(March 7, 2024 –– Washington, D.C.) –– The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has announced the recipients of the 2023 ASID Foundation Research Grant Program, recognizing outstanding research projects that will be developed into educational resources to further support the interior design practice. Through the ASID Foundation Research Grant Program, the Society honors projects that result in actionable design principles, guidelines, and tools that other designers can apply to their own projects and practices to show the power of design to impact lives.
“The 2023 Research Grant Program recipients and their winning projects reaffirm the continued importance of research to advance the interior design profession and its impact on all communities,” said Khoi Vo, chief executive officer, ASID. “With our mission to support and empower design practitioners, ASID is driven by the evolving challenges, trends, and needs of the practice to shape the future of design. Through our research grant program, we are now able to source research to provide educational resources and tools for practitioners of all sectors to apply to their own design processes.”
In 2023, the Foundation called for research on designing humanizing environments for imperiled people, and activating diversity, equity and inclusion in design solutions, project topics that align with the Foundation’s objectives to engage the interior design community and offer an opportunity for furthering previously funded research, yielding greater breadth, depth and longevity of the work.
The grant program, open to all students, educators, interior design practitioners, institutions, and interior design related groups, awarded $30,000 to each grant recipient, made possible by the generous support of the ASID Foundation’s general fund.
The 2023 ASID Foundation Research Grant Program recipients are:
Corgan for their proposal on Experiencing Evidence to Build Empathy: Improving Spatial Design Through Simulated Experience Using a Gerontological Suit. Considering an empathetic approach to design, this project tackles the physical strain educators with disabilities face in spaces designed for children and evaluates how design can be used to relieve these pain points. The team responsible for the project includes:
Melissa Hoelting | Principal Investigator and Senior Design Research Lead, Corgan-Hugo
Chloe Hosid | Co-Principal Investigator and Designer Researcher, Corgan - Education
Samantha Flores | Vice President and Director, Corgan - Hugo
Sangeetha Karthik | Principal, Corgan - Education
Kevin Sloan | Data Designer and Researcher, Corgan - Hugo
Michael Steiner | Senior Project Manager and Senior Associate, Corgan - Aviation
Florida International University (FIU) for their proposal on Enhancing Acoustic Comfort in Dormitories for Students with Developmental Disabilities: Spatial and Construction Guidelines. This project explores the relationship between the environment and one’s well-being, presenting the role acoustics play in the well-being and academic success of students in dormitories. Team members for this project are:
Sam Moshaver | Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture, FIU
Newton D’souza | Co Principal Investigator and Associate Professor of Interior Architecture, FIU
Nicole Attong | Director, FIU Embrace Center
Laura Guerrero Flores, IIDA | Interior Designer, HKS Architects
Saleh Kalantari | Lois and Mel Tukman Assistant Professor, Cornell University Department of Human Centered Design
Dr. Armin Mostafavi | Researcher, TU Wien University Department of Architecture and Interior Design
Washington State University (WSU) for their proposal on The Inclusive Classroom: Effects of Classroom Lighting on Students with ASD. This studies the appropriate correlated color temperature (CCD) of LED lighting in education spaces, its effect on human behavior and how that affects children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Involved team members include:
Alana Pulay | Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor of Interior Design, WSU
Dustin Saalman | Director of Research and Experience Development, NAC Architecture
Julie Allen | Lighting Designer and Associate, NAC Architecture
Sandra Krause-Ayers | Principal, Palouse Elementary School
For further information on the 2023 ASID Foundation Research Grant recipients and their projects, visit Research Grant webpage. For more information on the ASID Foundation and how to donate, visit the foundation website.
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About ASID Foundation
The ASID Foundation advances the interior design profession by drawing upon its resources to promote meaningful collaboration and research, award scholarships and fund projects that broaden the value of interior design. Created in 1975, the ASID Foundation’s mission is to support endeavors that capture and disseminate knowledge,encourage innovation and benefit the health, safety and welfare of the public through interior design research, scholarships and education. The Foundation’s initiatives include the National Building Museum Capital Council; The 1+ project with Public Architecture; CIDA’s Standards Development Project; the Transform Research Grant; as well as a comprehensive scholarship program. Visit asidfoundation.org for more information.