Created in 2015 by Interior Designers of Canada (IDC) and Milliken, the annual Design Research Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate excellence and innovation through interior design research, including projects conducted at the masters or doctorate level and through major research projects by final-year students.
Applicants must complete an application form and their submitted research must prove relevance to the profession, define scope, exhibit integrity and outline the potential impact the research has on the profession or the human experience. Please see the application form for full entry guidelines.
Research must be conducted at the masters or doctorate level, or conducted by an interior design practitioner or educator at an IDC recognized institution, or conducted by final-year students through a major research project. Applicants must submit in one of the following two categories:
Educator/Practitioner Category:
- The applicant is a current educator in an interior design program at any IDC recognized
institution - An educator member of IDC in good standing at the time of submission
- A Registered practitioner member of a provincial interior design association in good standing at
the time of submission who is completing graduate studies at the masters or doctorate level
(studying full-time or part-time) - A Registered practitioner or educator conducting independent or third-party research
Student/Intern Category:
- The applicant must be a final-year student academically enrolled in an IDC recognized interior
design program - The applicant must be an intern member of a provincial interior design association in good
standing at the time of submission who is completing graduate studies
Only one applicant per category is eligible to win: applicants in the Educator/Practitioner category are awarded a $5,000 cash prize; applicants in the Student category are awarded a $2,500 cash prize.
Outlining the complete eligibility and submission criteria, the full Design Research Award application form is available online via the IDC website, linked here. The candidate’s application must be sent to the attention of Interior Designers of Canada, [email protected] no later than 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, July 31, 2018.