KyOPA welcomes proposals from full and associate members on an annual basis for the KyOPA Small Research Grant. Our research grant program is intended for students and other members conducting independent research that contributes to a thesis, dissertation, or other publishable manuscripts. Grants will be awarded to support specialized analytical procedures that offer great potential to expand our knowledge of Kentucky archaeology. Examples of previously funded analyses include radiocarbon and luminescence dates, thin sectioning, micromorphology samples, scanning electron microscopy, and trace element analysis. Proposals are reviewed by the Small Research Grant Committee, composed of current members of the KyOPA Board of Directors. The amount of funding and the number of grants awarded are based on funds available, the merit of each application, and the number of applications. KyOPA strives to award at least one Small Research Grant per year totaling approximately $500. However, when funds are available, KyOPA will attempt to grant additional awards of an equal or lesser amount. This grant is made possible by funds raised from KyOPA membership dues and KyOPA fund raising events. In addition, 501c3 tax-deductible donations can be made at any time to fund additional grant awards – just click the “Donate” button (Paypal) on the lower right side of the KyOPA webpage!
Proposals are accepted at any time during the year. However, funding decisions are made once a year. All proposals submitted by January 1st of each year will be evaluated by KyOPA Small Research Grant Committee and an announcement will be made at that year’s Kentucky Heritage Council annual archaeology conference.
Proposals should be concise – no more than 2 pages of text in length not including figures, tables and references cited – and describe:
(1) A research question (ideally structured as a hypothesis/ test expectations).
(2) How the proposed work will address the research question.
(30 How the proposed work contributes to both local archaeology/history and broader anthropological/theoretical issues.
(4) A cost estimate of the analysis.
(5) The research question and methods should be supported by appropriate references cited and figures (when relevant).
Researchers who are awarded a KyOPA Small Research Grant are required to present the results of their KyOPA-funded analysis at the Kentucky Heritage Council (KHC) archaeological conference via a research poster or paper within two years of receiving the grant. A brief oral report of the analytical results will also be announced by the awardee at the KHC conference during the KyOPA business meeting. The research should also contribute to a thesis, dissertation, or a peer-reviewed publication such as an academic journal or edited volume.
Submit proposals as a PDF document via email to the KyOPA president (currently: Duane Simpson; duane.simpson@cardno.com) by the due date for review by the KyOPA Board of Directors. It is highly recommended that you contact the KyOPA president to discuss the suitability of the proposed research prior to submitting a proposal to the KyOPA grant program.