About
The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America's largest and oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to archaeology. The Institute advances awareness, education, fieldwork, preservation, publication, and research of archaeological sites and cultural heritage throughout the world. Founded in 1879, the AIA publishes ARCHAEOLOGY Magazine and the American Journal of Archaeology (AJA), offers grants and fellowships for professionals, runs educational programs for the public and educators, and organizes archaeological tours and lectures.
Funding Opportunities
Khaled al-Asaad Memorial Fellowship
A fellowship to honor the memory of Syrian archaeologist Khaled al-Assad who was executed by the Islamic State in 2015 while protecting the location of artifacts from the site of Palmyra, where he worked for over forty years. Al-Asaad was an esteemed scholar and a generous friend to generations of archaeologists from Syria and abroad. In January 2016, the Archaeological Institute of America posthumously awarded him an Award of Honor for the Highest Meritorious Service to Archaeology. Made possible through the gift of a generous donor, the AIA will award two annual fellowships to honor Khaled al-Asaad that provide a stipend of $4,000 to scholars working in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, or Egypt to attend the AIA Annual Meeting and present their work. Scholars are encouraged to make additional connections and visits in conjunction with their trip to further support their research and/or the development of their professional networks. Preference will be given to strong candidates from Syria, Iraq, or Turkey, although all foreign scholars studying or working with the ancient archaeology of Syria, Iraq, Turkey, or Egypt will be considered, especially those with projects in Syria.
C. Brian Rose AIA/DAI Exchange Fellowship - AIA Fellowship for Study in the U.S.
The Archaeological Institute of America offers a post-doctoral research fellowship for archaeologists employed by the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (DAI) or project collaborators with temporary DAI contracts. The fellowship is designed to encourage and support scholarship of the highest quality on various aspects of archaeology and to promote contact between North American archaeologists and DAI scholars. The fellowship provides an opportunity for use during the academic year at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, with a minimum residency of two months coinciding with the fall or spring academic semester. Fellows are welcome to stay for the entirety of the term and are expected to give at least one lecture and participate in the intellectual and social life of their host institution. The Fellowship includes travel expenses, residence through university housing or funds towards rental housing, library privileges, and an additional stipend towards living expenses. Applicants must have a PhD degree (or diploma for architects) and demonstrate professional competence in archaeology. Fellows are selected based on scholarly promise as indicated by academic record, prior publications, and the merits of the proposed research project, with preference given to applicants at an early stage of their professional careers.
Harriet and Leon Pomerance Fellowship
The Harriet and Leon Pomerance Fellowship is awarded by the Archaeological Institute of America to support individual projects of a scholarly nature related to Aegean Bronze Age Archaeology. The fellowship provides up to $6,000 to be used for projects conducted between July 1 of the award year and the following June 30. Preference is given to candidates whose project requires travel to the Mediterranean for research purposes. The fellowship is designed to support scholars pursuing advanced research in this specific area of archaeology, particularly focusing on the Bronze Age civilizations of the Aegean region. AIA fellowship funds may not be used for institutional overhead, administrative recovery costs, or indirect costs. At the conclusion of the fellowship tenure, recipients must submit a report on the use of the stipend to the Chair of the AIA Fellowships Committee.
Anna C. & Oliver C. Colburn Fellowships
The Anna C. & Oliver C. Colburn Fellowships support studies undertaken at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece for no more than a year. The fellowship provides up to $9,000 to support pre-doctoral or early career scholars (within five years of PhD) who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada. Applicants must be current AIA members at the Graduate or Professional level. All application materials will be shared with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens Admissions and Fellowships Committee for review, and the ASCSA will independently determine eligibility for membership at the School. At the conclusion of the fellowship tenure, recipients must submit a report on the use of the stipend and are expected to submit abstracts to the AIA Program Committee within two years for consideration for participation in the AIA Annual Meeting. Preference is given to applicants who are not already members of ASCSA during the year of application.
