Associates Award
Recognizes exceptional Associate AIA member leaders who have made significant contributions to their community, organization, and/or industry.
The AIA Associates Award recognizes exceptional leaders within the Associate AIA membership designation who have made significant contributions to their chapter, community, professional organizations, and/or in the design and construction industries. For more information on opening and deadline dates, please see the AIA Awards FAQ.
Recognizing exceptional Associate AIA leaders
The AIA Associates Award recognizes exceptional leaders within the Associate AIA membership designation who have made significant contributions to their chapter, community, professional organizations, and/or in the design and construction industries.
Questions? Email AIA Awards
Below is high-level information about the program criteria to help you determine if you are a good fit for the Associates Award program. For full criteria and guidelines, please refer to the submission guide in the Resources tab.
Eligibility
Any Associate AIA member who is not licensed to practice architecture or has not passed the ARE at the time of the submission deadline is eligible to be nominated.
Nomination
Any AIA member in good standing may make nominations for the Associates Award.
Nominator responsibilities
Nominators support the candidates as they prepare their submission and are required to write a letter of support for the candidate which summarizes their contributions and introduces the portfolio.
Nominators also assist the candidate by acting as a point of contact for the reference writers and providing guidance as needed.
Criteria
Candidates are evaluated based on how their contributions have exemplified leadership and demonstrated commitment to their component, community, professional organizations, and/or the design and construction industries.
The Ripple Effect
Candidates are asked to demonstrate the "ripple effect" they have had on the profession. This is shorthand for your impact beyond the day-to-day work of your practice or outside your community. The ripple effect could be demonstrated by speaking, publications, mentoring, service to the profession, geographic impact, or legacy through others.
Recognition
Recognition for this program typically includes the following elements but may be subject to change. Recipients will receive additional information about this cycle’s recognition benefits with their selection notification.
- Promotional recognition in AIA communication channels.
- Invitation for the recipient or a recipient representative to attend selected Honors & Awards event celebrations, commonly held during the annual AIA Conference.
Schedule
For more information on opening and deadline dates, please see AIA Awards FAQ.
- Notification to recipients: Late January 2025
- Public announcement: Early March 2025
Fee: There is a non-refundable fee of $100 for this program.
Contacting the jury
To protect the integrity of the awards process, active nominees are prohibited from contacting members of the Jury during the submission process. Communication with jurors, from the time of submittal to completion of the jury process, by the candidate or anyone acting on their behalf is cause for immediate disqualification.
Submission guide & forms
The 2025 Associates Award sample application contains the program's criteria and guidelines and a preview of the fields you will be asked to complete on the submission site.
The DQ checklist includes potential criteria that can result in disqualification. Use it to cross-check your materials before you hit the submit button.
Previous submission examples
Reviewing previous submissions can be helpful as you prepare your materials. To request a copy of a submission not listed here, you can email our archivist.
2024 winners
Tannia Chavez, International Assoc. AIA
Past winners
Contact us for information on prior years' winners.
A champion for women in architecture and the thousands of immigrant design professionals whose challenges she deeply understands, Tannia Chavez, International Assoc. AIA, draws on her personal journey
