Committee are volunteers from NCARB Member Boards (the 54 U.S. architect registration boards). All committee members are architects.

Will the committee provide feedback on my proposal?
No, due to the number of proposals, the committee is not able to provide feedback on individual proposals.

3. Awards and Award Amounts

How many awards will be made in the 2011 NCARB Grant Program, and what will the amount of each award be?
NCARB has allocated up to $75,000, which the NCARB Practice Education Committee may distribute among up to seven awards. The number of awards and the amount of each award will be determined by the committee based on the quality of proposals and the proposed budget of each proposal in relation to 2011 NCARB Grant criteria.

If awarded an NCARB Grant, when are projects required to start?
Projects are required to begin development in January 2012 and the class/seminar/studio should be offered no later than the 2012 fall term.

Are there any other conditions related to the award of an NCARB Grant?
Yes, NCARB Grant recipients will receive a copy of award conditions that specify the terms and conditions of the NCARB Grant and requirements for interim and final reports.

What are NCARB Grant award conditions?
NCARB Grant award conditions require submission of interim and final reports and supporting documents to describe the proposal development and implementation. Supporting documents include letters from school administration and non-faculty architect practitioners, budgets, course descriptions, and syllabi.

What was the 2010 NCARB Grant award amount?
The 2010 NCARB Grant award amount was a total of $10,000 divided among three awards.

What will the 2012 NCARB Grant award amount be?
The NCARB Grant award amount is determined on a yearly basis. The 2012 award amount will be announced in summer 2012. Please check the NCARB website for information.

4. Format and Submission Requirements

Is there any flexibility with the interpretation of the format and submission requirements?
No, proposals are required to meet all format and submission requirements and include all required information and documents. Incomplete proposals and proposals that do not meet format and submission requirements will not be accepted. For example, if a proposal does not include one of the required documents, it will be disqualified. If a proposal is not submitted in PDF format and bookmarked, it will be disqualified.

Can I submit a project with a faculty member from another academic department or another institution?
Yes, you can submit projects with other faculty members from other departments or other institutions. Please note that joint projects between faculty members in different academic departments may be submitted as long as one of the faculty members is a member of the architecture school with a NAAB-accredited program or the program that is a candidate for NAAB accreditation. Faculty members may submit a joint proposal with faculty members from other academic institutions as long as at least one of the project directors from each institution is a faculty member in each institution's architecture school with a NAAB-accredited program or the program that is a candidate for NAAB accreditation.

Can someone other than a faculty member submit a proposal? For example can an architect who is not a faculty member submit a proposal?
No, proposals may only be submitted by faculty members in an architecture school with a NAAB-accredited program or the program that is a candidate for NAAB accreditation. However, architects can work with faculty members to develop proposals and be involved in the project as a non-faculty architect practitioner.

Can students submit a proposal?
No, students may not submit a proposal. Students may have ideas for projects and may discuss them with faculty members and non-faculty architect practitioners; however, proposals may only be submitted by faculty members in an architecture school with a NAAB-accredited program or the program that is a candidate for NAAB accreditation.

Are proposals pre-reviewed to see if they meet program requirements?
No, proposals are not pre-reviewed. You are encouraged to review all program information and program requirements prior to submitting proposals. Please submit questions by e-mail to NCARBGrantQuestions@ncarb.org no later than Tuesday, 4 October 2011, 5:00 p.m. EDT. Answers will be posted regularly until Friday, 7 October 2011.

Will I be notified if my proposal does not meet all format and submission requirements?
No, it is the individual project director's responsibility to ensure that all required documents and information are provided and that all documents conform to the format and submission requirements.

Should proposals be anonymous?
No, proposals should not be anonymous; proposals and individual documents of the proposals may contain the names of institutions, project directors, and non-faculty architect practitioners, etc.

How many proposals can an individual faculty member submit for the 2011 NCARB Grant?
There is no limit to the number of proposals that an individual faculty member may submit as long as each proposal is limited to one project or initiative.

5. Faculty and School Eligibility Requirements

Who is eligible to submit a proposal for the 2011 NCARB Grant? Are there any restrictions on my appointment level or designation?
Faculty in architecture schools located in one of NCARB's 54 Member Board jurisdictions that have a program that is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) or a program that is a candidate for NAAB accreditation are eligible. There are no restrictions on appointment levels or designations; full-time, part-time, and adjunct faculty members are eligible to submit proposals.

What are NCARB's 54 Member Board jurisdictions?
The 54 Member Board jurisdictions are the architect registration boards of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As NCARB Member Boards they elect NCARB officers and directors and work together to formulate NCARB policies, rules, and regulations in addition to their responsibility to regulate the profession of architecture in their jurisdiction. For a complete list of our 54 Member Board jurisdictions please click on the following link here.