The AIA «Telestes» Award for Material Culture Research in Ancient Music and Dance
The AIA «Telestes» Award aims to encourage scholarly research that explores material evidence of music and dance within archaeological context, highlighting how this evidence contributes to a deeper understanding of the cultural and social meanings and functions of music and dance within activities of ritual and everyday life. The award encourages scholars to reconstruct the many different ways and contexts in which music and dance were experienced in ancient societies. The award also presents an opportunity to bridge the gap between existing treatments of archaeomusicology or music archaeology and the possibilities offered by perspectives that have emerged within archaeology, art history, archaeology of performance, soundscape archaeology, sensory studies, auditory archaeology, aural architecture, and digital heritage. The award is open to anyone who has defended a Ph.D. thesis no more than two calendar years prior to the nomination deadline, with research welcomed on the broadly defined Mediterranean region and from other areas of the world.
Public Engagement Award
The Archaeological Institute of America's Outreach and Education Committee offers the Public Engagement Award to recognize the broad and important range of outreach conducted by AIA members. This inaugural award honors members who engage in outreach and partnerships (virtual and in person) that benefit non-specialist audiences including K-12 classrooms, senior centers, community organizations, museum visitors, library patrons, and other diverse groups of learners. To qualify, self-nominees must have dedicated a minimum of 12 hours to public engagement work and/or participated in three separate public engagements during the eligible period (September 2025 to August 2026). The engagement activities must not be a required part of the member's professional duties. Award recipients are recognized in tiered categories (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) and will be notified in November 2026 with formal recognition at the Annual Meeting in January 2027.
Pomerance Award for Scientific Contributions to Archaeology
The Pomerance Award for Scientific Contributions to Archaeology recognizes individuals or teams whose interdisciplinary scientific work with archaeologists merits recognition. The award is presented by the Archaeological Institute of America and honors outstanding contributions to archaeological science across any geographic region. Eligibility is not restricted to AIA members, and candidates may be sought internationally with no geographical limitations. The recipient may be a professional or amateur scientist, or a team. Previous winners of the Pomerance Award are ineligible, but persons who have received the Gold Medal of the AIA are not excluded from eligibility. Winners are celebrated at the AIA's Awards Ceremony in January.
Martha and Artemis Joukowsky Distinguished Service Award
The Martha and Artemis Joukowsky Distinguished Service Award is granted to AIA members who, through their sustained and exceptional volunteer efforts, have furthered the work of the Archaeological Institute of America and increased public awareness regarding its mission. Nominees for this award should have provided exceptional service to the Institute at the national level or at both the national and the local level. Up to but no more than two awards, in the form of a framed citation, will be presented each year at the Annual Meeting of the AIA. Trustees currently serving on the Governing Board are ineligible to receive this award.
Graduate Student Paper Award
The Archaeological Institute of America's Graduate Student Paper Award recognizes and encourages outstanding research by predoctoral students in any discipline related to archaeology. Graduate students are the future of the archaeological profession and contribute substantially to the success of the AIA's Annual Meeting by delivering papers based on original research. Through this award, the AIA acknowledges this contribution and supports excellence in graduate student scholarship. The award is given to eligible predoctoral students who have had a paper accepted for presentation at the AIA's Annual Meeting and who self-nominate by checking the appropriate box on their submission form. The written paper and its oral and visual presentation are judged on three criteria: originality, concision, and delivery. A selection committee consisting of AIA faculty and scholar members evaluates submissions anonymously. The award includes a certificate of achievement, complimentary registration for the following year's Annual Meeting, and two nights accommodation at the meeting hotel, where the winner is recognized at the Awards Ceremony. Co-authored papers are accepted only when all contributors hold student status at the time of submission.
Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement
The AIA Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement is the highest award bestowed by the Archaeological Institute of America. It is presented annually to a scholar who has made distinguished contributions to archaeology through research and/or field work. The recipient receives the medal, a citation documenting their outstanding achievements, and a symposium is held in their honor at the Annual Meeting. The award recognizes lifetime achievement and impact on the discipline through research and/or field work, including museum work. As per AIA policy, current AIA Governing Board members, AIA employees, and their families are ineligible for nomination. The award may not be presented in years when the committee determines there are no deserving candidates among the nominees.
Conservation and Heritage Management Award
The Conservation and Heritage Management Award is presented by the Archaeological Institute of America in recognition of exceptional achievement in archaeological conservation and heritage management. This prestigious award honors individuals or institutions who have demonstrated outstanding contributions in one or more of the following areas: archaeological conservation (the conservation of an artifact, monument, or site); archaeological conservation science (advances in deterioration analysis or treatment of archaeological materials); archaeological heritage management (the overall management of a site or group of sites including their preservation and interpretation to the public); and education/public awareness of archaeological conservation through teaching, lecturing, exhibitions, or publications. The award is open to any individuals, institutions, or organizations, public or private, who merit recognition for their contributions to the preservation of our archaeological heritage. Eligibility is not restricted to members of the AIA or to U.S. citizens, making it a truly international recognition of excellence in the field.
