2024 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Design

The Vilcek Foundation will award three Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise of $50,000 each to young, immigrant designers who demonstrate outstanding early achievement in design. 

Who Should Apply

• You were born outside the United States to non-American parents
• You are not more than 38 years old
• You have 5 years of professional experience in design and possess a strong track record of creative and high-caliber work

Why Should You Apply

• Unrestricted cash prize of $50,000 is awarded to each prizewinner
• Reflect on how your experience as an immigrant has shaped your success
• Receive an invaluable endorsement from leaders in your field
• Receive a comprehensive public relations campaign to promote you and your work

Eligible Categories

• Digital design: experience design, game design, information design/data visualization, interaction design, software design, systems design, etc.
• Graphic design: branding, communication design, identity, packaging design, etc.
• Product design: furniture design, industrial design, lighting design, materials design, transportation design, etc.
• Social design: ecological design, equitable design, inclusive design, service design, sustainable design, etc.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Have been born outside the United States of America to non-American parents.
• Not be more than 38 years old as of December 31, 2023 (born on or after January 1, 1985). ​​Exceptions will be made for applicants who were born between January 1, 1983, and December 31, 1984 who experienced career interruptions due to caregiving, medical, military or parental leave.
• Have lived in the United States for at least 4 years (or immigrated to the United States on or before December 31, 2019).
• Be one of the following: a naturalized citizen or a permanent resident of the United States; an H-1B or O-1 visa holder with a valid visa stamp; a H-4 visa holder with a valid EAD card; a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) relief; an asylee or an asylum seeker who has applied for asylum and has a valid EAD card.
• Have at least 5 years of professional experience in design.
• Have completed at least 3 implemented, professional solo or collective design projects. 
• Not be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate degree program (Exceptions may apply for some doctoral students who will complete their program this year).
• Intend to pursue a career in the United States.
• Not be a past recipient of the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in any category.

Application and Selection Process

1. Complete the application process. You will be required to:
   • Provide personal information.
   • Upload a PDF with documentation of your valid immigration status and your date of birth.
   • Provide URL links to your portfolio of 3 to 5 projects, not to exceed 2 pages per project.
   • Upload a PDF of your CV with a complete list of design projects, education and training, current and past affiliations, awards and recognitions.
   • Provide up to 5 press clippings about your work.
   • Complete 3 essay questions:
     1. Please describe your most important projects. We are interested in learning about the intention behind each of those projects, your artistic foundations, and creative approaches you developed based on your personal or professional path. (2,000 characters maximum including spaces)
     2. What do you hope to achieve through your work and how do you think it contributes to the development of design as an art form and unique field of knowledge and practice? (2,000 characters maximum including spaces)
     3. Describe the circumstances of your immigration to the United States and how your experience as an immigrant informs and enriches your approach to design. (1,500 characters maximum including spaces)
   • Provide the names and contact information of 2 references.
   • Sign an age exception self-attestation if you were born between January 1, 1983, and December 31, 1984.
   • Submit a completed application by Monday, June 12, 2023, 5:00 pm ET. 
2. A panel of distinguished jurors—experts in the design community—will evaluate applications based on the applicant’s contributions to the field of design, as demonstrated by their essays, portfolio and references. The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise will honor creative design professionals whose work showcases high caliber and commitment to the field.
3. Recommendations of the jury will be submitted to the Vilcek Foundation’s Board of Directors for final approval. All three winners will be considered equal in standing.
4. The winners of the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Design will be notified in September 2023. Prizewinners will be invited to attend the Vilcek Foundation’s prizewinner event in New York City in the spring of 2024. Travel expenses and accommodations will be covered by the foundation.

Frequently Asked Questions

I meet all of the requirements except for one.

In order to be considered for the prize, you must meet all of the eligibility requirements.

I’m having issues logging into my account or general technical issues using the Applicant Portal. Can you help me troubleshoot?

Yes, please reference the Applicant Guide and FAQ.

What design categories are eligible?

• Digital design: experience design, game design, information design/data visualization, interaction design, software design, systems design, etc.
• Graphic design: branding, communication design, identity, packaging design, etc.
• Product design: furniture design, industrial design, lighting design, materials design, transportation design, etc.
• Social design: ecological design, equitable design, inclusive design, service design, sustainable design, etc.

Can a collective apply for the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise?

Yes, as long as all members of the collective meet the eligibility requirements, a representative may submit an application. Please note that if selected, the cash awards can only be paid to individuals.

Are interdisciplinary practices eligible?

