International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA)

The Milka Bliznakov Prize, established in 1998, is named in honor of the founder of the International Archive of Women in Architecture, architect and Virginia Tech Professor Emerita Milka Bliznakov. The prize is conferred in recognition of research that advances knowledge of women's contributions to architecture and related design fields, and was created to encourage the use and growth of the IAWA. The prize winner is determined in a two stage process. In Stage One, applicants register their proposal, which outlines the work they plan to complete within the coming year. Stage Two occurs the following year, when applicants submit their completed projects. The winner of the prize is selected from among these projects.

In 2011, for the 11th Annual Prize, the prize committee altered the guidelines to include the stipulation that a portion of the research for the project must use IAWA collections and renamed the award The Milka Bliznakov Research Prize. The awarding of the prize still occurs in a two stage process. In Stage One, applicants submit their proposal, which outlines the research they plan to conduct at the IAWA, a proposed schedule for residency to include a open presentation on their research, and a description of the product they plan to produce (e.g. research paper, book, visual or physical original work). The winner of the prize is selected from among these proposals. In stage two, the Prize winner conducts their research at the IAWA and submits their project for inclusion in the IAWA collections by December of that year.

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