Graduate Scholarships & Awards

In addition to the internal Anthropology awards below, the department also facilitates numerous fellowships for graduate students across the UNM campus listed in the UNM Anthropology Graduate Funding Guide.

DEPARTMENT AWARDS

The following awards are departmental and open to all students regardless of subfield/concentration. Eligible students may self-nominate for these department awards, fellowships, and honors. Please see the eligibility and application instructions for each award and contact the Subfield Advisor or the Academic Advisor with any questions.
Note: some competitions may not be held every year.

Anthropology Dissertation Fellowship

Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, a fellowship of $27,000 and a graduate assistantship is provided to a doctoral student who has completed their research and will write and defend their dissertation within a year of the award date. The award consists of $25,000 scholarship plus $2,000 for professional development. The recipient is also offered a .25 FTE assistantship contract that covers an additional monthly stipend, tuition for six dissertation credits, and health insurance. The student must complete the dissertation during the period of support. Anthropology graduate students in any of the three subfields, Archaeology, Evolutionary Anthropology, or Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology, are eligible for consideration. Please note that the subfields rotate the award each year. Dissertation projects that reflect interdisciplinary approaches in anthropology, and/or are oriented toward policy implications of anthropological research are especially welcomed.

Award: $25,000 stipend + $2,000 for professional development (total split per semester)
Application: Submit application form & CV to Subfield & Academic Advisors
Deadline: 3rd Friday in April
Distribution: Following academic year
Note: Recipient is also offered an assistantship to cover tuition and health insurance
Subfields rotate award each academic year

Anthropology Research Development Award

Provides $500 to students for graduate research in Anthropology. Two awards each for Public Archaeology, Archaeology, Evolutionary Anthropology, and Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology per year (four total each semester), dependent on funding availability.

Award: $500
Application: Submit application form, 750-word proposal, budget, and CV as one PDF file to Subfield & Academic Advisors
Deadline: Monday before Fall Break & Monday before Spring Break
Distribution: Same semester application is submitted (November for fall, April for spring)

Anthropology Student Travel Award

The Anthropology Student Travel Award is for students in good standing who are participating in a conference to cover travel, food, lodging, conference fees, etc. Travel awards can be up to $500 each and cover any time of that academic year for travel through June 16th. Applications can also be retroactive or in advance of one semester (for example in cases where an abstract was accepted and conference attended after previous deadline). Each of the three subfield is limited to two awards per year (three total each semester), dependent on funding availability. Students can receive funds only every other year (more often if there are no other qualified candidates), and there is a limit of three total travel grants during a student’s time at the University of New Mexico.

Award: $500
Application: Submit application form, CV, and conference information as one PDF file to Subfield & Academic Advisors
Deadline: Monday before Fall Break & Monday before Spring Break
Distribution: Based on reimbursement receipt dates (see application)

Frieda D. Butler Scholarship

The Frieda D. Butler Award is an annual award in honor of the memory of Mrs. Butler, who established an endowment in 1975, when her grandson, Dr. Richard A. Barrett, was a member of the department faculty. In 1981 Butler’s daughter Margaret A. Barrett, requested that a portion of the fund’s income be used for “a small award to a promising graduate student in anthropology.” Students receive a $500 honorarium, and the student must deliver a public lecture. The student must have an exceptional academic record and must be at least in the semester in which they complete the Master’s Degree. The student must not have taken their PhD Comprehensive Exam nor their Doctoral Specials Exam. If the MA is already earned, it must not have been awarded more than three years ago. The student must have done some primary research, including fieldwork or museum collections analysis, that forms the basis of the lecture. The student must deliver a public lecture through the Anthropology Colloquium.

Award: $500 + public lecture
Application: Submit letter of intent with title and lecture description, and CV to Subfield & Academic Advisors
Deadline: Monday before Fall Break
Distribution: Spring semester (February)

Hibben Doctoral Research Award (Senior Hibben)

The Hibben Doctoral Research Award is open to students in good academic standing, who have passed their PhD Comprehensive and Doctoral Specials Exams, and whose dissertation proposal has been approved by their subfield. Students in the research phase may be favored. The Department of Anthropology and the Maxwell Museum invite applications for two categories of the Hibben Doctoral Research Award:

1) Anthropological research in the Southwest, with an emphasis on public anthropology*
2) Research focused on Mawell Museum collections

Students applying under Category 2 (research focused on Maxwell Museum collections) must obtain permission from relevant curator prior to submitting an application. Awards of up to $16,000 will be available in each category. There is no service component to this award, but the award may not be given in conjunction with other major awards (such as the Mellon, RWJF, PIBBS, or .75 FTE Assistantships).