Yes, interdisciplinary practices can apply for the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise as long as you identify with at least one of the eligible categories. Applicants should select one main category that best represents the practice.

Do you accept research-based practices?

Yes, research-based practices will be accepted. However, you must be able to provide evidence of 3 professional, implemented design projects (research-based or not) to be eligible. 

Can I receive feedback on my application?

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we regret not being able to provide feedback on applications.

Why must I have completed “at least 3 professional, implemented design projects” in order to apply? 

Our selection process involves several stages of review and in order to spend ample time on each application, we carefully have to narrow our pool of applications. For our prizes in design, we decided to narrow this by requiring an applicant to display proof of completion of 3 professional, implemented projects from concept to execution. These are minimum qualifications and they don’t have to be your best projects. 

How will you verify proof of “professional, implemented design projects?

Applicants will need to provide proof that they completed 3 professional projects through implementation by including a link to the project website, press article about the project, or a document displaying photos of the project. These 3 examples will not be viewed by the jury, and do not have to be your best work. A round of initial screeners will verify that an applicant has completed 3 professional, implemented projects, without examining the quality or success of those projects. Should your examples demonstrate you meet this requirement, your application and actual portfolio can advance to the review stage by design experts.

Why must I have had “5 years of professional experience in design” in order to apply? How do you define this?

By 5 years of professional experience we mean an applicant’s professional practice should span at least 5 years. We define professional projects as those that have evidence of interactions with a client or partner, and were conducted in the context of an organizational, business, research or entrepreneurial setting. 

What is the difference between the portfolio and the “professional, implemented design projects” requirement? 

Our jury will assess the work you include in your portfolio only. The professional, implemented design projects will only be viewed by an initial round of screeners for verification purposes, without examining the quality or success of those projects. 

What kinds of projects should I include in my portfolio?

We are seeking evidence of the depth and breadth of each applicant’s body of work. We are interested in seeing projects that have been implemented in order to evaluate the projects from concept to execution–from an aspirational idea to a viable and impactful solution. Simultaneously, if an applicant feels that a non-implemented project is among their best work, they are encouraged to include that project in their portfolio to strengthen the application. 

The projects I am looking to submit fall across more than one of your categories. Will my application be more or less competitive depending on the categories I select? 

No. We realize that design projects may fall within more than one category (i.e. graphic design + software design; or product design + inclusive design) and you are encouraged to check all of the subcategories that are applicable. This is an organizational lens for us; this is not a lens that will impact the validity or merit of the application or how the jury will conduct their assessment.  

Do you have any tips for my application essay writing?

Please use the essays to provide context to your work and the materials you submit for the jury’s review. We are also interested in learning your immigration story to better understand you as a person and how it may have affected your work and life vision.

Can I submit materials in foreign languages? 

Yes, but please include English translations for non-English materials.

I am a full-time student of a PhD doctoral program and I expect to finish my program before the end of this year; am I eligible? 

If you meet all other requirements, you are likely eligible. Please contact us at creativepromise@vilcek.org so we can help you determine your eligibility.

What part of my application is most important to the jury? What can I do to make my application stronger?   

All components of the application are important, but the jury will pay special attention to your portfolio and essays. 

Will the jurors/screeners see all components of my application?   

No, the jurors/screeners will only see some components of your application: your name, country of birth, institution, title, race and ethnicity, gender, design category, design subcategory, essays, portfolio, press clippings, and CV.

What components of my application will the jurors/screeners not see?   

The jurors/screeners will not have access to the following components of your application: immigration document; address and contact information; examples of 3 professional, implemented design projects; or feedback on the application process (if applicable). This information is viewed only by the foundation’s staff members for verification purposes.  

What should I include in my portfolio?   

3 – 5 samples of your best work. You may include images, drawings, direct links to a webpage, a short project narrative for each work, etc. 

Who should be my references? What kind of information are you looking for?   

You are encouraged to share references who will be able to respond to our request within a specified deadline (we try to give at least 5 business days) in July. We are seeking candid comments from your reference who is familiar with and can speak about your professional and personal qualities.

Will my reference have to submit a formal letter of recommendation?   

No, your reference will not have to write a formal letter of recommendation on letterhead. We accept their comments in any format, including written comments via email or a viewable link (Dropbox/Google Drive/etc) to an audio or video file of them speaking. 

Does my reference have to speak English?   

No, your reference does not have to speak English, however, an English written translation should be included. 

Will my reference definitely be contacted?   

No, references are only contacted if your application advances to the next round. 

I have an artist name or work under a different name than in my ID.

Please include both names in your application and indicate which one is which.

