Kenneth R. Brooks MLA Research Scholarship

Award: $5,000
Deadline: February 1

This scholarship is awarded to a continuing MLA student based on their outstanding proposal for thesis or capstone research that contributes to the body of knowledge needed to advance the practice of landscape architecture.

Professor Kenneth R. Brooks, FALSA, FCELA, PLA, has had a long career in academia including 18 years of teaching, research, and service in The Design School in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University. Prior to that, he taught for 22 years in the Department of Landscape Architecture / Regional and Community Planning at Kansas State University and for 5 years at Washington State University. Throughout his career, Professor Brooks emphasized the value of research, particularly for students at the master's level. This scholarship recognizing his career, has been established to provide financial support so that master's students can focus on a rigorous, evidence-based research project that contributes to advancing the discipline of landscape architecture.

The scholarship is open to currently-enrolled master's students studying landscape architecture at Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB) accredited programs in the United States. To be eligible, the applicant must be a continuing student (planning to graduate next academic year) and planning to pursue an individual thesis or capstone project (not a group project).

Candidates will be evaluated based on the merits of their intended research as well as the applicant's academic aptitude and commitment to the profession of landscape architecture. The scholarship award may be used for research expenses, tuition, living expenses, or other costs associated with the applicant's course of study; funds do not need to be exclusively used for research project expenses.

To Apply

See the General Application Guidelines for information on using our online application system. All submissions must adhere to guidelines and deadlines in order to be considered. Additional materials will not be reviewed.

Application Contents

All LAF scholarships and fellowships require applicants to submit the following materials:

• General Submission Form
  Complete this online form with basic contact information and details about your degree program.
• Photo
  Provide a color headshot in jpg format that is at least 1800x1200 pixels.It should be horizontally-oriented, well-lit with a simple background, and include your entire head and shoulders. LAF retains the right to use any submitted photo on our website and in other materials promoting LAF’s scholarship programs.
• Bio for the LAF Website (150 word max)
  Provide a short bio in PDF, Microsoft Word, or TXT format. In 150 words or less, describe your background, current educational pursuits, future plans, and any other personal interests or activities.
• Resume (2 page max)
  Upload your resume or CV in PDF format. It should include your education, professional experience, extra-curricular activities, and honors and awards. Please include Applicant Name/Resume/Scholarship Name and page number on each page.

In addition, this scholarship requires the following:

• 2 Letters of Recommendation
  Provide the e-mail address for each recommender and instructions will be sent to them. Letters should be from faculty and verify that the applicant is an MLA student in good standing with graduation anticipated in the coming academic year. The letters should address the significance and appropriateness of the applicant's proposed research.
• Research Project Description (2 page max)
  Upload an overview of your master's thesis or capstone research project in PDF format. It should describe the topic and its significance to the discipline, your method(s) of information collection and analysis, anticipated results, and plans to share the findings. You should clearly state the research question that your research aims to answer. (See LAF's guidance on How to Develop a Research Question.) The document should be no more than two pages, have margins of at least 1”, and 10-point or larger font. Please include Applicant Name/Project/Scholarship Name and page number on each page.