Show Me the Money! Traditional & Alternative Funding Sources for Anthropological Research

The following article is one that I published in the Fall 2010 Canadian Association of Physical Anthropology Newsletter and was originally titled, "Every Little Bit Helps: Seeking Out Additional Sources of Research Funding".  This article is being reprinted herein in order to assist other anthropologists searching for funding (as the fall is usually grant writing/funding season) and to inform my Anth 101 students about the complexities of research funding since we are discussing that matter at this time.

Acquiring grant money is an integral part of being a graduate student and a professional in the fields of Anthropology.  Grant money is used to fund research projects for Masters and Doctoral Theses, but it can also be used to cover the costs of tuition, fees, housing, and other costs related to school and/or preliminary research.  You may already be aware of the big grants, like SSHRC or NSERC, which all Canadians are eligible to apply for, but what are your other options, particularly if you do not receive these grants or are ineligible to apply?  The following is a list of suggestions and examples of other grants that you may be interested and, more importantly, be eligible to apply for. 

• Discipline Specific Grants:  Anthropology is a wide discipline with various subdisciplines, and general Anthropology and subdiscipline grants do exist.  The Wenner-Gren Foundation, a private foundation dedicated to furthering the study of anthropology worldwide, is one option for grant money as they have funding opportunities available to students, post-doctoral fellows, and professionals.  Unfortunately, only Doctoral Candidates are eligible to apply for Wenner-Gren grants.  All students, however, should pay particular attention to the Wenner-Gren grant writing process because the proposal requirements are very thorough and can serve as a model for composing other grant proposals.  There are other grants available at the subdiscipline level, though, which are more available to students regardless of educational level.  Students specializing in Isotopic, Genetic, or similar studies may be eligible for a Sigma Xi grant, while students specializing in Paleoanthropology or Primatology may want to explore the grant options offered by the Leaky Foundation.
• Interdisciplinary Research Means Interdisciplinary Grants:  If your research fits into several different disciplines or fields, you may be able to apply to several different agencies or discipline specific grants for research money.  Applying for these types of grants can be challenging as you have to make a strong case for why your project fits the criteria of the grant, but this can also be an advantage as the selection committee may find your approach new, interesting, and beneficial to their home discipline(s).  Students in Engineering, Biology, Kinesiology, and Functional Anatomy have already taken advantage of this approach by acquiring Anthropology grants, suggesting that Anthropology students and professionals can be successful in pursuing grants outside of the discipline, too.   
• Professional & Civic Organization:  If you belong to a professional organization (e.g. Society for American Archaeology, American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Canadian Association of Physical Anthropology), you should take a moment and see what all the benefits are of your membership.  Many of these organizations have grants available exclusively to their student membership or specific student members, or there are resources to finding up-to-date information on current and new grants.  Civic organizations (e.g. Canadian Federation of University Women, Unions, Fraternal Organizations, etc.) sometimes have money available to help offset the costs of tuition and fees, but this money can be used to fund research if the criteria are broad.  This is still an option even if you are not a member yourself but are related to a member. 
• Country of Origin: You may also want to check out grants available to you based on your citizenship.  There are several grants available exclusively to domestic students but also many available to Commonwealth Citizens or International students.  If you hold duel citizenship, see what both countries offer in the way of research money and the eligibility requirements for these monies in cases where you are studying abroad.  Some of these grants are available but only for a set amount of time after you have left the country, while others are available at all times but in reduced amounts.  You may also want to check out Civic Organizations related to your citizenship to see if they would be interested in funding your education or research.  You may be surprised at what they say. 
• Country of Research Site:  Another place to look is in the country where your research is taking place.  Many countries will invite foreign scholars to conduct research in order to facilitate international research and collaborations or there are already grant opportunities available to international researchers of which are not being taken advantage.  Also, there are Learned Societies which offer grants for specific a geographical region or regions that are open to all areas of research and disciplines.    
• University & Institution Grants:  Universities and Institutions (e.g. museums) want their students to be successful, and in order to facilitate this success, they will offer internal grants to students and visiting scholars (students included).  These grants are usually concentrated to the use of the Facility’s archives, laboratories, collections, libraries, etc., but in cases of University grants, the grants will cover outside research.  These grants are often small, but they are easy to receive and require little preparation.  There are also sometimes no limits to the number of times an individual can receive the award or how much can be received.         

It is important to remember that while many of the above grants may not offer much in the way of award money, they are still important and worthwhile to apply for.  Grant money and awards help build a stronger Curriculum Vita, which in turn helps acquiring more grants later, and if that is not convincing enough, there is always the old adage: “Every little bit helps.”  Acquiring grant money requires intelligence and ingenuity and those same skills will serve you well in finding other and new grant opportunities.

Special thanks to Carlie Pennycook, Paul Szpak, Andrew Wade for information on grants and granting agencies I had not thought or been aware of previously.