How do I find out the accreditation status of my school?
The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)'s website has a list of all NAAB-accredited programs and programs that are candidates for NAAB accreditation. Your school should also be able to confirm if it has a program that is accredited by the NAAB or a candidate for NAAB accreditation.

My school only has a program that is eligible for candidacy for NAAB accreditation, but it has not achieved candidate status. Am I eligible to submit a proposal?
No, only faculty members in schools that have programs that are NAAB-accredited or candidates for NAAB accreditation are eligible.

Will any preference be given to projects in which the project directors are from different departments or institutions?
No, projects that include project directors from different departments or institutions will not be given preference over other projects. All submissions must meet all proposal and submission requirements. They will be assessed solely in relation to established program review criteria.

Will any preference be given to projects in which the project directors are registered architects?
No, preference will not be given to proposals in which the project director is an architect. Project directors are not required to hold registration as an architect. However, a copy of the project director's resume outlining the education, professional, and academic experience, must be included.

6. Non-Faculty Architect Practitioner Eligibility Requirements

Who can serve as non-faculty architect practitioner?
Only architects who are currently registered in a U.S. jurisdiction may serve as a non-faculty architect practitioner. They are not required to be registered in the same jurisdiction in which the architecture school is located and they not required to be in the same location as the school as long as they are involved in significant ways.

What are the requirements for non-faculty architect practitioners?
Verification of all non-faculty architect practitioners' registration status must be provided with the proposal. Please refer to the proposal submission form for specific information required.

How many non-faculty architect practitioners must be involved in the project?
At least one non-faculty architect practitioner must be involved. However, it is important to ensure that the non-faculty architect practitioners are involved in the education of students in significant and meaningful ways.

Can engineers, interior designers, or other building professionals take the place of a non-faculty architect practitioner?
No, only architects who are currently registered in a U.S. jurisdiction are eligible to serve as a non-faculty architect practitioner. Other professionals can be involved in the project; however, at least one non-faculty architect practitioner must be involved in the project. Verification of the non-faculty architect practitioner's registration must also be included in the proposal.

We have several architects who hold part-time and adjunct appointments at our university. Can they serve as non-faculty architect practitioners?
Non-faculty architect practitioners may not include any adjunct, visiting, part-time, or full-time faculty members. They may be involved in the project; however, they do not fulfill the requirement for non-faculty architect practitioners.

My school is in a non-urban location and there are not many local architects who are able to be involved in my proposal. Are there any alternatives to local architects such as other professionals?
There is no alternative to involvement of non-faculty architect practitioners and other professionals cannot take the place of non-faculty architect practitioners. However, there is no requirement that the non-faculty architect practitioner be located in or even registered in the jurisdiction in which the school is located. You may want to consider other means of involving non-faculty architect practitioners in projects such as technology. There are no restrictions on the way in which you involve the non-faculty architect practitioner in the project as long as they are involved in significant and meaningful ways.

How is involvement of non-faculty architect practitioners defined? How much involvement is sufficient to be eligible for an award?
NCARB does not place specific requirements on the amount of or extent of involvement of non-faculty architect practitioners other than to require that the non-faculty architect practitioner be involved in significant and meaningful ways. It is the individual project director's responsibility to define this in relation to the architect, their expertise, the needs of the school, program, project, and students, as well as the individual project goals and objectives.

What if the architect's registration lapses? Can that architect still be involved in the project?
The non-faculty architect practitioner's registration must remain active during the duration of the project. It is important to ensure that it is active and that the period of registration documented in the registration verification documents is consistent with the project schedule.

Can other non-faculty architect practitioners who were not listed in the original proposal be involved in the project? Can I involve them as the project develops?
Yes, you can involve other non-faculty architect practitioners who were not included in the original proposal. However, you must still include a non-faculty architect practitioner in the proposal form and submit all required documents related to the non-faculty architect practitioner. The possibility to include other non-faculty architect practitioners in the future alone does not fulfill this eligibility requirement.

The non-faculty architect practitioner we plan to involve in our project has a large office with many employees who are not licensed architects. Can they be involved in the project and fulfill the role of the non-faculty architect practitioner?
Yes, you can involve other people in the office of the non-faculty architect practitioner who are not architects; however, they cannot take the place of the non-faculty architect practitioner.

7. Proposal Eligibility Requirements

My proposal is similar to a proposal I submitted for the NCARB Grant in a previous year. Is it still eligible for the 2011 NCARB Grant?
Yes, it is eligible as long as it did not receive an award. Projects submitted in previous years that were not awarded an NCARB Grant are eligible to be submitted. Please note that you must use the 2011 NCARB Grant Proposal Submission Form. Proposals using previous year's proposal submission form will not be accepted.

Are projects that were submitted for the NCARB Prize Program in previous years eligible for the 2011 NCARB Grant?
The NCARB Prize Program required that projects be completed or in progress at the time of submission. The NCARB Grant Program is for new projects or initiatives, so a project that met the eligibility requirement for the NCARB Prize Program would not meet eligibility requirements for the NCARB Grant Program.

