The SPA / Robert Lemelson Foundation Fellowship Program

The SPA/Robert Lemelson Foundation Fellowships are designed to provide graduate students working in the field of psychological anthropology with funding to pursue exploratory research for planning their doctoral dissertation research and/or methods training to prepare for their doctoral dissertation research. Research projects supported by the funding should have the potential of advancing the field of psychological anthropology. Normally, fellows receive their awards after their first or second year of graduate training as they begin to develop their dissertation research projects. Proposed exploratory projects are evaluated for viability and the potential of resulting in future dissertation research that will advance the field of psychological anthropology. Preference is given to applicants conducting exploratory research abroad. The funding cannot be used to collect data for the fellow's master's thesis or doctoral dissertation. This funding is explicitly for exploratory research to plan doctoral dissertation research, not for collection of data for broader projects. Funding is typically for summer research and will fund research conducted prior to the start of the applicant's Fall 2026 academic term. Fellows are required to attend the 2026 American Anthropological Association annual meeting in St. Louis, MO (Nov 18-22, 2026). Dr. Robert Lemelson, an anthropologist and advocate of psychological anthropology, personally began this fellowship program in 2007 to encourage graduate student fieldwork in psychological anthropology. Financial support can be requested to support all travel expenses, including airfare, ground transportation, and visa application fees; living expenses and housing; fieldwork expenses such as gifts for participants, translator and field assistant fees; and all other reasonable and justified expenses. Funds may not be used to pay for graduate school tuition or durable equipment. Budgets must include financial support up to a maximum of $800 to attend 2026 AAA Meeting.