Scholarships and Grants

In keeping with its mission of promoting the study, preservation, and awareness of Texas archeology; encouraging scientific archeological exploration and research; supporting the preservation and conservation of archeological materials and sites; and providing for the interpretation and publication of the recovered data, the Texas Archeological Society has established several scholarships and grants.

Multicultural Program

Support for participation in Texas Archeological Society activities is provided through outreach efforts currently clustered under the Multicultural Program: Diversity Scholarships, Native American Scholarships, and Collegiate Scholarships.  While it was hoped that many under-served groups would be reached by the original Multicultural Relations Committee, the focus of that group was initially on increasing participation by Native Americans in Society programs.  It soon became apparent that enlarging the focus called for restructuring and bringing in an additional committee whose goal was to reach and involve other, non-Native Americans, in Society programs. Involving young people in Society activities was also a goal.

The Multicultural Program now serves as an umbrella over three scholarship programs.  Each is administered by a sub-committee whose members review all applications and choose the recipients, or in the case of the Native American Scholarship Sub-Committee, solicit recipients from appropriate Native American groups.  The members of the initial Multicultural Relations Committee now form the Native American Scholarship Sub-Committee.  The Diversity Sub-Committee directs efforts at reaching Hispanic, African-American, and other ethnic groups.  The Collegiate Scholarship Sub-Committee focuses on collegiate recipients.  The chairs of these three sub-committees and the TAS Executive Director form a Multicultural Program Committee that oversees the activities and funding of the component sub-committees.  The chair of the Native American Scholarship Sub-Committee takes the lead in the Multicultural Program Committee.

The Multicultural Program is at this time entirely financed by donations and encourages participation in Field School, Annual Meeting, and the Archeology Academies.  [Descriptions of these activities may be found elsewhere on this Web site.]  All three sub-committees work to secure funding for and increase awareness of these scholarships to attend Society functions.  The number of individuals who can be supported by the scholarships is largely dependent on the donations received.

Primary support has historically been from the state association for professional archeologists (the Council of Texas Archeologists), cultural resource management firms, and individual members of the Society.  Growth in the donations would allow for more recipients to participate.

Grants

Though money is limited, what is available can provide some support for professional and avocational researchers, and students for specific projects or events.

Money for grants comes from earnings on the Donors' Fund—an endowment fund—whose principal remains untouched.  This fund is administered by six trustees, who review grant proposals and make recommendations to the Board of Directors on awarding the requested funds.

Interested in donating or participating?  More information on—and application instructions for—Donors’ Fund grants and the Multicultural Program scholarships (Diversity, Native American, and Collegiate) is available elsewhere on this Web site.