Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
In terms of funding that will support your research goals, there are a number of agencies
that specifically support thesis and dissertation research. The National Science Foundation
offers Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants and Graduate Research Fellowships, aimed
at funding expenses such as travel away from the home institution, living expenses while con-
ducting data collection, and analysis. The Wenner-Gren Foundation has grants for anthro-
pology students working on their doctoral degree, and includes students at institutions
outside the United States. The National Institute of Justice has a variety of different funding
opportunities directed towards augmenting and facilitating forensic science (among other
things). The Ford Foundation offers fellowships at the predoctoral and dissertation level
for students whose goal is to forge careers in academia. For the truly adventurous, the
National Geographic Society offers Young Explorer Grants for outstanding field projects. In
addition, The Foundation Center lists available scholarships, fellowships, and awards from
private and corporate institutions for graduate students. While this site is not freely available
for searching for funding opportunities, you can either pay a registration fee or search the site
to find out which library (public or university) closest to you has searching privileges.
Table
17.2
lists a sampling of the agencies that have funding opportunities and their websites. Your
advisor or committee members may be aware of other funding prospects as well.
Ensure that you talk to your advisor about any grant or fellowship for which you plan
to apply. They have experience with applying for grants and will be able to give sage
advice. When applying for any grant, the first thing you must do is ensure that the grant
is a good fit for you and your project. Read the Call for Proposals or solicitations descrip-
tion in its entirety. There may be just one sentence that would disqualify you or your
project from a particular grant, and you should not waste your time writing a proposal
for a grant for which you are not qualified. In addition, grant writing is a specific skill
that takes practice. Ensure that you follow the directions to the letter and ask your advisor
or other professors to read over your drafts as you prepare. Your university library or
other similar organization may also offer grant-writing workshops that you should take
advantage of. See
Tabl e 17. 3
.
TABLE 17.2 Common Agencies with Funding for Anthropology Projects
Agency Name
Website
General Type of Project/Grant
Ford Foundation
Predoctoral and dissertation grants
The Foundation Center
Various scholarships, fellowships, and
awards; search the website for “Foundation
Grants to Individuals Online”
National Geographic Society
Young Explorers Grant for fieldwork
National Institute of Justice
Grants for forensic science projects
National Science Foundation
Dissertation Improvement Grants and
Graduate Research Fellowships
Wenner-Gren Foundation
Dissertation grants in anthropology
Website addresses are current as of publication.
