Call for Proposals: 2023 MILKA BLIZNAKOV RESEARCH PRIZE
Deadline for receipt of proposals: June 20, 2023
The IAWA Center invites architects, scholars, professionals, students, and researchers to honor IAWA
founder Professor Milka T. Bliznakov through research on women in architecture and related design
fields. This research, in concert with the preservation efforts of the IAWA, will help fill the current void in
historical knowledge about women’s professional achievements. The archive encourages such research
in addition to the goal of preserving archival materials related to the work of women who shaped the
designed environment, thus preserving for posterity a record of their achievements.
The Board of Advisors of the International Archive of Women in Architecture Center (IAWA) presents
this Annual Prize of $5000 following a two-stage process:
STAGE ONE: PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
The proposal must outline the work the applicant plans to complete at the Archive to produce an
original project, research, or scholarly work that advances the recognition of women’s contributions in
design. The proposal shall draw upon and expand the IAWA collections while reflecting upon the
broader context. The proposal should include the following elements:

  1. Outline of research to be completed, including a listing of the specific IAWA collections to be
    consulted in the research. See the guide to the collections here:
    https://guides.lib.vt.edu/iawa/collections
  2. Proposed schedule for residency to include a talk open to the university community and the
    general public.
  3. Intended product of the research, a copy of which is to be donated to the archive upon review
    and completion. Examples of the product of research may include, but are not limited to, the
    following:
    • Research paper
    • Visual or physical original work that references or utilizes research from the Archive
    • Article, chapter, book documenting the activities and work of the residency (may be self-published)
    • Notebook or sketchbook produced during the residency
    SUBMISSION MATERIAL:
  • 500-word proposal
  • maximum of 5 related images
  • curriculum vitae of the applicant/s
    The proposal should be submitted electronically as a PDF to iawacenter@vt.edu; using the subject
    heading: 2023 Milka Bliznakov Research Prize. The file must be received by June 20, 2023 and should be
    addressed to:
    IAWA Center Executive Committee
    ATTN: Donna Dunay, FAIA
    Chair, International Archive of Women in Architecture
    School of Architecture
    Virginia Tech
    STAGE TWO:
    The IAWA Jury awards the 2023 Milka Bliznakov Research Prize for the research proposal that best
    demonstrates an important advancement to the recognition of women’s contributions to architecture
    and the related design fields while encouraging the use and growth of the International Archive of
    Women in Architecture. The winner will be announced by June 30, 2023.
    The project will undergo a blind-peer review process to assert the quality and standing of the final work.
    The work must be completed by February 28, 2024. The final product will become a part of the Archive
    to contribute to the historical record, and will be presented at the 2024 IAWA Symposium.
    The prize money will be awarded in two installments: $1500 will be made available to the recipient upon
    arrival at the IAWA for the residency period, and the final portion, $3,500 will be paid upon receipt of
    the final product. If further information is required, please contact Professor Donna Dunay at:
    iawacenter@vt.edu