Kathleen and David Boochever Endowment for Fieldwork and Scientific Analyses Grant

The Kathleen and David Boochever Endowment supports innovative archaeological projects that utilize new technologies in fieldwork and laboratory research. Open to PhD-holders in archaeology and related fields, the fund prioritizes projects that address significant questions about the human past through state-of-the-art technology. Eligible applicants must demonstrate feasibility, innovation, and the potential impact on archaeological understanding. The AIA promotes equal opportunity and welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds, ensuring a commitment to preserving archaeological heritage.

Purpose
The Boochever Endowment supports both fieldwork and laboratory research informed by new technologies. While the fund’s primary purpose is to help defray the start-up costs of new projects, archaeologists exploring innovative applications of new technologies in any stage of their work are welcome to apply.
Projects may concern any location in the world and any time period, but must be designed to address significant questions about the human past through the use of state-of-the-art technology, understood broadly to include not only digital tools and approaches, but also those developed in engineering, chemistry, biology, physics, etc. The best proposals will make use of emerging or experimental technologies, or will apply existing technologies to archaeological research in new ways. The fund will support research activities such as regional or site survey, geophysical prospection, remote sensing, exploratory excavations in both terrestrial and maritime contexts, or innovative laboratory analyses.
Criteria
Proposals will be reviewed according to the following criteria (roughly in this order of importance):
The fit between the project and the mission of the Boochever EndowmentThe impact the research will have on our understanding of the past and on the use of technology in archaeologyThe level of innovation in the use of technologyThe feasibility of the project itself (how realistic its methods and goals are, in conjunction with its budget and timeline)The possession of, or the documented ability to acquire, the necessary permits (if applicable)The impact support from the Boochever Endowment will have on the overall success of the project (we assume that few projects will derive all their support from this source alone)The qualifications of the applicant (training, demonstrated research productivity, knowledge of/experience in the research region)The quality and feasibility of the publication plan, and (if digital data are involved) of the data management plan

Eligibility

Applicants must have a PhD in archaeology or a related field, and are expected to have an academic affiliation. If the project requires a permit, applicants should also be the primary permit holders; if the applicant is not the primary permit holder, the application should be accompanied by a letter of support from the primary permit holder.Awardees must have the permit in hand before funds will be disbursed.Awardees should submit a photo and a brief project description (one to three sentences) for inclusion on the AIA website and social media at the time the award is made.Awardees must make a formal report to the AIA at the conclusion of the award period.This report should include a brief illustrated summary, written for a general audience, that can be published on the AIA’s website.Awardees are expected to submit poster or fieldwork abstracts for presentation at the Annual Meeting (submissions will be evaluated in the general pool, and acceptance is not guaranteed).For projects that generate digital data, publication of the dataset is especially encouraged, ideally in an open-access format.The AIA welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and is committed to equal opportunity for all. Under no circumstances will the AIA discriminate against qualified individuals on the basis of race, color, religious creed, retaliation, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, disability, mental illness, genetics, marital status, age, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited under applicable law.As part of the Archaeological Institute of America’s ongoing commitment to fieldwork and families, reasonable line items for the care of dependent and elderly family members are allowable expenses for AIA grants, fellowships, and scholarships.
You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. Applicants must be AIA members at the graduate student or professional level at the time of application.

Ineligibility

Current officers and members of the Governing Board, staff, members of the Fellowships Committee and members of their immediate families are prohibited from applying for or receiving fellowships, grants, and other financial awards that may be offered by the Archaeological Institute of America.