Project Grants
Dumbarton Oaks makes a limited number of grants to assist with scholarly projects in Byzantine Studies, Pre-Columbian Studies, and Garden and Landscape Studies. The normal range of awards is $3,000–$10,000, and the funding may be used only for direct costs for which original documentation must be submitted at the conclusion of the project. Support is generally for archeological research, as well as for the recovery, recording, and analysis of materials that would otherwise be lost. Funding is typically awarded for transportation, meals, housing, vehicle rental, workmen's wages, costs of technical analyses, etc.; grants are not normally made for the purchase of computers or the salary of the principal investigator. Funds can only be disbursed to individuals, and not to academic or other institutions, and only on a reimbursement basis, upon submission of receipts, and after the final report has been submitted. Funds are available after July 1, 2013. The final report, and receipts must be received before June 1, 2014. Priority is given to applicants who have not previously received support from Dumbarton Oaks. Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- non-destructive investigation and/or excavation of a site or a (Byzantine, Pre-Columbian, Garden) component of a site
- materials analyses
- Surveying or photographing monuments and objects that are at risk (e.g. architecture, gardens, paintings, mosaics, and sculptures in situ), as well as objects that have already been collected but are largely unrecorded and endangered.
Pre-Columbian project awards are intended only to survey, excavate, and/or document sites, landscapes, or objects that are in imminent danger. Applicants should provide evidence that such sites, landscapes, or objects are under immediate threat. Garden and Landscape grants can be used for a broad array of projects in heritage conservation, including field research, site analysis, botanical surveys, and restoration planning, with the goal of promoting the understanding and preservation of historic gardens and other significant designed landscapes.
Qualifications and Conditions
Project grants are limited to applicants holding a doctorate or the equivalent, and are awarded on the basis of:
- ability and preparation of the principal project personnel (including knowledge of the requisite languages) and
- interest and value of the project to the specific field of study.
Individuals currently affiliated with Dumbarton Oaks are not eligible for the project grant program. Applications are reviewed by an external committee of scholars in the relevant field. Awards are made for projects conducted within the 2014 fiscal year (July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014).
Before applying, applicants must contact the appropriate Director of Studies, no later than October 1, 2012, to determine if the project is within the purview of Dumbarton Oaks.
The Directors of Studies may be reached by contacting their departments below:
Project awards are not offered purely for the purpose of travel, nor for work associated with a degree, library or archival research, catalogues, or conservation and restoration per se. When projects involve photography, Dumbarton Oaks requests that successful applicants provide a set of digital images to document the projects. Upon completion of their projects, grant recipients will be asked to submit brief reports of their work suitable for dissemination on the Dumbarton Oaks website. Byzantine project grant recipients may also be asked to submit longer reports for publication in Dumbarton Oaks Papers.
Applications
Please read and follow the online instructions. Applications, to be written in English, must be submitted electronically by November 1, 2012.
Document Actions
