Scholarships

Supporting Student Achievement

Student scholarships and awards support education, research, and overall success on campus and in the field. The Department of Anthropology and Geography and CSU offer a range of funds to help undergraduates and graduate students cover or offset costs and expenses associated with attending college, field programs, conference and other travel, and research and engagement.

Cultural Anthropology Scholarship (Undergraduate)

Anthropology Student presenting her research poster

The Cultural Anthropology Scholarship was established in April 2011 to celebrate the life of Esther Pressel, a professor of Anthropology at Colorado State University. This scholarship will recognize cultural anthropology students who demonstrate the inquisitive, active and exploratory nature of learning that she herself embodied.  Esther Pressel taught at CSU from 1968 to 2003.

To be eligible, you must:

  1. be majoring in Anthropology in the College of Liberal Arts
  2. have a cultural anthropology concentration
  3. be enrolled as an undergraduate
  4. maintain an overall GPA of 3.5
  5. in need of financial aid

For steps to apply and more information, visit the Colorado State University Scholarship Application (CSUSA) information page.  A committee appointed by the Department of Anthropology and Geography Chair shall select the recipient(s).

Colorado State University Scholarship Application

Indigenous Stewardship (Undergraduate or Graduate)

The Indigenous Stewardship scholarship was established in 2013 by Emerita Kathleen Pickering to support students that are traditionally underrepresented. Preference will be given to students who have a research interest and or community ties to indigenous populations.

To be eligible, you must:

  1. be majoring in Anthropology in the College of Liberal Arts,
  2. be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student,
  3. maintain an overall GPA of 3.0,

For steps to apply and more information, visit the Colorado State University Scholarship Application (CSUSA) information page. A committee appointed by the Department of Anthropology and Geography Chair shall select the recipient(s).

Colorado State University Scholarship Application
Child sitting on the shoulders of a woman
Student holding up the artifact she found in the field

Anthropology and Geography Field School Scholarship (All eligible)

The Department of Anthropology and Geography will provide modest financial support for Colorado State University undergraduate and graduate students to support Archaeology, Land Change Science (Geography), or Paleontology Field School endeavors. Funds shall be used to help cover necessary expenses associated with field school costs including tuition and supplies. Scholarships are made on a competitive basis.

To be eligible for the scholarship, you must:

  1. be a full-time graduate or undergraduate student enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts,
  2. have an overall and in major 3.0 GPA,
  3. be enrolled in one of the department's field school courses (**see more details below)
  4. complete a 500-word essay describing the chosen program of study, your interest in the specific program, how the completion of the program will further your career goals, and how you expect to be affected by participation in such work.

** To enroll in field school courses, students must apply to an individual field school and then be accepted into the program and course. More information on the field schools are available on our website, including contact information for field school directors.

Current field school courses include:

    • Archaeology Field School: ANTH 260, ANTH 460/660 (summer course)
    • Land Change Science Field School: GR 382A (summer course)
    • Paleontology Field School: ANTH 470 (summer course)

 

Anthropology Field School Scholarship Application

Applications are due April 20 by 11:59 p.m. MST. A committee appointed by the Department of Anthropology and Geography Chair shall select the recipient(s). Applicants will be informed of the selection by April 30.

Amanda Jones Field Study Abroad Award (All eligible)

In honor of alumna, Amanda (Mandy) Jones, the Department of Anthropology and Geography is pleased to invite applications for the Amanda Jones Field Study Abroad Award. Amanda was an Anthropology major with a keen interest in applied work. Her desire was to learn about other cultures by working in conjunction with communities to build sustainable futures. She participated in a field program for applied anthropology in Peru and found the experience to be one of the best of her undergraduate career, one that took her beyond the borders of the United States and brought to life her anthropology training. The Amanda Jones Award will provide up to $5,000, subject to tax withholding, to defer costs of an international field school or program in applied anthropology.

To be eligible for the award, you must:

  1. have completed 15 credits of an anthropology major at Colorado State University,
  2. identified an international field school or academic program that features applied anthropology,
  3. and complete a one-page essay describing the chosen program of study, your interest in the specific locale of the program, how the completion of the program will further your career goals, and how you expect to be affected by participation in such work.

Applications are due April 24 by 11:59 p.m. MST. A committee appointed by the Department of Anthropology and Geography Chair shall select the recipient(s). Applicants will be informed of the selection in early May.

Amanda Jones Field Study Abroad Award Application

Anthropology Scholarship Endowment (Graduate Students)

Anthropology graduates posing for photo holding sunflowers

The Anthropology Scholarship Endowment was established in 2008 for the benefit of graduate students in
any of the subdisciplines of Anthropology. To be eligible, you must:

  • be a full or part-time Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology at CSU.
  • have defended your dissertation proposal.
  • have maintained a GPA of 3.5.

Funding can be sought for field/lab/archival research or for writing the dissertation. To apply,
please submit a one-page description of your research project that includes:

  • the topic and the questions you are addressing.
  • the evidence you will collect and the methods for doing so.
  • the intellectual merit and broader social impacts of the research.

