AIA-NYS Scholars Program

This program aims to foster participation in the activities of the AIA-New York Society by local college students, with a focus on undergraduates and first-year graduate students who have a serious, ongoing interest in pursuing archaeological studies and field research.

Eligibility

• Open to matriculated students at an accredited college or university within the five boroughs of New York City (but need not be residents of New York City): sophomore, junior, senior undergraduate students and first-year graduate students are eligible for consideration.

• Open to students from all academic disciplines, but those majoring in archaeology or related fields are especially encouraged to apply.

Application Process (online only)

• Faculty members from colleges and universities in the Five Boroughs are encouraged to nominate one student apiece, with a brief letter of recommendation to the New York Society.

• Nominated students will provide a short personal statement (200 words or less) outlining their interests, experience, and academic and career goals; plus an official electronic transcript from their institution’s Registrar’s Office.

• The application deadline is Monday 28 October 2024. The decision of the NYS Scholarship Committee will be announced at the NYS meeting on Monday 25 November 2024.

Activities & Benefits

Up to a maximum of six (6) students will be named annually as “AIA-NYS Scholars,” who will:

• Attend at least two (2) regular meetings of the AIA-New York Society (and will be introduced as this year’s “AIA-NYS Scholars”), and as circumstances permit, may be invited to have dinner with the speaker. The NYS’s lecture meetings extend from September 2024 through to May 2025.  Listening in to virtual lectures or attending in-person lectures satisfies this attendance requirement. 

• Be invited to submit a short, illustrated report of any fieldwork or research experience they may have had, for publication in the spring issue of the AIA-NYS Newsletter, a digital publication. Having had fieldwork experience is not a requirement for consideration.

• Receive a one-year student membership to the Archaeological Institute of America, with a subscription to the American Journal of Archaeology, if desired.

• If attending the Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, receive partial financial support: a student registration fee and a ticket for the Opening Night Reception, if applicable.

• Be eligible to apply for the annual AIA-NYS Archaeological Research Scholarship.

AIA-NYS Archaeological Research Scholarship

This scholarship provides one (1) annual grant of $1500, awarded to one of the year’s AIA-NYS Scholars, to help cover expenses for participation in a project of archaeological research, broadly defined.

Eligibility

• Applications accepted from the annual cohort of AIA-NYS Scholars ONLY.

• Must be for an archaeological field project or field school, with a minimum stay of three weeks or for a research project of comparable duration, such as archival, collection-based, or laboratory work, under the supervision of a faculty member or curator. There are no restrictions geographically or by time/cultural period for the proposed research activity.

Application Process (online only)

Applicants will complete an application form (link below) that includes the following:

• Information about the project, including relevant links and websites.

• A brief essay (300 words or less) summarizing the significance of the project and its relevance to the student’s current program of study, as well as to their academic and future career goals.

• A budget statement, outlining anticipated expenses for participation in the project, along with other sources of funding, applied for or received.

• Names and contact information for two academic recommenders: professors or advisors familiar with the student’s work, who can write on their behalf.

• The application deadline is Tuesday 1 April 2025. If a scholarship is awarded, the decision of the Scholarship Committee of the NYS will be announced by Tuesday 22 April 2025 and also, if possible, at the April or May lecture meeting of the New York Society.

Documentation; Follow-up Reports

The recipient of the annual AIA-NYS Scholarship will be responsible for the following:

• To provide a letter from the Director of the archaeological field school or project, or from the faculty supervisor or museum curator, confirming acceptance into the program; and subsequently, a letter from same, attesting to the student’s successful completion of the project.

• To present a brief (ca. 5–10 minute) PowerPoint report of their work at the first fall 2025 meeting of the New York Society.

• To submit a short, illustrated report of their fieldwork experience or archaeological project, for publication in the Fall 2025 issue of the AIA-NYS Newsletter.

SUBMISSIONS