ASOR plans to award four Strange/Midkiff Families fieldwork participation scholarships of $2,000 each during 2025 (see COVID disclaimer below).

This endowed scholarship fund was established in 2014 by lead gifts from James (Jim) F. and Carolyn Midkiff Strange. These lead gifts are currently being matched by generous gifts from Jim and Carolyn’s families and from students, friends, and colleagues of Jim and Carolyn. If you would like to support this fund, please e-mail ASOR Executive Director Andy Vaughn for more information.

The Strange and Midkiff Families Endowed Scholarship Funds have been designated to support the participation of ASOR members as volunteers or staff on excavation projects. Jim and Carolyn Strange have been members of ASOR for more than 50 years, and all of their children have been active in ASOR. A son, a daughter, and a son-in-law are now professional archaeologists. Jim directed an important excavation for the University of South Florida at Sepphoris for several decades, and Carolyn also played an integral role in that project. Today, the extended Strange Family is one of the most active families in ASOR, and it is not uncommon for three or four members of the family to present professional papers at the ASOR Annual Meeting.

There will be four scholarships of $2,000 given for the summer of 2025 to participants on an ASOR-affiliated archaeological project.

Eligibility

Applicants must be members of ASOR or be enrolled as students at an ASOR-member school (see list of Institutional Members). Applicants from underrepresented groups may request a membership waiver in order to apply. Applicants are encouraged to use the Uniform Fieldwork Scholarships Application to apply for all of the named and unnamed Fieldwork Participation Scholarships. Some of the named grants are designated for particular excavations (e.g., Hazor or Tell el-Hesi), for particular groups (e.g., BIPOC and veterans), and for particular countries (e.g., Israel or Jordan). Please check the appropriate boxes on the Uniform Application so that you can be considered for as many different scholarships sources as possible. In order to be eligible, applicants are required to participate in an ASOR-affiliated excavation (see list).

Preference will be given to individuals that have not received support through the ASOR scholarship program or other funding sources for the summer of 2025. Additional preference will also be given to applicants who would not usually receive funding (for airfare, lodging or a stipend) from the excavation. Preference is also given to applicants who have not received ASOR funding for excavations in the past three years.

Upon completion of the field season, a report of 250-350 words and three appropriate photos (500 dpi resolution or higher) on site must be submitted to the ASOR office by September 1, 2025. Reports and photos should be sent via email with “Strange-Midkiff Scholarship Report” in the subject line. Recipients will also be expected to send a brief note of appreciation to Carolyn Strange. More information will be available after the recipients have been notified.

Scholarship recipients will be required to sign a waiver indicating that ASOR is not responsible for any injuries they might sustain during their time at the excavation in which they participate. They will also be required to sign a release of rights to ASOR for the inclusion of their report and photographs in one of ASOR’s publications. This award may only be used for allowable direct expenses. Indirect and/or overhead expenses are not permitted

Brief Biography of the Midkiff Family

T. O. and Lilly Midkiff were West Texas pioneer ranchers, settling and buying property there at about the turn of the twentieth century. Tyson, their oldest son, and Naomi, his wife, also bought property. They worked hard doing whatever work was necessary in order to pay off their land while living through the Great Depression. T. O. and Lilly were Carolyn Midkiff Strange’s grandparents, and Tyson and Naomi were her parents.

COVID disclaimer: If the ongoing COVID pandemic, or any other reason, does not allow for many archaeological excavations to take place during 2025, ASOR may at its sole discretion decide not to offer fieldwork scholarships. If ASOR deems such a decision as necessary, applicants may reapply for non-fieldwork summer stipends if ASOR offers stipends for 2025. Regrettably, applicants and successful applicants may not postpone fieldwork scholarships to another year if the applicant or ASOR decides that fieldwork scholarships will not be awarded in 2025. If the pandemic or any other reason causes a cancellation of fieldwork in 2025, applicants must reapply for funding in 2026 (or for stipends if they are made available in 2025).