ROBERT SILMAN AWARD

The Silman Award of up to $15,000 will be presented biennially to an engineer, architect, or other design professional in a related field for a proposal exploring the preservation, restoration, or adaptive reuse of the built environment, in the spirit of Robert Silman. Bob was a longtime trustee of the Fitch Foundation and leading expert in structural engineering, historic preservation, and sustainability.

The proposal may focus on a real project or it may be a polemical exercise; in either case, originality is highly valued. The proposal need not be directly related to structural design, although reference to structural elements within a given project and/or the interaction of structure with related fields will be valued. The proposal must advance the art and practice of preservation in the United States, and provide an argument for the project’s relevance and applicants’ unique qualifications. Projects should have a clear and achievable deliverable with a plan for dissemination to a wide audience within the two year grant period. The final work product can be graphic, text-based or a combination of both and must be able to be shared with the preservation community. Specific deliverable parameters may be developed by Fellows with Foundation guidance as the project takes shape.

The grant cycle opens in the fall for spring funding, every other year. Upcoming Silman grant cycles are projected for Fall 2027, Fall 2029, and Fall 2031.

See: Grantmaking Focus, Priorities, and Criteria for Evaluation

See: Eligibility and Application Process

Please email director@fitchfoundation.org with any questions concerning criteria for evaluation or project eligibility.