Stantec Innovative Partnership Grant

Purpose

Stantec is a proud to partner with IDEC to offer the opportunity to work together, as practitioners, educators, and students, to solve problems creatively and improve the quality of life for the communities we serve and inhabit.

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Research Themes

Design Justice

Design Justice explores the relationship of design, inclusivity and diversity to uncover structural inequities in the interior environment and the processes by which they are designed.

Innovation & Creativity

Increasingly, we see the ways in which health- physical, mental, and spiritual- is foundational to a strong society. Interior design has the power to create a more resilient community through strategic design interventions to support the wellness of building occupants.

Artificial Intelligence

The rise in accessibility of artificially intelligent tools is bringing rapid change to society. The use of AI is influencing the way that designers approach their design process, how design solutions are presented, and how the ultimate implementation of that design is measured, communicated, and advertised.

Renovation and Adaptation

The re-purposing of existing spaces in lieu of constructing new buildings often offers numerous possible advantages including lower cost, shorter construction schedules, and a lower carbon footprint. Older buildings may also have unique character and historic design elements that can make a space special to occupants and celebrate local culture.

Requirements

Stantec seeks proposals from (1) educator and (1) student (graduate or rising senior undergraduate) from CIDA accredited programs with whom to partner on a research project related to one of the themes described.

A grant of $3,000 will be awarded to the selected student and educator team. The distribution of funds will occur in phases as the above action items are completed. No indirect (i.e., Facilities & Administrative) or overhead costs should be included in proposals.

The successful grant recipients will work with Stantec interior designers to fulfill their research proposal. The division of labor between Stantec, educator, and student may vary based on the proposal and topic, but the intention is for all three parties to work virtually and collaboratively, providing equal effort and input so as to maximize the value of the three unique perspectives brought to the project. At minimum, the team will:

Create an intermediate report sharing their progress.
Submit a proposal to present their project at IDEC’s Annual Conference.
Author a whitepaper to share their completed findings.
These 3 items are considered minimum deliverables, and the team is encouraged to disseminate findings as widely as possible.

Applicants are invited to reach out to Stantec during the application process to pose questions.

Contact

Selection Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria. The successful proposal will provide:

A Compelling Question

The research initiative will be creative, forward-thinking, and have the potential to make a significant impact for how interior designers improve quality of life. The proposal will demonstrate how this research relates to one of the themes within either a workplace, healthcare or educational capacity.

A Comprehensive Workplan

A workplan outlining the scope of work to be undertaken and the associated timeline to achieve the various deliverables and milestones. It will also describe the roles and strategic integration of the interior design educator, student, and practitioner, and show how each will be an active participant and how their strengths and perspectives will be leveraged.

Sound Research Methodologies

The research methodology will be well-articulated using any combination of quantitative or qualitative research methods.The research methodology will meet all ethical standards and be applicable to the research question.

Application to Practice

The proposal will demonstrate how this research can be applied to help shift design practice, processes and outcomes.

Student / Academic qualifications

Student and educator CV will demonstrate rigor and academic excellence.

Schedule

April 7, 2025

Proposals due

May 5, 2025

Awards announced

May, 2025

Kickoff meeting 50% of funding released

December, 2025

Progress report due 25% of funding released

March, 2026

Provide poster at IDEC Conference demonstrating work in progress

June, 2026

White paper due 25% of funding released

September, 2026

Submission to IDEC Conference due

March 2027

IDEC Conference

Past Recipients

2023

Debra Harris