M. H. Wiener Annual Fellowship

About the M. H. Wiener Annual Fellowship

Eligibility: Individuals actively enrolled in a graduate program and individuals with a Masters or Doctorate in a relevant discipline. Applicants are welcome from any college or university worldwide. Independent scholars are also welcome to apply.

Former recipients of the Annual Fellowship or Wiener Laboratory Research Associate Appointment must wait two (2) years before applying for a Post- or Pre- Doctoral Fellowship.

Purpose: To conduct short-term, focused research at the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens as part of a program of research that addresses substantive problems pertaining to the ancient Greek world, or adjacent areas, through the application of interdisciplinary methods in the archaeological sciences. Wiener Laboratory facilities are especially well-equipped to support the study of human skeletal biology, archaeobiological remains (faunal and botanical), environmental studies, geoarchaeology (particularly studies in human-landscape interactions and the study of site formation processes), and ancient materials studies.

Term: Variable; up to nine (9) months with the next term beginning early September 2025. The applicant is expected to be present at the Wiener Laboratory during the tenure of the appointment. Contributions to the Athens-based ASCSA community during the tenure of the Annual Fellowship appointment, in the form of seminars, colloquia, and workshops, participation in School field trips, or some combination of these and other activities, are encouraged.

Compensation: Stipend up to $7000 plus waiver of School and Laboratory fees. Fellow pays room and board.

Application Instructions

All requests for Wiener Laboratory funding must be filed through the ASCSA application portal. Successful applicants for Wiener Laboratory funding will be automatically awarded either a Senior or Student Associate Membership in the ASCSA. Applicants for Annual Fellowship appointments who are no longer enrolled in a graduate program apply as Senior Associate Members. Applicants still enrolled in graduate programs apply as Student Associate Members. Applicants must provide all information requested on the ASCSA Wiener Laboratory Fellowships form for all fields marked with a red asterisk (*). A complete application consists of:

1. Cover sheet naming the applicant, current research interests, and title and brief summary of the proposed research project. Click here for a copy of the cover sheet.

2. Project Description (max. 4 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt) including: a) Objectives, Significance, and Background; b) Research description; c) Timeframe. The main body of the proposal should be a clear statement of the research questions to be addressed and must include:

• Objectives, Significance and Background: Briefly describe the project's major goals and their impact on the state of the field and how the proposed work relates to the present state of knowledge.
• Research Description: A technical description of research plan: activities, methods, data (including the approximate number of samples), and theory. It must explain what will be accomplished and how the stated goals will be achieved.
• Timeframe: A plan of how the research questions will be addressed throughout the proposed duration of the research. The expected results should be discussed, including milestones and expected dates of completion. Applicants should include a plan of publication/dissemination of the results, as well as list their proposed dates of study at the ASCSA.

3. Results of prior Wiener Laboratory Research. If the applicant has received Wiener Laboratory funding in the past, information on the prior award and its impact is required (no more than a page, double spaced, Times New Roman 12pt). Specify the following: name of the award; date of the submission of the final report; amount and period of support; the title of the project; summary of the results of the completed work, including any contribution to the development of archaeological science; publications resulting from the WL award and whether the affiliation was stated in the authorship; brief description of available samples, reference collections and other related research products that have been produced and not described elsewhere.

4. References cited. Reference information is required. Each reference must include the names of all authors in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication, the article title, book or journal title, volume number, page numbers and year of publication. Applicants should be especially careful to follow accepted scholarly practices in providing citations for source materials relied upon when preparing any section of the proposal. While there is no established page limitation, this section should include bibliographic citations only and should not be used to provide parenthetical information outside of the 4-page project description.

5. Budget. Itemized research budget and justification of how requested funds relate to proposed research. Limit of $7000.

6. Facilities, equipment, and other resources. Describe the facilities that are required to do the research, including any specialized equipment that is not available in Wiener Laboratory. Be specific about what resources you plan to use while at the Wiener Laboratory. If some experimental work will occur off-campus, explain how this will be achieved.

7. Permits. Copies of permit(s) or letters from relevant authorities to study proposed materials, and copies of permission(s) from relevant excavation or project directors to study the proposed materials must be included in this application.

8. Curriculum vitae consisting of (in this order): Name and contact information; educational history; employment history; short (50 word) description of research interests; up to 5 publications related to current research; up to 5 additional publications; up to 10 presentations; and up to 250 words on relevant experience and other important activities.

9. Letter of reference. One (1) letter of reference is required from a scholar in the field. The letter should comment on the value and feasibility of the project. The name, institutional affiliation and relationship of the referee to the applicant (if any) must be included in the application. Contact information for your referee must be provided on the ASCSA online application that is described below. Recommendations are due on the same date as the deadline for applications, unless otherwise noted. Upon submission of the online application, recommenders will be sent an automated email with instructions about how to submit their letters of recommendation. Or, applicants may choose to send the request at any time by clicking the "Send Request Now" button on the online application form. Recommenders will be asked to upload their letters via the online application system, Submittable. All recommendations are confidential. It is also acceptable for recommenders to submit letters directly to this email address: application@ascsa.org. 

10. Expected contributions to and impact on the Wiener Laboratory and the ASCSA community.

Review Criteria:

1. What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?

• How important is the proposed activity towards advancing knowledge and understanding within its field? 
• How well-qualified to conduct the project is the applicant? (If appropriate, the quality of prior supported work will be reviewed.) 
• To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original concepts?
• How well-conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Can the project be realized with the number of samples stated within the proposal?
• Is there sufficient access to resources?

2. What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?

• How well does the activity advance archaeological science in general?
• Does it lead to an interdisciplinary approach?
• Will the results enhance understanding issues of major archaeological importance and how broadly will they be disseminated?

Ready to Apply?

Questions about the Fellowship?

For information contact Dr. Panagiotis Karkanas (Lab Director) at TKarkanas@ascsa.edu.gr