Award: Up to $16,000
Application: Submit CV and letter of intent summarizing 1) proposed research project, 2) academic and career goals, and 3) how the award facilitates dissertation completion to the Subfield and Academic Advisors
Deadline: 2nd Friday of Spring semester (January)
Distribution: Following academic year

*Public Anthropology: Anthropological work that seeks to address larger social concerns beyond the boundaries of the discipline and the academy. It necessarily involves community engagement and communication with non-academic as well as academic audiences, and the promotion of public conversation about broad social issues. It may involve community-based, collaborative, and participatory approaches in any or all phases of research, from problem definition and design to the dissemination of findings. It seeks to fuse theory with practice, and to achieve social value for specific communities of study and/or the wider public.

New Mexico Folklore Scholars Endowment Award

The New Mexico Folklore Scholars Endowment Award alternates annually between the Department of Anthropology (even years) and the Department of English (odd years), and provides support to a student engaged in New Mexico folklore scholarship. Anthropology graduate or undergraduate students with an exceptional academic record may apply. Students must have been involved in some investigative research and writing in the area of New Mexico Folklore that is part of a larger project, such as an honors paper or graduate thesis. Students must present a lecture on a paper or dissertation in the area of Folklore with a preference given to Southwest Folklore, which could include interests such as tourism, folklore, ethno-history, and cultural representation. Students must be able to deliver the public lecture at the designated time. Students receive an honorarium of approximately $300.

Award: $300 + public lecture
Application: Submit letter of intent with title and lecture description, and abstract or paper of folklore research to Subfield and Academic Advisors
Deadline: Monday before Fall Break, even years
Distribution: Spring semester (February)

Ruth E. Kennedy Award

The Ruth E. Kennedy Award is given annually by the Department of Anthropology to honor the memory of Ruth E. Kennedy, wife of Edwin L. Kennedy, a major donor to the Maxwell Museum. Initiated in 1981, the award recognizes Mrs. Kennedy’s abiding interest in public education. The award is open to PhD students with an exceptional academic record, who have passed their PhD Comprehensive and Doctoral Specials Exams. The dissertation proposal must be approved, and the dissertation research must be completed and at least in the analysis phase. If dissertation is completed, the defense must have been in the past year. The student must be able to deliver public lecture at the designated time. The student receives an honorarium of $500.

SUBFIELD-SPECIFIC AWARDS

The following awards are subfield-specific, so they will be open only to students from designated subfields. Eligible students may self-nominate for these awards. Please see the eligibility and application instructions for each award and contact the Subfield Advisor or the Academic Advisor with any questions.
Note: some competitions may not be held every year.

ARCHAEOLOGY AND PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY

ConocoPhillips Archaeology Scholarship

This scholarship supports full-time undergraduate or graduate students continuously enrolled at the University who (i) are seeking a degree in Anthropology with a concentration in Archaeology and (ii) have been selected to participate in the New Mexico State Land Office internship (for information on this internship program, contact the Public Archaeology Subfield Advisor). The scholarship is restricted to students enrolled in an archaeology program (awardees may be undergraduate Archaeology concentrators, Public Archaeology graduate students, or Archaeology Ph.D. students). Awardees must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher. Up to $20,000 is available. Multiple awards for lesser amounts may be made. Each awarded student will hold the scholarship for one calendar year; no previously awarded student shall be allowed to renew the scholarship thereafter.

