Deadline: February 21st
In partnership with the AIA Large Firm Roundtable (LFRT), the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) is proud to announce the seventh cohort of the NOMA Future Faces Fellowship (formerly the NOMA Foundation Fellowship). The NFF Fellowship provides currently enrolled students and recent graduates with access to internships with the top architecture firms across the country. Applicants must be registered members of NOMA and demonstrate active engagement with a chartered NOMAS chapter. Students from the 7 NAAB-accredited Historically Black Colleges and Universities are highly encouraged to apply.
The 2025 Fellowship will be an 8-week full-time, in-person internship held from June 2 – July 25, 2025.
Eligibility: To be eligible for the NOMA Future Faces Fellowship, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Applicants must be (a) currently enrolled in their final 2 years of a 4-year undergraduate program, (b) currently enrolled in their final 3 years of 5-year undergraduate program, (c) currently enrolled as a graduate student in an M.Arch program, or (d) a Fall 2024 graduate of an undergraduate program.
- Eligible majors include architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, or urban design. Students from both NAAB-accredited and non-accredited architecture programs may apply.
- Applicants must be active student members of NOMA in good financial standing with the national organization as of March 1, 2025 and demonstrate active membership with a chartered NOMAS chapter in their application. Non-members will not be considered.
- Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents eligible to work in the United States. International students should refer to the requirements for Student & Exchange Visitors by the State Department to confirm their eligibility: (https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/optional-practical-training-opt-for-f-1-students).
Application Materials: All applications should be submitted through submit.noma.net and consist of the following materials. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
- Cover letter stating your interest in the Fellowship
- Resume
- Portfolio of work not exceeding 20 MB (links to an online portfolio will not be accepted)
- 1 letter of recommendation
Application and Selection Process:
- Applications will be accepted from January 13 – February 21. The NFF Fellowship Selection Jury will review each application for quality, completeness and eligibility, and select the finalists to move on to the Interview Round.
- Applicant resume, portfolio, and location preferences will be distributed to host firms. During this period, it is strongly encouraged that firms conduct virtual interviews to assist with the selection process and should reach out to applicants directly to schedule interviews. Note that all firms may not participate in virtual interviews.
- Fellowship Matching: Upon notification to finalists of their status, candidates will be informed of the participating firms. Finalists must submit a ranked list of preferred firms to NFF Fellowship staff based on their own research and interview experience. Firms must submit a ranked list of preferred candidates to NFF Fellowship staff based on their review of application materials and virtual interviews. The NFF Fellowship Committee will match firms and finalists based on preference alignments.
- Upon notification of their matched fellow, host firms will provide full-time internship employment contracts to their candidate, hiring their fellow directly. Students hired outside of the NFF process will not be considered NOMA Future Faces Fellows. Only fellows will be eligible to apply for the NOMA Reimbursement and Licensure Stipend.
Licensure Support: To encourage fellows to pursue licensure and to support the goal of doubling the number of African-American architects by 2030, fellows who complete the requirements for licensure (education, experience, examination) within 5 years of completing the fellowship will be eligible to receive an additional $1,000 stipend. Fellows must contact NOMA directly to claim their stipend.
Fellowship Stipend: All fellows will be eligible to apply for up to $2,450 in reimbursements to cover qualifying expenses related to completing the fellowship, including but not limited to costs associated with daily commuting, relocation to the host city, rent for an apartment, and technology upgrades not provided by the host firm. Fellows should refer to the Fellowship Agreement for additional information about qualifying expenses and reimbursement requests.
Housing and Travel: If selected as a NOMA Fellow, participants are responsible for arranging their own travel and housing in the host city for the program’s duration. Lodging expenses may be submitted for reimbursement using the process outlined in the Fellowship Agreement. Firms are not required to provide travel and relocation assistance.
In-person Fellowship: The 2025 NOMA Future Faces Fellowship is an in-person internship. Fellows may be required to relocate for the summer to complete the internship. Remote work options are not guaranteed.
International Students: All students must be eligible to work in the United States for the entire fellowship period. Fellows will be notified of their acceptance into NFF no later than May 12. It is the responsibility of the applicant to apply for optional practical training (OPT) in accordance with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and to notify NOMA if they are unable to meet this requirement. Fellows must provide their Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to their host firm prior to starting employment. Failure to show proof of OPT approval may result in a delayed start date or forfeiture of the fellowship. Refer to the USCIS website for more information (https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/optional-practical-training-opt-for-f-1-students).
Email questions to nff@noma.net
