The Queensland Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects has announced that nominations are open for both their 2025 Dunbar Fellowship and their 2026 Philip Y. Bisset Planning (Architecture) Scholarship.
Established in honour of the late Jennifer Taylor - an architectural scholar, critic and educator - the Dunbar Fellowship supports Queensland architects and graduates to pursue research in Asia and the islands of the South Pacific (excluding Australia and New Zealand).
According to a communique from the Institute, the $30,000 award enables architects to undertake one year of structured study or research that reflects Taylor's vision for a more outward-looking Australian architecture - one deeply engaged with the cultures, traditions and material wisdom of our nearest neighbours. The successful applicant's findings are expected to be presented to the public and published in a report accessible to practitioners, educators, policy-makers and the wider community.
Executive director of the Queensland Chapter Anna Svensdotter commented, "This Fellowship is about expanding the field of architectural thinking and ensuring that the profession continues to evolve in response to the diverse cultures and climates of our region."
"It's a chance for architects to step away from project delivery and engage with deeper questions of place, heritage, ethics and innovation - and to share those learnings for the benefit of the broader public," she said.
Open to final-year Master of Architecture students in Queensland, the Philip Y. Bisset Planning (Architecture) Scholarship supports research and travel related to planning, public architecture and civic life, with the aim of generating ideas for how the built environment can improve the lives of Queenslanders.
"The Bisset Scholarship invests in the next generation of architects as civic leaders," Svensdotter said. "It enables students to ask bold questions about how architecture can support healthier, more inclusive, and more sustainable communities."
Established in honour of Philip Y. Bisset, a Queensland public servant and advocate for better planning and design outcomes, the $15,000 scholarship has previously supported students' research into community housing in Indigenous communities, post-disaster urban recovery and the transformation of waterfront public space. Presentations from the 2024 Philip Y. Bisset scholars are expected in September-October this year.
Applications for the 2025 Dunbar Fellowship and their 2026 Philip Y. Bisset Planning (Architecture) Scholarship are open until 30 September 2025.