In addition, please include:

  • a schedule indicating when you will complete the different components of the research
    or dissertation.
  • a budget that indicates expenses associated with the acquisition of data or writing the
    dissertation. Please note that the amount of the award is contingent on returns on
    funds invested in the Anthropology Scholarship, so full funding of the budget will not be
    possible.

To apply, complete the application via link below. Applications must be submitted by January 15. A committee appointed by the Anthropology and Geography Department Chair shall select the recipient(s).

Application Opening Soon

Karen S. Greiner Endowment (Graduate Students)

The Karen S. Greiner Endowment is a fund administered by the CSU Department of Anthropology and Geography, which provides modest financial support ($500- $1500) for student projects that focus on the study and preservation of Colorado's rich archaeological record. Awards are made on a competitive basis, with research projects that are nearing completion and which will benefit most from the funds receiving special consideration. This award is only available to current CSU Anthropology majors or students in the CSU Anthropology graduate program.

Student proposal and overview (to be uploaded on the application form) should include a cover letter that provides contact information, a title page, names of references who will submit letters of recommendation (submitted separately -- see below) in addition to a 2-3 page proposal that includes the following:

1) an overview of the research that includes the question(s) to be addressed; the significance of these questions; and the methods used to address them

2) a description of the component of the research for which you are seeking funding and its importance with regard to the overall research design, and

3) a budget.

Applicants should direct references to submit letters of recommendation to Graduate Coordinator Mary Van Buren (mary.vanburen@colostate.edu) with Subject: "Greiner reference letter" and applicant's name by the application deadline.

Call for applications open: February 1
Application deadline: March 10
Award announcements: March 24
Recipients are expected to submit a brief report on the funded research by the following March 15.

In the event that no worthy proposals are received, the available funds will be added to the Endowment. 

Greiner Endowment Application
Field school students working in the field
Graduate student in green flannel shirt and pants take notes on small pad in front of thatched roof outdoors

Anthropology Graduate Student Research Award

The Department of Anthropology and Geography provides research funding of up to $1,500 to cover the cost of anthropological research (including travel, lodging, necessary research-related equipment or analyses). Award amounts are flexible and will vary based on the number of applicants, funding required for the conference, and amount of funding awarded from outside sources. Smaller sums of money will be awarded for local and regional research. See other scholarship and award opportunities on this page for additional funding.

Students may apply for research funds one (1) time per fiscal year (July 1-June 30). Master’s students are limited to receiving funds one (1) time during their tenure at CSU. Ph.D. students are not limited in the number of years they may apply.

Download the Research Award overview and budget form to be completed for the application and to review full award priorities, guidelines, and requirements (PDF coming soon).

Deadlines:

  • Application due by March 31
  • Travel and reimbursements must be between July – December.
  • Complete application form at button link below. Include research abstract, budget form signed by advisor, and other relevant information in form.
  • Final selections will be made within two weeks of the application closing date.

Requirements:

To be eligible you must meet the following requirements:

  • Student must be currently enrolled in the Department of Anthropology and Geography graduate program as a MA or PhD student.
  • Completed applications must include:
    • A research abstract (~100 words)
    • A budget form signed by the student’s advisor
    • Other relevant documents as outlined in the form
      Note: If traveling internationally, students are required to register with the Office of Education Abroad prior to departure http://educationabroad.colostate.edu/contact/.
  • After funds are awarded, the student MUST complete department and CSU reimbursement requirements, which will be shared with recipients.
Anthropology Graduate Student Research Application

Anthropology Graduate Student Conference Travel Award

The Department of Anthropology and Geography provides travel funding of up to $600.00 for graduate students to cover the cost of attending professional conference attendance to present research associated with their graduate work. This can include travel, lodging, and registration expenses). Students may apply for travel funds one (1) time per fiscal year (July 1-June 30).

Download the Conference Travel Award overview and budget form to be completed for the application and to review full award priorities, guidelines, and requirements (PDF coming soon).

Deadlines:

Application deadline March 1
Conference and reimbursements must be between July – December

Awards are determined by Anthropology Graduate Student Society representatives with support from department faculty. Final selections will be made within two weeks of the application closing date.

Requirements:

To be eligible you must meet the following requirements:

  • Student must be currently enrolled in the Department of Anthropology and Geography graduate program as a MA or PhD student.
  • Student must be an author or co-author on the presentation or poster.
  • Student must first apply for funding from the Graduate Student Council (GSC) Travel Award. However, the student need not receive funds from the GSC to be eligible for this award.
  • Completed applications must include:
    • A research abstract (~250 words)
    • A budget form signed by the student’s advisor
    • Airline and hotel reservation information
    • Other relevant documents as outlined in the form
      Note: If traveling internationally, students are required to register with the Office of Education Abroad prior to departure http://educationabroad.colostate.edu/contact/.
  • After funds are awarded, the student MUST complete department and CSU reimbursement requirements, which will be shared with recipients.
Graduate Student Travel Award Application
Master's student Riley Lynch with a demonstration at her thesis defense, March 2023. Lynch is advised by Dr. Heidi Hausermann and affiliate faculty Jessica Thrasher of the Colorado Stormwater Center (Image via Heidi Hausermann)