Get €75,000 for a Teaching Fellowship: If you’re an educator, architect, designer, researcher, or someone passionate about the intersection of innovation and sustainability in architecture, the OBEL Award Teaching Fellowship 2025 presents an extraordinary opportunity. With up to €75,000 in funding per fellowship and a focus on the timely theme “Ready Made”, this initiative aims to catalyze a new wave of architectural education that is bold, resource-conscious, and globally relevant.
Offered by the prestigious Henrik Frode Obel Foundation, the fellowship supports the creation and delivery of impactful academic courses that reimagine the built environment. Whether you’re aiming to launch an experimental studio, build cross-cultural learning programs, or bring radical new ideas into the classroom, this is your chance to make a difference.
Get €75,000 for a Teaching Fellowship
| Program | OBEL Award Teaching Fellowship 2025 |
|---|---|
| Funding | Up to €75,000 per selected fellowship |
| Number of Fellowships | 2 |
| Theme | “Ready Made” – Rethinking the built environment through resourcefulness and re-use |
| Eligibility | Professionals with 5+ years of experience, partnered with a host academic institution |
| Application Deadline | August 1, 2025 (Midnight CEST) |
| Course Implementation | Preferably in 2026 or soon after |
| Official Website | obelaward.org |
The OBEL Award Teaching Fellowship 2025 is not just another grant—it’s a call to action. It invites you to rethink education, reshape architectural narratives, and reimagine what’s possible with the materials, ideas, and communities already around us.
With generous support, international visibility, and a timely theme, this fellowship offers the chance to create a course that sparks change—inside the classroom and beyond. If you have a vision for how “Ready Made” can inspire the next generation, now is the time to apply. Applications close August 1, 2025. Start drafting your proposal today.
What Is the OBEL Award Teaching Fellowship?
The OBEL Award, launched in 2019, honors groundbreaking contributions to architecture that impact communities, environments, and future generations. The Teaching Fellowship is an extension of this mission, providing funding and support for educators to innovate within academic environments.
Through this program, the Henrik Frode Obel Foundation not only promotes architectural excellence but also equips educators and students with the tools, funding, and freedom to experiment with new formats, materials, and pedagogical models.
Recipients of the fellowship will have the opportunity to:
- Design and implement an original academic course
- Engage with students on practical, globally relevant challenges
- Collaborate with institutions and communities
- Document, publish, or exhibit outcomes to a wider audience
Why the Theme “Ready Made”?
“Ready Made” reflects a growing urgency to rethink our consumption habits and embrace a circular economy in design and construction. In architectural terms, this means using what’s already there—materials, buildings, spaces, systems—and giving them new life through creative reinterpretation.
The theme encourages proposals that:
- Explore the history and theory of reuse in architecture
- Build educational modules around hands-on engagement with repurposed objects
- Reflect on the ethical, environmental, and cultural implications of reuse
- Propose new spatial narratives using leftover or overlooked urban elements
From reimagining shipping containers as classrooms to documenting vernacular upcycling practices in rural contexts, “Ready Made” is about turning constraints into design opportunities.
Who Can Apply for the OBEL Fellowship?
The fellowship is open to educators, architects, designers, researchers, and creative practitioners with an interest in teaching. Applications must be submitted jointly by the fellow and a recognized academic institution.
Minimum Eligibility Criteria:
- Five years or more of relevant professional experience
- A committed host institution (school, university, design institute, etc.)
- A well-developed course proposal that aligns with the theme “Ready Made”
The selection committee encourages interdisciplinary applications, and partnerships between practitioners and academia. Courses can be taught in any format, including studio-based, hybrid, lecture series, field-based learning, or workshop models.
What Does the Fellowship Cover?
Each fellowship recipient will receive up to €75,000, which can be used to fund:
- Instructor salaries and staff honorariums
- Travel, accommodation, and living expenses for teaching residencies
- Equipment, materials, and prototyping for course-related activities
- Documentation, exhibitions, and publications related to the course
- Outreach programs such as community engagements and public lectures
The fellowship is designed to be flexible and adaptable to different teaching contexts, allowing applicants to tailor their budget to suit their course vision.
Get €75,000 for a Teaching Fellowship Apply Guide
- Identify a Host Institution: Start early by reaching out to institutions that share your pedagogical goals. The institution must agree to host your proposed course and support its implementation.
- Develop Your Course Proposal: Your proposal should include,
- Title and summary of the course
- Connection to the “Ready Made” theme
- Teaching methods and structure (e.g., semester-based, intensive workshop)
- Intended learning outcomes and impact on students
- Proposed collaborators, if any
- Timeline and delivery format
- Create a Detailed Budget: Explain how the funding will be allocated across teaching, development, travel, materials, and events. Budgets should be realistic, justified, and transparent.
- Submit the Application: Visit the official OBEL Award website to complete the online application. Ensure that all documents, including CVs, institutional letters of support, and the full proposal, are submitted before August 1, 2025 (midnight CEST).
How Are Fellows Selected?
Applications are reviewed by a multidisciplinary jury of international experts in design, architecture, and education. The selection process considers:
- Relevance to the “Ready Made” theme
- Pedagogical innovation and creativity
- Feasibility and structure of the course
- Quality of collaboration with the host institution
- Potential for global knowledge sharing and impact
Successful applicants will demonstrate clarity, vision, and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of architectural education.
What Happens After Selection?
Once selected, fellows will:
- Work with the Foundation to finalize logistics and contracts
- Begin course development in collaboration with the host institution
- Receive funding in phases aligned with milestones
- Execute the course in 2026 (preferably within one academic year)
- Submit final documentation of course outcomes
Additionally, the Foundation may support fellows in publishing or exhibiting their work, allowing it to reach broader audiences across academia and practice.
Previous OBEL Award Themes and Winners
The OBEL Award has consistently celebrated projects that blend creativity, sustainability, and social relevance:
- 2019: ELEMENTAL (Alejandro Aravena) for participatory social housing
- 2020: Studio Other Spaces for architecture that engages ecological systems
- 2021: Urban Beta for modular learning environments that can adapt to different communities
These recipients have set a high bar for innovation. The Teaching Fellowship offers a unique way to continue that legacy by influencing how and what we teach future architects and designers.
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Tips for Crafting a Winning Application
- Tell a story: Make your proposal personal, compelling, and relevant
- Highlight the need: Clearly articulate why your course is necessary now
- Focus on learning outcomes: How will students benefit and grow?
- Back it up: Use references, case studies, or prior work to support your approach
- Don’t forget visuals: Diagrams, sketches, or even a short video can elevate your pitch
FAQs
Q1: Can the course be delivered in languages other than English?
Yes, but a summary and application materials must be submitted in English.
Q2: Is there a limit to the number of fellows per institution?
No, but each application must be distinct and meet the selection criteria.
Q3: Can the fellowship support cross-institutional collaborations?
Absolutely. Collaborations between institutions across countries or disciplines are encouraged.
Q4: What if my project doesn’t fit traditional academic models?
Non-traditional course formats are welcomed. The goal is innovation.
Q5: How is the money disbursed?
Funds are typically released in installments aligned with course milestones.