Award: Up to $20,000
Application: Must be NMSLO intern; submit statement addressing eligibility criteria and CV as one PDF file to Public Archaeology and Archaeology Subfield Advisors, Undergraduate Archaeology Faculty Advisor, & Academic Advisor
Deadline: First Friday of October
Distribution: Following calendar year

Frank J. Broilo, Harry W. and Margaret Basehart Memorial Endowed Scholarship (Archaeology)

The Frank J. Broilo, Harry W. and Margaret Basehart Memorial Endowed Scholarship is awarded annually by the Department of Anthropology. It honors the memory of Frank J. Broilo, the first director of UNM’s Office of Contract Archaeology until his death in 1979; Professor W. Basehart, professor emeritus of anthropology until his death in 1979 and editor of the Department’s Journal of Anthropological Research from 1962 to 1974, and 1981 to 1982; and his wife Margaret Basehart, who died in 1992. Awards are made yearly and alternate between Archaeology (even years) and SCALA (odd years). The award provides a $500 stipend and is processed in the Spring semester.

Award: $500
Application: Submit conference paper or poster to Subfield & Academic Advisors
Deadline: Monday before Spring Break, even years
Distribution: Same semester application is submitted (April)

Moore Archaeology Research Grants

The Moore Archaeology Research Grants consist of awards of up to $1,000 to be used by Public Archaeology and Archaeology students in good standing for research, including but not limited to collections visits, dissertation site prospecting, sample analysis, and equipment purchase. Applications are solicited by the Archaeology Subfield twice a year, once in the Fall and once in the Spring. Typically, up to three students from the subfield are selected as grant recipients each semester, depending on funding. Fall research grants can be used to cover activities during that fall or subsequent Spring and Summer semesters. Spring research grants can be used to cover activities during that Spring or subsequent Summer and Fall semesters. If not funded the first time, a revised proposal for the same research may be resubmitted, but the same proposal can only be submitted in two consecutive funding cycles. Students can receive one research grant every two years.

Award: Up to $1,000
Application: Submit 1000-word proposal (proposed project & relation to research), budget, and CV as one PDF file to the Subfield and Academic Advisors
Deadline: First Friday in October for Fall and first Friday in March for Spring
Distribution: Same semester application is submitted (November for Fall, April for Spring)

Moore Archaeology Travel Grants

The Moore Archaeology Travel Grants consist of up to $500 to be used by Public Archaeology and Archaeology students in good standing traveling to professional meetings. Awards are given only to students participating in a conference as a presenter or session organizer to cover travel, food, lodging, or conference fees. The Archaeology Subfield solicits applications twice a year, once in the Fall and once in the Spring. Typically, up to three students from the subfield are selected as grant recipients each semester, depending on funding Fall travel grants can be used to cover travel during that Fall or subsequent Spring and Summer semesters. Spring travel grants can be used to cover travel during the Spring or subsequent Summer and Fall semesters. If turned down the first time, students can submit a revised proposal for the same conference, but the same proposal can only be submitted in two consecutive cycles. Students can receive funds only every other year (more often if there are no other qualified applicants).

Award: Up to $500
Application: Submit application and CV to Subfield & Academic Advisors
Deadline: First Friday in October for Fall and first Friday in March for Spring
Distribution: Based on scholarship or reimbursement option

EVOLUTIONARY ANTHROPOLOGY

Joseph Powell Anthropology Endowment Fund for Evolutionary Anthropology

The purpose of this endowment is to support Evolutionary Anthropology graduate student research on the topic of human and non-human primate biological variation and behavioral ecology, both past and present. Students must be a current graduate student in good standing in the Evolutionary Anthropology program. Awards are $500, and one award per year is made.

Award: $500
Application: Submit 3-page max description of project and detailed budget, and CV to Subfield & Academic Advsiors
Deadline: March 1
Distribution: Same semester application is submitted (April)

SOCIOCULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY

Louise Lamphere - Alfonso Ortiz Center Policy Research Assistantship for Ethnology

Funded by Distinguished Professor emerita Dr. Louise Lamphere, the Louise Lamphere Policy Research Assistantship supports graduate students in the Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology doctoral program by providing stipend support for dissertation research involving policy issues and supporting internships with the College of Arts & Sciences. Eligible candidates must be in the Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology program and should be conducting research that is both collaborative and relevant to a policy issue. Possible areas of focus can include but are not limited to cultural heritage, health care, immigration, education, language issues, economic development, human rights, and the environment. Priority is given to applicants as follows:

