Taft, Oklahoma community engagement. Conversation between Taft town treasurer Kim Lee and IQC graduate assistant Afrah Thasneem. Photograph courtesy of Leo Perez.
OU IQC Invites Community Assistance Project Proposals
The Institute of Quality Communities at the University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce the opening of the 2025-2026 Request for Proposals (RFP) process for Community Assistance Projects. The Community Assistance Projects seek to answer the question: How can we plan and design our communities in a way that promotes health, economic development, celebrates culture, and strengthens community well-being?
The IQC works in partnership with local leaders across the state of Oklahoma. We encourage municipalities, organizations, and community groups to apply for assistance with projects. Through these partnerships, communities become laboratories for interdisciplinary teams of students from the Gibbs College of Architecture to develop and apply their skills.
Since 2011, we have completed 112 projects while involving over 825 students by partnering with communities and non-profit organizations across 60 counties and securing external funding to support our work across the state. Project topics have included neighborhood planning, walkability, street design and safety, parking inventories, public space design, interior design, heritage conservation, and more. Check out the Community Assistance Project Library for dozens of examples.
Both the university and community benefit from these partnerships. Community partners provide a real-world challenge and context that helps our students learn to apply the skills and knowledge they are learning in the classroom. In return, our community partners benefit by getting ideas, plans, and drawings that can help them get started on local solutions for pressing challenges. For more information on how the community assistance process works, visit our website.
2025-2026 Request for Proposals Timeline
- March 31st: RFP opens
- May 15th: Extended proposal deadline
- May-June: Project interviews and selection
- Fall 2025 – Spring 2026: Project collaborations
Submit a Proposal
- Option 1: Fill out an online proposal form.
- Option 2: Download and fill out a Word document and submit to iqc@ou.edu.
Once your proposal is submitted, an IQC team member will contact you as updates become available. Please reach out via e-mail at iqc@ou.edu with any questions.