I submitted a project for the NCARB Grant several years ago, but I did not receive an award. Can I resubmit the same project?
Yes, projects submitted in previous years that were not awarded an NCARB Grant are eligible to be submitted. Please note that you must use the 2011 NCARB Grant Proposal Submission Form. Proposals using previous year's proposal submission form will not be accepted.

Are there any types of project that are not eligible? Are there any restrictions on the project types?
There are no restrictions on the type of project as long as proposals respond to program objectives and criteria and they meet all eligibility requirements. Projects do not have to be studio-based or design-based; they do not have to result in a building project, a design project, or a built project. Non-design and non-studio projects such as classroom-, laboratory-, and seminar-based projects are eligible.

There are several descriptions that joint projects are required to meet. Could you please clarify these?
Proposal requirements respond to cross-departmental and inter-institutional initiatives that are increasingly common in education and allow faculty members to develop joint proposals.

There are no restriction on the project director's appointment level (full-time, part-time, or adjunct)
Faculty members may develop a project together and submit it as co-project directors.
Faculty members may be in different departments as long as one of them is a faculty member in the architecture school with a NAAB-accredited program. Faculty members may be in different institutions as long as one of them is a faculty member in the architecture school with a NAAB-accredited program.
Faculty from departments other than schools with a NAAB-accredited program may participate in developing and submitting a project as a co-project director.

8. Budget

Are there any budget restrictions?
Yes, NCARB Grant funds are to be specifically used to support activities and initiatives that result in the integration of practice and education in the academy. NCARB Grant funds may be used for the items such as faculty release time to create the program, new equipment and technology, expendable materials, publication related to the project, travel and per diem for non-faculty architect practitioners, students, faculty, and consultants, and honoraria for non-faculty architect practitioners and consultants. Please refer to the detailed description of budget restrictions.

What if I do not receive funding from other sources that I have identified in my proposal budget?
If you are awarded an NCARB Grant and do not receive funding that you included in your proposal, you will have an opportunity to submit an updated budget in the interim and final report. Please note that additional funding from the NCARB Grant will not be available.

How is the NCARB Grant Program different from other funding sources for architecture schools?
The NCARB Grant Program provides funding for a new course (class/seminar/studio). It does not require completion of previous courses or initiatives. There are no restrictions on the type of project and it is curriculum-focused, not research focused. The NCARB Grant Program is one of the largest sources of funding available to school. These characteristics make it especially valuable to architecture faculty who want to explore new ideas and concepts to create new courses.

9. Submission Deadline

When can proposals be submitted?
Proposals must be submitted by e-mail no earlier than Tuesday, 13 September 2011 and no later than, Tuesday, 11 October 2011, 5:00 p.m. EDT.

Can proposals be submitted early?
Proposals may be submitted by e-mail no earlier than Tuesday, 13 September 2011 and no later than, Tuesday, 11 October 2011, 5:00 p.m. EDT. All proposals must be received before Tuesday, 11 October 2011, 5:00 p.m. EDT.

Can I make revisions to a proposal after I submit it?
No, you cannot make revisions to proposal once it has been submitted. However, you may submit a revised proposal to include revisions and additional documents. Please note that the revised proposal must be submitted in its entirety and must conform to all submission and format requirements. In the event that duplicate proposals and/or resubmission of the same proposals are received, the proposal with the latest proposal will be assumed to be the final proposal. The earlier proposal will be disqualified.

Can I submit additional documents and ask NCARB to add these to my proposal?
No, you cannot submit additional documents and NCARB will not make any modifications to proposals once they have been received. If you would like to submit additional documents, you may submit a revised proposal to include revisions and additional documents. Please note that the revised proposal must be submitted in its entirety and must conform to all submission and format requirements. In the event that duplicate proposals and/or resubmission of the same proposals are received, the proposal with the latest proposal will be assumed to be the final proposal. The earlier proposal will be disqualified.

Can proposals be submitted by mail or overnight?
No, proposals that are submitted by mail or overnight will not be accepted. Proposals must be submitted by e-mail to NCARBGrant@ncarb.org.

Will late proposals be accepted?
No, proposals will not be accepted after 5:00 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 for any reason. Project directors are encouraged to plan ahead to avoid unforeseen circumstances that might delay submission and transmission of proposals.

Will I receive confirmation that my proposal has been received?
No, due to the large number of proposals received individual notification of receipt will not be provided.

10. Miscellaneous

What if I have additional questions about the 2011 NCARB Grant program?
If you have additional questions, please call NCARB at 202/783-6500 or e-mail questions to NCARBGrantQuestions@ncarb.org no later than Tuesday, 4 October 2011, 5:00 p.m. EDT. Answers will be posted on this page regularly until Friday, 7 October 2011.

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