Study Architecture 
ProPEL SUBMISSION DEADLINE: APRIL 2, 2025
Academy for Public Scholarship on the Built Environment:
HOUSING EQUITY
Call for Applications
Do you want to amplify your research and shape the discourse on housing equity in the built environment? This program equips architecture faculty with tools to publish op-eds, engage the public, and influence housing equity conversations related to critical topics such as affordability, access, displacement, ownership, zoning, program, design, construction, and supply.
The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) has established an extended training opportunity for faculty to expand the outreach and impact of their research and scholarship on housing equity. Housing equity ensures fair access to safe, affordable, and inclusive housing, and architects can advance the cause by articulating critical links between design, social justice, and community well-being. ACSA is partnering with The Op-Ed Project for the second consecutive year to provide training and guidance on externalization strategies. This is an opportunity for architecture faculty whose research focuses on housing equity, and is intended to help amplify their impact on public discourse and policy.
ACSA will select a cohort of twelve academics to take part in The Op-Ed Project’s “Write to Change the World” workshops. The Op-Ed Project is a think tank and leadership organization that accelerates the ideas and impact of underrepresented voices. It is a community of journalists and thought leaders who actively share knowledge, resources, and connections. The workshops are 100% virtual, with participants joining from across a range of identities, voices, and paradigms. The workshops span two consecutive days, each consisting of 3.5-hour sessions, and provide participants with tools for generating new ideas, strategies for timely engagement, an outline for a draft op-ed, and connections to a diverse network of peers. Academics will explore the sources of credibility, the patterns and elements of persuasion, the difference between being “right” and being effective, how to think more expansively about their expertise, and ways to amplify the impact of their scholarship. After the workshop, academics will enjoy up to three months of access to The OpEd Project’s Mentor-Editor network, receiving individualized feedback on their op-ed drafts to double their chances of publication.
In addition, ACSA will offer all its members the opportunity to join a series of training modules led by experts on issues of housing equity and public scholarship. These experts include members of the AIA Housing & Community Development Knowledge Community and allied organizations working toward housing equity.
By March 2026, academics will complete the workshops and submit an op-ed for publication in a local, regional, or national news outlet.
Key Dates
February 2025 | Call for Applications Announced |
April 2, 2025 | Submission Deadline |
May 2025 | Academics Announced |
May-August 2025 | Academics select dates to participate in The OpEd Project workshops. |
March 2026 | Academics complete full drafts of op-ed articles and submit copies to ACSA. |
Eligibility
Faculty at ACSA member schools are eligible to apply.
Review Process
A jury from the ACSA Research & Scholarship Committee will review applications and select the cohort of academics. We encourage applications from ACSA members traditionally underrepresented in architectural institutions, the profession, and media coverage on issues of housing equity.
Submission
Submissions will be accepted through an online interface and must be received by April 2, 2025. The final submission must contain the following:
- Contact Information: name, title, institute, & e-mail
- Cover Sheet: confirming you have created or reviewed a My ACSA profile (DOWNLOAD cover sheet)
- Resume: two-page summary of selected accomplishments*
- Question Responses:
1. Propose a one-sentence headline (25 words) and a 100-word thesis for a future op-ed on architecture and housing equity. (125 words)
2. Describe an ongoing research project focused on housing equity, emphasizing how it could engage the general public. (250 words)
3. Describe ways that this academy will help you advance underrepresented topics, projects, and/or voices around architecture and housing equity. (250 words)
4. Describe your interest in contributing to the popular discourse on architecture and housing equity. (250 words)
* Resume should be submitted in PDF format, with no more than two letter-sized (8.5” x 11”) pages, plus the Cover Sheet (3-pages total PDF for submission).
Evaluation Rubric
- Clarity and impact of the op-ed proposal’s headline and thesis.
- Relevance and timeliness of proposed topic and its potential to engage the general public on the topic of housing equity.
- Potential to advance underrepresented topics, projects, and/or voices around architecture and housing equity.
- Applicant’s commitment to contributing to popular discourse on architecture and housing equity.
Housing Resources
Eric Wayne Ellis
Senior Director of Operations and Programs
eellis@acsa-arch.org
202-785-2324
