Archaeological Grants
Archaeology is the study of the physical remains of the past. It is a discipline that considers all of the human record as well as pre-human life on earth. Archaeologists also are used to decipher very modern situations, such as the position of forensic archaeologists. To become an archaeologist takes discipline and study. To carry out excavations demand both expertise and adequate financing. To help support studies and research, there are grants available.
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Professional Organizations
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Associations that promote and support archaeologists can be a source of funding. The Archaeological Institute of America offers grants, fellowships and scholarships. The AIA, established in 1879, is North America's oldest professional organization dedicated to archaeology. Fellowships are available to help finance study and research abroad. Scholarship help archaeology students pay for education and field schools. Grants are in place to defray the costs of site preservation, scholarly publication and public outreach.
Federal Grants
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The federal government offers grants through the National Science Foundation that can benefit archaeological research. The NSF, established in 1950, supports scientific and mathematical research in the United States excluding medical science. The archaeology program provides funding for both doctoral research and professional projects. Research at high-risk sites is also eligible for funding. Grants are specifically available for projects in physical anthropology as related to human evolution and contemporary human biology as well as more general archaeology and archaeometry grants. Grant applications are available on the Grants.gov website.
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Museum Grants
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Museums that have a focus on history, archaeology and/or ethnology can be a resource for archaeology grants. The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor offers grants for research and fieldwork to its faculty members. The grants can be used for travel to conduct research at other institutions, to pay for scientific analysis or to help fund publications. The museum will also pay for 25 students to participate in summer fieldwork programs. As of the time of publication, the cost for student participation is $3,000 to $4,000 per student.
Private Philanthropic Foundations
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Philanthropies dedicated to the advancement of education can provide financing to archaeologists. Foundations can range in size and some can be regionally specific. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, established in 1969, awards grants in five designated concentrations including higher education and scholarly research. The Emeritus Fellowships, awarded by invitation only, provides funding up to $35,000 for a one-year period to humanities scholars who intend to be retired at the time of the award. In 2010, two grants were awarded to archaeology faculty members at the University of Virginia and the University of California Los Angeles.
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