In light of the global pandemic, ASOR’s Committee on Archaeological Research and Policy (CAP) decided to limited grants and scholarships to proposals that do not entail international travel and can be verified as safe and feasible at the time of application. Thus, excavation grants and fellowships to individuals will look a little different this year.

Grants to Archaeological Projects. ASOR will again be offering Charles Harris Grants (three grants of $2500 each), and a Joe D. Seger Grant (one grant of $2500 in matching funds). Applications for these grants should come from the PIs of ASOR-affiliated projects and applicants for the Seger grant should be prepared to describe their matching funds. For the 2021 granting cycle, the Harris and Seger grants cannot be used to support international travel or fieldwork. Instead, these grants will support any non-fieldwork research, analysis, or publication components of ASOR affiliated projects during 2021. Applications for Harris and Seger Grants will be due February 15, 2021. The project must demonstrate that the proposal is safe and feasible given current conditions and restrictions.

Individual Support (Summer Stipends). For almost 15 years, ASOR has been providing students and volunteers the opportunity to participate in archaeological research overseas via our Excavation Fellowships (Dig Scholarships). In 2021, we plan to continue our support for research participation in non-fieldwork contexts; rather than providing dig scholarships, we will be supporting summer employment for research that is safe and feasible. This year, we will be offering twenty five (25) Summer Stipends of $1500 (undergraduates) or $2000 (graduate students) each to support participation in qualifying non-fieldwork components of ASOR-affiliated research projects. Applications for the 2021 Summer Stipends will be made jointly by students and the PI of the project they intend to work on. PIs should select no more than two students with whom they wish to apply for funding (one graduate student and one undergraduate student). We expect that no excavation project will be awarded more than one Summer Stipend. Ten Summer Stipends will be reserved for graduate students, and ten for undergraduates. In addition, five more Summer Stipends will be dedicated for students from under-represented groups, who identify as BIPOC. Students must be ASOR members to apply, but that requirement will be waived for the five stipends dedicated for BIPOC students. Those who receive a Summer Stipend will also be eligible to apply for a registration scholarship for the 2021 ASOR Annual Meeting. Scholarships for the Annual Meeting will be guaranteed if the students state that they have a financial need. BIPOC students will be eligible for partial travel grants to the Annual Meeting. Applications for Summer Stipends will be due February 15, 2021.

Click here for more information on applying for Summer Stipends.