The Architects Foundation, along with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), announced that a new member Request for Qualifications (RFQ) will available September 1 as part of an expansion of the AIA’s ongoing Design & Health Research Consortium, which helps translate research into the influence design has on public health for the public, policymakers, design and public health professionals.

The Architects Foundation has set a deadline of October 16, at 11:59 pm PDT for receiving qualification applications from interested university-led teams. Selection of the schools will be made by mid-November. The full RFQ and application site will be available on AIA.org on September 1 for interested teams to apply to be members of the Consortium’s second cohort.

“In the last year, the Consortium has been instrumental in building consensus among the architecture and public health communities that the optimal building of this century will be one that minimizes its ecological footprint while promoting human health and well-being,” said Architects Foundation Executive Director Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop. “The foundation for making this vision a reality will only grow stronger as the consortium continues to grow.”

The Consortium, which is comprised of 11 university-led partnerships, will be accepting applications for up to six new slots. It is a joint project of Architects Foundation, AIA, and ACSA to advance university-led research in the area of design and health and to promote and accelerate the translation of research into practice. The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (“ASPPH”) provides additional support and guidance for the project.