Award for Outstanding Work in Digital Archaeology
The Archaeological Institute of America offers this award to honor projects, groups, and individuals that deploy digital technology in innovative ways in the realms of excavation, research, teaching, publishing, or outreach. Digital technologies are driving important changes in archaeology, yet many universities remain unsure about how to evaluate digital work alongside more traditional forms of print publication when faced with tenure and promotion decisions. Recognizing the value of digital scholarship and aiming to encourage its practice, this award celebrates excellence in digital archaeology. Because the field of digital archaeology is still nascent and the application of digital technologies to archaeology is in constant flux, the committee reserves the right to modify this award as the field evolves.
Foot Soldier Award
The Foot Soldier Award recognizes dedicated members who provide years of service in multiple capacities at the Local Society level of the Archaeological Institute of America. These hardworking members serve as officers and are involved in every aspect of their Society, donating an incredible amount of time and expertise to keep their Societies vibrant. This award recognizes important contributions made at the local level, which are invaluable because without viable Local Societies, much of the AIA's mission, such as outreach to the public, would not be possible. The award is open to any AIA member of a Local Society who is nominated by their Society. Nominations are submitted in the form of a letter detailing the nominee's qualifications.
Olivia James Traveling Fellowship
The Olivia James Traveling Fellowship supports travel and study in Greece, Cyprus, the Aegean Islands, Sicily, southern Italy, Asia Minor (Turkey), or Mesopotamia. The fellowship provides up to $26,000 for projects conducted between July 1 of the award year and the following June 30, with preference given to projects of at least a half-year's duration. This award is intended for scholars engaged in archaeological research and is not meant to support field excavation projects. Preference is given to individuals engaged in dissertation research or to those who received their PhD within five years of the application deadline. Applicants must be United States citizens and current AIA members at the Graduate or Professional level. Recipients may not hold other major fellowships during the requested tenure of the Olivia James award. The fellowship is administered by the Archaeological Institute of America, North America's largest and oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to archaeology.
The Archaeology of Portugal Fellowship
The Archaeology of Portugal Fellowship supports research and study related to the archaeology of Portugal, including the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira. The fellowship can be used for excavations, research projects, colloquia, symposia, publications, and travel for research or to academic meetings for presenting papers on Portuguese archaeology. The fellowship also supports Portuguese nationals (archaeologists and archaeology graduate students) to conduct research and study in the United States. Portuguese applicants are not limited to studying Portuguese archaeology and can research any archaeological region and topic. Awards provide up to $6,000 to support these scholarly activities. Recipients are required to submit a final report to the AIA Fellowships Committee and those conducting excavation or research are expected to submit an abstract within two years for consideration at the AIA Annual Meeting.
John R. Coleman Traveling Fellowship
The John R. Coleman Traveling Fellowship honors the memory of John R. Coleman, whose premature death deprived the field of a scholar of unusual integrity and promise. John R. Coleman graduated magna cum laude at Harvard University, held a Fulbright Fellowship at the University of Bonn, and pursued graduate study at Princeton University. He excavated at Aphrodisias and Morgantina. The Coleman Fellowship is to be used for travel and study in Italy, the western Mediterranean, or North Africa, between July 1 of the award year and the following June 30. The award may not support field excavation projects, nor may AIA fellowship funds be used for institutional overhead, administrative recovery costs, or indirect costs. Applicants must be current AIA members at the Graduate or Professional level engaged in dissertation research in a U.S. graduate program. The recipient should remain a member until the end of the fellowship term and subsequent submission of an abstract and/or presentation at the annual meeting. At the conclusion of the fellowship tenure, the recipient is required to submit a report on the use of the award to the Chair of the AIA Fellowships Committee. Within two years of tenure of the fellowship, the recipient is also expected to submit an abstract to the Program Committee, in order to be considered for participation in the AIA Annual Meeting.
At a Glance
- Total Funding Opportunities
- 35
- Active Now
- 16
- Source Domain
- archaeological.org
Catalog Data
This funder profile was automatically extracted from grant listings. Information may be incomplete.
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