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2026 IDEC FOUNDATION GRADUATE SCHOLAR AWARD

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MIDNIGHT (PST) – WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2025

PURPOSE

This award is designed for Interior Design graduate students interested in pursuing a career as an Interior Design educator. The award provides:

  1. Funding to partially offset the costs of registration and travel funding to attend the 2026 IDEC Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois.
  2. Formal mentorship by a team of esteemed Interior Design academic leaders.

Amount

Each scholarship is awarded in the amount of $1,000 for graduate students who will be attending the 2026 Annual IDEC Conference. Up to *three scholarship recipients will be selected and recipients informed by January 3, 2026 so that they may plan for travel.

Eligibility

Applicants must be currently enrolled in a graduate program emphasizing Interior Design. Full-time educators and former recipients of this award are not eligible.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

This is a blind-review process. Please do not include any identifying information in your response to the question.

  1. Online application form.
  2. A current unofficial transcript of graduate coursework only.
  3. Be clear, focused and concise in your answers. Your response to the following
    questions should not exceed (1) 8 ½” x 11” page at 12 pt. font. Create a heading for each question so that reviewers may easily navigate your application.

    • College-level degrees you hold: list any other Associates, Bachelors, Masters, and/or PhD degrees or state “not applicable”.
    • What propelled you to seek a graduate degree in Interior Design?
    • What are your professional plans once you complete your degree?

DISQUALIFICATION

Any of the following will result in disqualification of the applicant resulting in the rejection of the application without review:

  1. An application that exceeds the (1) 8 ½” x 11” page at 12 pt. font limit.
  2. An incomplete application, all required questions must be answered.
  3. Inclusion of additional materials beyond those requested for the application.
  4. The applicant has received the award previously.
  5. The applicant is not a full-time graduate student in a program emphasizing interior design.
  6. The applicant is a full-time educator.
  7. Any identifying information on the application, including revealing of name, program, institution, location, etc. Docs saved with identifying information in the file name will be disqualified.
  8. The application is submitted past the deadline.

CRITERIA

  1. Quality of applicant’s responses to the questions
  2. Demonstrated commitment to teaching interior design.

QUESTIONS?

Contact the IDECF EVP with any questions:
Grant Coordinator: Anna Gitelman, agitelman@suffolk.edu
Scholarship Coordinator: Sarah Angne Alfaro, smangnealfar@bsu.edu
Barbara Anderson, Kansas State University, barbara@ksu.edu

Thank you to IDEC Sponsors and Partners

© 2026 Interior Design Educators Council