VMSD Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by PAVE Global
The VMSD Scholarship + Experience, now in its 5th year, is a unique initiative that acknowledges and nurtures leadership potential in various fields including Interior Design, Retail Design, Hospitality Design, Visual Merchandising, Architecture, UX Design, Engineering, and Product Design. The scholarship offers a $1,500 grant and an all-expenses-paid invitation to the 2024 International Retail Design Conference (IRDC) in Providence, Rhode Island, in October. The total value of the prize package for this year's winner is $4,500.
VMSD (Visual Merchandising Store Design) has been a trusted source of innovative retail design ideas and industry news for retail professionals since 1897. Our mission is to inspire, challenge, and motivate our readers with the latest trends and insights.
The International Retail Design Conference (IRDC), hosted annually by VMSD magazine, is a unique event that offers two days of comprehensive education and design discussions. The conference focuses on the latest best practices, emerging opportunities, and innovative strategies for engaging customers, optimizing resources, and redefining the retail experience.
IRDC is renowned as the leading educational and networking event for the store design and visual merchandising communities. More information can be found at www.vmsd.com/irdc.
SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS AND AWARD
A panel of industry professionals will blindly judge the student applications. The selected student will receive:
- A $1,500 Scholarship
- All expenses (airfare, hotel, and per diem as per gsa.gov rates) covered for attending the International Retail Design Conference (IRDC) in Providence, Rhode Island, from October 22-23, 2025.
- The total value of the prize package is $4,500.
APPLICATION PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS
Your application must include the following items to be considered:
- Personal Statement (Maximum 500 Words): Explain why you are pursuing a degree/career in the design of retail environments/consumer experiences.
- Portfolio (8-10 Pages Maximum): Showcase your most recent retail-related work. This can be either student or professional work.
*Retail-related work encompasses design work related to retail, restaurant/F&B, hospitality, healthcare, workplace, education, pop-ups, immersive experiences, products, store fixtures, displays, etc.
- One Professional Reference: Provide the phone number and email address of your reference. This can be a professor, faculty member, or employer (including internship supervisors). References should not be friends or family members.
- Include a full copy of your current transcript (official or unofficial).
- Applications and supporting documents must be submitted via Submittable.
- All applications must be submitted by September 5, 2025, before 11:59 pm ET/8:59 PT to be considered.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Applicants must be a 3rd or 4th-year undergraduate or graduate student (any year) as of October 22, 2025.
- Applicants must be enrolled in a program leading to a degree in Interior Design, Retail Design, Hospitality Design, Visual Merchandising, UX Design, Architecture, Engineering, Product Design, or similar programs.
- Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Applicants must be located and studying in the United States or Canada.