91²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ

Anthropology Department

Anthropology Student Fund

Funded by the the Department of Anthropology's Harper-Ellis endowment, the Student Fund is meant to enhance opportunities for anthropology majors to extend their studies by providing modest support for anthropology-related travel, internships, or research expenses. View reports from past awardees here.

The funds may be used to support:

  1. Thesis-related research;
  2. Course-related projects;
  3. Anthropology-related internships;
  4. Partial support for field schools in topics not offered at 91²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ;
  5. Conference travel: to work as volunteer, for paper or poster presentations; to attend conferences explicitly related to thesis research

Eligibility & Deadlines

Students must be declared anthropology majors. Priority is given to students undertaking thesis-related research.

There are five deadlines for department funding consideration. These deadlines are aligned with other funding sources (Note that the department will also accept rolling applications for time-sensitive opportunities such as conferences.)

  • Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at 12:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 12:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 12:00 p.m.
  • *Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. 
  • *Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 12:00 p.m.
*These deadlines are mainly for Spring/Fall students.

How to Apply: Research Projects

Students should work with their advisers to prepare a brief proposal (4 pages single-spaced, max.) that contains: 

  • The rationale for the project and its relevance to a thesis or coursework;
  • Overall project design (if applicable);
  • Methodology of research (if applicable);
  • Discussion of whether or not the project will require IRB approval (if applicable);
  • Anticipated outcomes;
  • A brief itemized budget.

Students' advisers should send a brief email of support for the project to Emily Hebbron.

Please submit your proposal to Darcy Tanner, tdarcy@reed.edu, who will circulate it and the adviser's recommendation email to the Anthropology faculty for approval.

How to Apply: Anthropology-Related Internships

Please supply a detailed project proposal of no more than 1,500 words that includes the following elements:

  1. A one-paragraph introduction that succinctly summarizes your proposed internship and its relevance to anthropology as a discipline;
  2. The mission and purpose of your host organization;
  3. The preparation you’ve done for your project;
  4. The desired educational outcomes of this experience and their relevance to your studies;
  5. Contact information (including names, telephone numbers, email addresses) for your host organization; and
  6. The date by which you expect to have a firm commitment from your internship site to host you for the summer.

Your project proposal should be accompanied by:

  1. A letter of support from a 91²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ faculty who can speak to your qualifications (emailed to Emily Hebbron);
  2. An up-to-date copy of your résumé;
  3. A detailed budget of your expenses (note that there are some extra funds available for travel-related expenses, be sure to note these if you're requesting them).
  4. Prior to receiving funding, you must submit a letter of confirmation from your host organization or institution acknowledging your internship agreement as well as the acceptance and liability agreement with 91²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ.

Other Funds

Students are strongly encouraged to apply for matching funds to college-wide funding sources, including Opportunity Grants, the Initiative Grants in Undergraduate Research, the Summer Opportunity Fellowship Award (SOFA), and the President’s Summer Fellowship, for their projects so that we may maximize the number of student projects that we support.

Reporting Obligations

All recipients of Department of Anthropology student research, internship, and travel funds should write a brief (two paragraph) report of their experience and findings. All recipients of these funds are required to present briefly on their funded experience. Those reports will be posted to the Department website with the recipient's permission.

Resources

Sample Application: Attending a Conference

Sample Application: Thesis Research

Requesting Letters of Recommendation

Reports by Previous Awardees