Archaeology Program - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants

The Archaeology Program supports anthropologically relevant archaeological research. This means that the value of the proposed research can be justified within an anthropological context. The program sets no priorities by either geographic region or time period. It also has no priorities in regard to theoretical orientation or question and it is the responsibility of the investigator to explain convincingly why the focus of their research is significant and has the potential to contribute to anthropological knowledge. While the program, in order to encourage innovative research, neither limits nor defines specific categories of research, most applications either request funds for field research or the analysis of archaeological material through multiple approaches. The program also supports methodological projects which develop analytic techniques of potential archaeological value.

*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: - Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) – doctoral degree granting IHEs accredited in, and having a campus located in, the U.S., acting on behalf of their faculty members. *Who May Serve as PI: The proposal must be submitted through regular organizational channels by the dissertation advisor(s) on behalf of the graduate student. The advisor is the principal investigator (PI) and the student is the co-principal investigator (co-PI). The student must be the author of the proposal. The student must be enrolled at a U.S. institution but need not be a U.S. citizen. To be eligible to serve as the PI, the advisor must be available during the period of proposal submission and review and during the performance of the research in order to relay information and communications from NSF to the student.