Can I submit multiple applications in more than one category?

No, only one application per individual will be accepted. Please choose the category and subcategory or subcategories that best fit your work.

How long should my CV be?

There is no limit to the length of your CV, but we advise you to condense it to the most relevant points only. 

Can I please change or update an already submitted application?

No, but you may contact us at creativepromise@vilcek.org to notify us of any changes or updates, but we cannot guarantee any changes to the already submitted application.

I am currently here on OPT/student/other visa types; am I eligible?

You are eligible if you currently hold a valid O-1 or H-1B or H-4 visa and have been residing in the United States for at least 4 years. Any other visa status is not eligible.

I am currently in the process of applying for a green card; am I eligible?

If you are in the process of finalizing the application for a green card and expect to have the proper documentation by August 2023, please contact us at creativepromise@vilcek.org before submitting your application.

I am currently applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status; am I eligible?

You are eligible if you have an I-797 approval notice showing approval of the I-821D DACA application. If you are in the process of applying for DACA and expect to have the proper documentation by August 2023, please contact us at creativepromise@vilcek.org before submitting your application.

My temporary green card has expired, but I have submitted paperwork to become a permanent resident. I do not know if and when they will receive my information. Am I eligible?

Yes, applicants in the process of becoming a permanent resident are eligible. Please contact us at creativepromise@vilcek.org for further instructions.

I became a U.S. citizen when I was a minor and do not have a certificate of naturalization.

Please submit a birth certificate and your passport instead of a certificate of naturalization and contact us at creativepromise@vilcek.org.  

I can’t locate my certificate of naturalization.

Please upload a birth certificate and your passport instead of a certificate of naturalization and contact us at creativepromise@vilcek.org for further instructions.  

I’m a U.S. citizen. Can I provide a copy of my passport as my immigration document?

No, a passport may be submitted as a supplementary document only. 

My visa was approved, but I don’t have a visa stamp yet.

You may submit the approval notice in the place of the visa stamp. 

I’m currently in-between visas and live outside the U.S.

Regretfully, you are not eligible to apply for the prizes. 

My green card or visa has expired.

You need a valid visa in order to be eligible. If your green card has expired, please contact us at creativepromise@vilcek.org with more details on when and how it expired. 

I am over the age limit but not by much; can you make an exception?

Regretfully, we are not able to make exceptions unless you experienced career interruptions due to caregiving, medical, military or parental leave, and are within two years of the age requirement (born between January 1, 1983, and December 31, 1984).

What kind of documentation should I provide to prove my career interruption?

Below are examples of accepted documentation:

• Confirmation letter from your employer, a medical provide, or a military office;
• Official request for leave or approval notice;
• Certificate of birth or military service.

Do you accept other reasons for career interruptions?

No, currently we only make exceptions for caregiving, medical, military, or parental leave.

I was born in Puerto Rico, Guam, or another U.S. territory; am I eligible?

Regretfully, we do not accept applications from individuals born in the U.S. territories.

I was born outside the United States, but to American citizens; am I eligible?

Regretfully, we do not accept applications from U.S. citizens who were born overseas but are American by birth.

Can the winners use the prize money to support a specific project, personal expenses, etc.?

Each winner will receive an unrestricted cash prize; there is no obligation to use the money in any particular way.

Are there any other monetary fees that I should be aware of before applying?

Winners of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes receive unrestricted cash prizes, which is considered taxable income. Consult your financial advisor to understand any tax implications of receiving a cash prize.

If I win, will I have to pay taxes on the prize?

Yes, you will have to pay taxes on any income you receive through any Vilcek Foundation Prize.

If I apply for the prize this year and am not chosen as a prize winner, can I apply again in the future?

Yes, as long as you are within the age limit of a certain prize cycle and are not chosen as a prize winner, you are eligible to apply as many times as you would like. Please note that our arts and humanities categories repeat every eight to ten years.

Can I apply again next year? 

Our arts and humanities prize categories change every year and we will not be awarding prizes in Design until the current full cycle ends, which takes between 8 and 10 years. 

Are the prizes considered grants?

No, the Vilcek Foundation Prizes are cash awards and they shall not be considered grants. They will be considered taxable income. 

Can the cash awards be given to the institutions?

No, the cash award can be paid to individuals only.

If I am selected to receive a Vilcek Foundation Prize, can I decline to receive the prize payment myself and make a charitable donation instead?

In some cases, yes. We have a policy on prize transfers that outlines scenarios for transfers of cash prizes. Following your receipt of a prize, please let us know if you are interested in learning more about our policy.