Grants

Site Preservation Grant

AIA Site Preservation Program

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Deadline: November 1, 2024

Announced: By March 1

Purpose: The Site Preservation Grant is intended to fund projects that uphold the AIA’s mission to preserve and protect the world’s archaeological heritage for future generations. The goal of the grant, which carries a maximum award of $15,000, is to enhance global preservation efforts and promote awareness of the need to protect threatened archaeological sites. The AIA seeks to support projects that not only directly preserve archaeological sites, but those that also include public outreach and education components that create a positive impact on the local community, students, and the discipline of archaeology as a whole.

Requirements:

Applications eligible for consideration for a Site Preservation Grant should fit one or more of these categories

• Planning for conservation: involves documentation including photography and digital applications, assessment of significance and condition, and drawing up a conservation plan in coordination with the local authorities
• Conservation interventions: physical hands-on treatments, materials and labor
• Preventive measures: reburial, shelters, fences, walkways, water management (drainage, flood prevention)
• Monitoring and maintenance of sites
• Training of personnel in conservation and site management
• Public outreach and education

Review the Follow-Up Check List for previous winners.

Non-Discrimination Statement

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.

Fieldwork and Families

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.

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Application Process

Applications will be judged according to the following criteria. There is no set number of criteria that must be fulfilled. However, the greater of criteria fulfilled, the stronger the application.

• The application includes education and outreach – local, regional national, international.
• The project includes activities to ensure long-term site maintenance.
• The archaeologists, conservators, and other professionals have suitable credentials (Ph.D. for archaeologists and MS/MA for conservators in the appropriate areas and/or publication of previous fieldwork and commitment to site conservation and documentation).
• The project has innovative components.
• The project develops a tool/methodology that may be useful for other sites/projects.
• The project demonstrates “best practices” in some aspect of site preservation.
• The project demonstrates a high level of involvement of local authorities and personnel.
• The site has a maintenance plan in place.
• The site has a master/management plan in place.

Application Form