First priority: students with commitment to policy/applied anthropology who have defended their proposals and are conducting fieldwork or writing their dissertation, resident in Albuquerque during the assistantship
Second priority: students with commitment to policy/applied anthropology who have defended their proposals and are conducting fieldwork or writing their dissertation, non-resident in Albuquerque during the assistantship
Third Priority: when 1 and 2 are not available, students who have completed coursework, are in the proposal writing stage, and can demonstrate a clear commitment to a policy/applied anthropology

The .50 FTE Research Assistant employment opportunity provides a monthly stipend, tuition up to twelve credit hours per semester, and health insurance. During the grant year, the recipient will work a maximum of 10 hours per week assisting the Alfonso Ortiz Center for Intercultural Studies Director. During the Spring term, the recipient will make a public presentation that addresses policy aspects or implications of their research. The presentation may be scheduled in the Anthropology Colloquium series or separately with the Anthropology Department or Maxwell Museum. Students may apply for a one-year renewal.

To apply, students submit application materials to the SCALA Subfield Advisor and the Academic Advisor on or before the third Friday in January. The application materials include a proposal that comprises of a description of the research topic and its relevance to a policy issue, a plan for collaboration with a community, NGO, or government agency, a plan of work and timeline for research and/or dissertation completion, and a current CV. The collaboration plan may involve a community, NGO, or agency that is not in Albuquerque or the U.S. The applicant should specify how collaboration would take place at a distance.

Award: .50 FTE RA (monthly stipend + health insurance + 12 credits of tuition/semester)
Application: Submit proposal to Subfield & Academic Advisors
Deadline: Third Friday in January
Distribution: Following academic year

DEPARTMENT-NOMINATED AWARDS

The following section describes awards available through the Department of Anthropology for which students must be nominated by the department and/or subfields (i.e., students cannot apply for themselves). For questions about these awards, please contact the Academic Advisor, Subfield Advisor, and/or the Department Administrator.

David E. Stuart Scholarship in Public Anthropology

The David E. Stuart Scholarship for students in Public Anthropology was established by Dr. David Stuart, former faculty member and Associate Provost at the University of New Mexico. The purpose of the award is to encourage the study and practice of Anthropology in a way that is accessible to the public. It is an annual award providing up to $1,000 ($500 per semester) for either a UNM undergrad entering their senior year, or a UNM graduate student. The award is open to full or half time students in the Anthropology program. The David E. Stuart Scholarship can be awarded to one student for a maximum of two consecutive years.

Award: Up to $1,000, renewable for two years
Application: None - student nominated by subfield
Deadline: April 15
Distribution: Following academic year

Frank J. Broilo, Harry W. and Margaret Basehart Memorial Endowed Scholarship (SCALA)

The Frank J. Broilo, Harry W. and Margaret Basehart Memorial Endowed Scholarship is awarded annually by the Department of Anthropology. It honors the memory of Frank J. Broilo, the first director of UNM’s Office of Contract Archaeology until his death in 1979; Professor W. Basehart, professor emeritus of anthropology until his death in 1979 and editor of the Department’s Journal of Anthropological Research from 1962 to 1974, and 1981 to 1982; and his wife Margaret Basehart, who died in 1992. Awards are made yearly and alternate between Archaeology (even years) and SCALA (odd years). SCALA candidates are nominated by the subfield. The award provides a $500 stipend and is processed in the Spring semester.

Award: $500
Application: None - student nominated by subfield
Deadline: Monday before Spring Break, odd years
Distribution: Same semester nomination is submitted (April)

Karl H. Schwerin Graduate Fellowship in Ethnology

The Karl H. Schwerin Graduate Fellowship in Ethnology is awarded annually by the Department of Anthropology to deserving graduate students pursuing a course of study in Social, Cultural, or Linguistic Anthropology. Professor Schwerin, former chair of the department (1987-1993), endowed the fellowship, which was first awarded in 1998. The fellowship is an annual award and should be paid on a yearly basis. The Schwerin Graduate Fellowship is awarded to a student who has not yet begun doctoral field research and only to an individual who has so far received minimal or no support. The fellowship award amount varies depending on interest drawn from an endowment account. Awards in previous years were approximately $500. A recipient is chosen in the Spring (mid-April) for the following Summer and/or Fall semester.

