The grant will help fund a short-term research residency at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, granting uninterrupted access to the vast collections held at the Getty Library.
Congratulations to Environmental Design and Planning PhD candidate Shweta Vardia for receiving a 2026 Getty Library Research Grant. The grant provides funding to support a short-term research residency at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles.
“Receiving the Getty Library Research Grant is a profound honor and important support for my research direction,” said Vardia. “This opportunity has long been a personal aspiration, and being able to pursue it now truly feels like a dream realized.”
The Getty Library is one of the world’s most comprehensive art historical research libraries, and houses over 1.5 million books, periodicals, photographs, archives and special collections. The grant will provide Vardia with unparalleled access to these collections as she prepares for her dissertation proposal defense and doctoral defense in the coming year.
“The Getty Library houses some of the most important resources in architectural history, heritage theory, and global conservation discourse,” said Vardia. “Conducting research there and accessing these materials at this stage of my PhD is highly significant.”
Vardia’s dissertation examines the redefinition of buffer zone boundaries around World Heritage Sites in India, with a focus on Hindu temple complexes. Her research argues for context-based buffer zones that balance heritage protection with socio-economic needs of surrounding communities.
“The award will support the archival and library research crucial to deepening the theoretical and historical grounding of my dissertation,” said Vardia. “It will provide me with access to rare books, conservation reports, planning documents, and international heritage policy materials that are not easily accessible elsewhere.”
In addition to this grant, Vardia has received a summer research grant and the Graduate Accelerator Grant from the UGA Graduate School.
“The College of Environment and Design is proud to support exceptional and brilliant scholars like Shweta who pursue opportunities like this world-class award,” said CED Dean Sonia Hirt, Vardia’s Major Professor. “This opportunity is an excellent addition to her CV, and I look forward to the research she will conduct with Getty Library materials.”
