Call for Applications /// Sally Kress Tompkins Fellowship

The Sally Kress Tompkins Fellowship, a joint program of the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) and the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), permits a graduate student in architectural history or a related field to work on a 12-week HABS history project during the summer. The Fellow will prepare a written history that focuses on a significant U.S. building or site for the permanent HABS collection at the Library of Congress. The Fellow’s research interests and goals will inform the building or site selected for documentation. The Fellow is usually stationed in the HABS Washington, D.C., office. The Fellow will be selected by a jury of two SAH members and one HABS representative. The Fellowship is administered by SAH, with project guidance provided by HABS staff.

To Apply:

The Award

The award consists of a $12,000 stipend and travel, hotel accommodation, and registration for the annual conference up to $1,000. The successful applicant will be notified in late January and will be recognized onscreen at the following SAH Annual International Conference. The award will be announced in the SAH Newsletter.

Application Criteria

Applicants should be pursuing graduate studies in architectural history or other related fields. You do not have to be a member of SAH to apply for this fellowship, but membership is strongly encouraged.

Reporting Requirements

In addition to the final project/written history, recipients are required to upload a minimum of 50 images documenting their summer HABS project to the SAHARA image archive prior to completion of the fellowship.

Application Details and Deadline

Applications for the 2026 HABS-SAH Sally Kress Tompkins Fellowship are due December 31, 2025. 

You will need:

1. Cover letter including current mailing address, school affiliation, email, and phone

2. Resume/CV

3. College transcript (unofficial transcripts are acceptable)

4. Writing sample: an unpublished paper, not to exceed 40 pages, demonstrating primary research and a command of secondary sources, in architectural history or an aspect of the built environment

5. Letter of recommendation from a faculty member or recent employer (can be submitted separately or with application pdf)

Applicants will be informed of award decisions in late January. More information is available on the NPS website.

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