Award: $500
Application: None - student nominated by subfield
Deadline: Second Friday in April
Distribution: Following Summer/Fall

Linda Cordell Endowed Graduate Scholarship for Archaeology

Dr. Linda Cordell was a remarkable scholar. An archaeologist of the American Southwest, she taught at the University of New Mexico from 1971 to 1987, during which time she directed the UNM Southwest Field Schools at Tijeras Canyon, Rowe Pueblo, and Teypama, and produced the first modern synthesis of Southwestern Archaeology (still in print). Dr. Cordell influenced a generation of UNM students, rising in the ranks to become a Full Professor, then Department Chair, and then Vice-President for Research. During her career, she received numerous honors including election to the National Academy of Sciences, Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the A.V. Kidder Medal for Eminence in American Archaeology, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of American Archaeology. Dr. Cordell passed away in March 2013. The Cordell Scholarship is awarded annually to an outstanding graduate student in Archaeology. The recipient is selected by the Archaeology faculty.

Award: $1,000
Application: None - student nominated by subfield
Deadline: Second Friday in March
Distribution: Following academic year ($500 Fall, $500 Spring)

RECRUITMENT AWARDS

The following section lists awards used by the Department of Anthropology as recruitment funds to offer students competitive admission to the graduate program. These funds are awarded to incoming graduate students during the admissions cycle, and current students cannot apply for themselves. For questions about these awards, please contact the Academic Advisor and/or Subfield Advisor.

Frank C. Hibben Recruitment Scholars

The Department of Anthropology and the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology provide recruitment assistantship offers to support graduate education in Anthropology at the University of New Mexico through the support of the Frank C. Hibben Trust. This program, named for and endowed by the late Dr. Frank C. Hibben, an archaeologist who was a Professor of Anthropology and former Director of the Maxwell Museum, provides awards for incoming students. Eligible candidates must identify as:

Native American graduate students studying Southwestern archaeology
Native American graduate students in other fields of anthropology
Non-Native American graduate students studying Southwestern archaeology
Native American and non-Native American graduates of UNM
Non-Native American graduate students in other fields of anthropology

Subfields nominate eligible, admitted students to the Graduate Committee in February of each year. The Graduate Committee selects the final slate of nominees, but all awards are subject to approval by the Hibben Trust Board. Awardees may have their awards renewed for up to three years total, subject to the Trust’s approval and to satisfactory progress in the program. Awardees must complete a 10-hours-a-week service requirement in the Maxwell Museum.

Award: .25 FTE RA (monthly stipend + health insurance + 9 cr. tuition/semester), renewable for three years total
Application: None - student nominated by subfield
Deadline: February
Distribution: Following academic year

Harvey C. & Sarah Moore Endowed Fellowship

This fund was established in 2013 to honor the lives of Harvey C. and Sarah M. Moore. Dr. Moore graduated in 1950 and taught at American University. This fellowship is for recruitment and support of incoming graduate students. Each subfield is allotted a fixed amount every year to use at their discretion for recruitment purposes including visits and scholarships.

Award: Varies by subfield
Application: None - student nominated by subfield
Deadline: During admissions cycle
Distribution: Summer (for visits) or following academic year

Spuhler Award for Evolutionary Anthropology

The Spuhler Award is named after James Norman Spuhler, a leading figure in the establishment of the field of anthropological genetics and a distinguished professor of anthropology at the University of New Mexico from 1967 to 1984. This award is typically used by the Evolutionary Anthropology faculty to recruit an outstanding graduate student. In years when it is not given to a newly recruited student, the award may be given to an outstanding current graduate student in Evolutionary Anthropology. Nominees must be in the Evolutionary Anthropology program. The recipient is selected by the Evolutionary Anthropology faculty. Priority is given to nominees as follows:
First priority: applicants to the PhD program
Second priority: current students in the PhD program

Award: Varies
Application: None - student nominated by subfield
Deadline: During admissions cycle
Distribution: Following academic year