Grants and Scholarships

DEADLINES HAVE BEEN EXTENDED TO DECEMBER 31, 2023

Send Submissions to:
Erin Nelson

erinnelson@southalabama.edu

Please include “AAS Grant/Scholarship Proposal Submission” as the subject line.

The Alabama Archaeological Society grants one award of up to $500 per year to deserving archaeological research projects. Grant proposals must be submitted (see contact information above) by October 1. The Board of Directors will vote on the proposals and announce the winner at the Winter Meeting. Awards will be made in harmony with the objectives of the Society (Article III of the Constitution of the Alabama Archaeological Society).

*The intent of the Research Grant program is to assist in field, laboratory, museum, or library research projects that will lead to (a) the advancement of scientific knowledge of Alabama’s past through publication of results, and (b) a greater public appreciation of Alabama archaeology through public dissemination of results other than by scientific publication. Grant proposals will be judged on both criteria, and no proposal will be funded that does not explicitly address both criteria.

**Any current member of the Society is eligible to apply for a Research Grant.

The project director or their appointee will be required to contribute a presentation of the project results at the winter meeting of the Society following the award. Applications for Research Grants will be solicited in the Stones & Bones Newsletter, together with proposal guidelines, the deadline for submission of proposals, and the name, mailing address, and e-mail address of the current Chair of the Archaeological Resources Committee.

***Each proposal should consist of a cover letter addressed to the Committee Chair, a two-page, single-spaced project narrative, and a one-page budget. Electronic submission of these materials is encouraged. The cover letter must clearly identify the person or persons responsible for the project and their institutional or chapter affiliations, if any, together with pertinent contact information. The project narrative must clearly identify the project’s significance, expected outcome, schedule, and plans for the dissemination of results. The narrative should specify in what manner the project will advance scientific knowledge of Alabama’s past, and in what manner the project will enhance the public appreciation of Alabama’s archaeological heritage. The project budget must specify the amount requested, up to $500. If the total project budget is greater than the amount requested, the total budget should be presented in full, together with an explanation of the specific support role or roles to be played by the Research Grant award, and a listing of other funding sources proposed in support of the project.

Public Education Grant

The Alabama Archaeological Society will award up to $500 each year to a public education project. Single grant awards shall not exceed $500. Proposals for grants must be submitted (see contact information above) by October 1st. The Board of Directors will announce the grant recipient at the Winter Meeting.

*The intent of the Public Education Grant is to provide financial encouragement to deserving projects that (a) promote a better understanding of Alabama Archaeology and its findings among the general public or in Alabama’s classrooms, and (b) clearly promote the conservation of Alabama’s archaeological sites and/or collections. Grant proposals will be judged on both criteria, and no proposal will be funded that does not explicitly address both criteria. Eligible projects must also be in harmony with the objectives of the Society, as stated in Article III of the Constitution of the Alabama Archaeological Society.

**Any current member of the Society is eligible to apply for a Public Education Grant.

Upon completion of the funded project, the project director will be required to provide a brief summary of the project suitable for the Society’s newsletter, evidence that the funded project was accomplished within a twelve month period after the announcement of the award, and a written evaluation of the project’s effectiveness in meeting the goal(s) proposed in the application.

Applications for Public Education Grants will be solicited in the Stones & Bones Newsletter, together with proposal guidelines, the deadline for submission of proposals, and the name, mailing address, and e mail address of the current Chair of the Public Education Committee. The Public Education committee may solicit applications through additional media if they so desire.

***Each proposal should consist of a cover letter addressed to the Committee Chair, a two page, single spaced project narrative, and a one page budget. Electronic submission of these materials is encouraged. The cover letter must clearly identify the person or persons responsible for the project and their institutional or chapter affiliations, if any, together with pertinent contact information. Applicants should offer evidence of their ability to communicate with the segment of the public they are proposing to target, and if their project proposes to generate materials for classrooms, the applicant must demonstrate a familiarity with state and/or local curriculum requirements. The project narrative must clearly identify the goal of the project, the audience(s) that will be targeted, the estimated number of individuals who will participate in the project, the products or programs that will be created, and a schedule. The narrative should address the grant criteria and should specify in what manner the project outcomes will be measured and evaluated for effectiveness. The project budget must specify the amount requested, up to $500. If the total project budget is greater than the amount requested, the total budget should be presented in full, together with an explanation of the specific support role or roles to be played by the A.A.S. funds, and a listing of other funding sources proposed in support of the project.

Scholarship

The Alabama Archaeological Society will award up to two (2) Alabama Archaeological Society Scholarships per year. The monetary amount of these scholarships will not exceed $500 in sum, for all scholarships awarded in a given year. The purpose of these scholarships is to lend support to outstanding students in the field of archaeology who are actively pursuing academic degrees at baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels within the State. Scholarship nominations are to be submitted to the Archaeological Resources Committee Chair by a deadline of October 1.

*The intent of allowing up to two such awards per year is to provide for the support of academic programs at both the baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate levels in the State. Nominees must be currently enrolled as full-time students in a degree program. Sponsors must make a case that their nominees exhibit the potential for making permanent, significant contributions to the field of archaeology. By granting scholarships, the Society wishes to identify and reward exceptional current students of archaeology in the State. Indications of academic merit, in the form of grade point averages, standardized test scores, honors, achievements in field or laboratory research, papers worthy of publication, or similar measures should be in evidence.

**Nominees need not be currently involved in a research project, nor must they, or their sponsors, submit a research proposal. It is expected that awarded Scholarship funds will be applied by the winners to the expenses of completing their degree program.

***Nominated students must be current members of the Alabama Archaeological Society.

Applications for Alabama Archaeological Society Scholarships will be solicited in the Stones & Bones Newsletter, together with nomination guidelines, the deadline for submission of nominations, and the name, mailing address, and e-mail address of the current Chair of the Archaeological Resources Committee.

****Each eligible student nominee must have an academic sponsor, who must submit the nomination on the student’s behalf. In no case should the nominated student submit any portion of the nomination directly to the committee. The nomination must take the form of a letter addressed to the Chair of the Archaeological Resources Committee. Electronic submission of the nomination letter is encouraged. The letter must clearly identify both the nominee and the academic sponsor, and must include pertinent contact information for both. The nomination letter must indicate the academic degree being sought, and progress made to date toward that degree. The letter should include and discuss all of the information necessary for the committee to evaluate the nominee. No transcripts, reports of standardized tests, copies of written work, nor additional letters of support should be included with the letter of nomination by the academic sponsor. Rather, the sponsor should summarize the academic credentials and achievements of the nominee in the body of the nomination letter.

Student Paper Award

[Note from Web Editor: The link for the guidelines for student papers is broken, but is being worked on to get it back up and running for submissions.]

Students, who are members of AAS and currently enrolled in a BA or MA program in an Alabama college or university, may submit a paper for the AAS Student Paper Award.

*Only single authored papers are eligible.

**Papers must be submitted by November 15.

See the [student paper guidelines link] for more information.