FELLOWSHIPS AVAILABLE: 4
STIPEND: $2000
ACCOMMODATIONS PROVIDED at The Civita Institute's historic properties in the hilltown of Civita di Bagnoregio (https://www.civitainstitute.org/482/stay-in-civita.html)
FEE: $45 (constitutes a one-year membership in the organization which enables fellows to stay in our facilities https://www.civitainstitute.org/1464/membership.html)

The Civita Institute (www.civitainstitute.org) promotes and inspires design excellence through cultural exchange between the United States and Italy. Our historic design-focused facilities are located in Civita di Bagnoregio, one of the most beautiful hill towns in Italy. The Institute was founded on the idea that architecture and preservation, environmental stewardship, agricultural heritage and cultural exchange are all linked and that Civita, and other hill towns of Italy, provide a unique setting to experience these connections. 

Our Fellowships and educational programs are located at our facility in Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy. Located about 60 miles north of Rome, the Civita Institute facilities provide non-profit design-focused studio, teaching and educational spaces for our program participants. We do not offer lodging on a commercial basis. This remarkable setting provides a unique base for our program participants to explore dozens of significant hilltowns, cities and cultural sites between Rome and Florence.

The Fellowship program lies at the heart of the Civita Institute's mission to inspire and foster an interdisciplinary understanding of the unique qualities of Italian hill towns that remain pertinent to our contemporary experience, through the promotion of historic preservation, scholarly research, artistic creation and professional explorations. Fellowships are open to architects, planners, designers, artists, writers and other professionals practicing in all fifty states. They provide an unparalleled opportunity for the recipients to undertake a project of their own choosing related to current or anticipated professional work, in a highly unique setting, far from routine obligations.

The Astra Zarina Early Career Fellowship 
This fellowship honors the legacy of Astra Zarina, founder of the Civita Institute and the University of Washington’s Architecture in Rome and Italian Hill Towns programs. The fellowship is designed for an individual with less than seven years of professional experience, including professional academic programs and apprenticeships, in recognition of the impact this unique experience can have on someone at the beginning of their professional development. It includes lodging for one month at the Civita Institute facilities in Civita di Bagnoregio and a $2000 stipend. 

The Civita Institute Advanced Career Fellowship
The Civita Institute Advanced Career Fellowship is intended for professionals with more than seven years of experience in their field, including professional academic programs and apprenticeships. This fellowship recognizes that sometimes professionals farther along in their development need moments to deepen their work, make a shift in it, or bring a new perspective to it. It provides more time at our facilities in order to allow for the necessary exploration. This fellowship includes lodging for two months at the Civita Institute facilities in Civita di Bagnoregio and a $2000 stipend. 

The Drexler Family Diversity Fellowship
This fellowship provides sponsorship of a thirty day Civita Institute fellowship for an applicant who self-identifies as a member of a historically underrepresented group. The Drexler Family Diversity Fellowship will provide a stipend in the amount of $2,000.00 to one Fellow each year. In addition to the fellowship stipend, lodging for one month at the Civita Institute facilities in Civita di Bagnoregio is included. Applicants must have 3 years of work in their field and meet The Civita Institute criteria for fellowship selection. Read more about the Drexler Family Diversity Fellowship.

All stipends will be disbursed on a schedule that will be determined by The Civita Institute Board with parts of the funds being released to recepients at different times.

The fellowships are structured around the idea of seasons as a way to cluster fellows together, creating greater opportunities for creative exchange and strengthening visiting fellows' sense of community. Applicants will be asked to indicate which season(s) they prefer on their application. The Summer/Fall 2020 Season will run fron mid-July to mid-September. The Winter/Spring 2020 Season will run from February to mid-April. 

Evaluation of proposals

A complete application will include a project abstract, a project proposal, experience, information for 3 recommenders, samples of work (as appropriate) and descriptions, as well as answers to several questions that gauge the applicant and proposal's suitability for the Fellowship program and the specific fellowship's unique requirements. 

Fellowship proposals will be evaluated by an independent jury consisting of professionals from the Pacific Northwest region not affiliated with the Civita Institute and one Civita Institute Board member. The jury will confirm finalists for presentation to the Civita Institute Board of Directors, which will then ratify the jury selections.

The following criteria will be used by the jury in the fellowship selection process:

• Relevance of the project to the Civita Institute mission
• Focus of research
• Feasibility of research methodology
• Final form of the project
• Realistic scope and timeline
• Relevance of applicant's current or previous work and experience
• Applicant's fit with the fellowship's unique requirements
• Potential for the fellowship experience to impact the applicant's professional trajectory

Project Requirements for Fellowships

Proposed projects should:

• Respond to the CIVITA INSTITUTE's philosophy and mission (please see our website for further information: civitainstitute.org)

• Demonstrate fit with the unique criteria of the fellowship(s) for which you are applying

• Provide a project abstract and proposal

• Provide contact information for three references.

• Provide work samples as appropriate to your submittal and a statement of their relevance to the proposal

Fellows are expected to:

• Present the fellowship work at a Civita Institute hosted event.

• Provide a short written description of the fellowship and a digital summary or highlight of the work done within 30 days of completion of the fellowship.

• Provide full digital documentation of the fellowship work in a digital medium best suited to the project as well as an analog representation of the work, as appropriate, to be included in The Civita Institute's archive in Civita di Bagnoregio within 6 months of completion of the fellowship.

The $45 entry fee constitutes a one-year membership in the Civita Institute and enables you to stay in the facilities of our membership organization in Civita di Bagnoregio should you be awarded a Fellowship, and will be extended at no cost up to a period of two years from the time of payment for completion of any Fellowship you may be awarded.
You can find more resources related to the fellowship program at https://www.civitainstitute.org/266/instructions-for-applicants.html

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria