Opportunity Information: Apply for 15 554
Apply for 15 554
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Arch Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Awards" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 6, 2015 and posted on Mar 6, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Proposals accepted anytime. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,200,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Who May Submit Proposals Proposals may only be submitted by the following Universities and Colleges doctoral degree granting universities and colleges accredited in, and having a campus located in, the US acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions. Who May Serve as PI DDRI proposals must be submitted with a principal investigator (PI) and a co principal investigator (Co PI) who is the dissertation student.The PI must be the advisor of the doctoral student or another faculty member at the U.S. university where the doctoral student is enrolled.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Archaeology Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Awards (DDRI) program (Funding Opportunity Number 15-554) provides discretionary grant funding to support doctoral dissertation research in archaeology that is clearly grounded in anthropological questions and significance. The core expectation is that applicants make a strong case for how the proposed archaeological work contributes to broader anthropological knowledge, rather than being narrowly descriptive or purely regional in importance. NSF emphasizes that the intellectual payoff needs to be framed in an anthropological context, meaning the proposal should connect archaeological evidence to larger debates about human behavior, culture, social organization, evolution, or related anthropological themes.
A notable feature of this opportunity is its breadth. The program sets no priorities by geographic region or time period, so projects can be based anywhere in the world and focused on any archaeological era, as long as the research is anthropologically relevant and well justified. NSF also does not privilege any particular theoretical orientation or research question in advance. Instead, the burden is on the applicant to explain why the chosen theory, questions, and approach are significant, innovative, and likely to produce insights that matter beyond the specific site or dataset. This makes the competition less about fitting into a preselected topical niche and more about demonstrating the importance, rigor, and potential contribution of the proposed dissertation research.
In terms of the kinds of work supported, NSF does not narrowly define acceptable project categories, but it indicates that most DDRI requests typically fall into two broad areas: (1) funding for field research and (2) funding for the analysis of archaeological materials using multiple approaches. This can include excavation, survey, sampling, and other field activities, as well as laboratory and analytical work such as artifact analyses, chronometric dating, bioarchaeological approaches, geochemical sourcing, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, remote sensing, quantitative modeling, and other interdisciplinary methods, provided the work is tied to anthropological questions. The program also explicitly welcomes methodological projects that develop or refine analytical techniques that could be valuable to archaeology more broadly, meaning proposals that advance tools or methods (not just apply them) can be competitive when the broader archaeological value is clear.
The award is administered as a grant under NSF's Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, within CFDA 47.075 (Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences). NSF anticipated making about 50 awards with an estimated total funding level of $1,200,000 for the referenced cycle, and the opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching funds.
Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based academic institutions. Proposals may be submitted only by doctoral degree-granting universities and colleges that are accredited in the United States and have a campus located in the U.S., and they must submit on behalf of their faculty members. The submission structure is specific: a DDRI proposal must list both a Principal Investigator (PI) and a Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI). The PI must be the doctoral student’s dissertation advisor or another faculty member at the U.S. university where the student is enrolled, and the dissertation student must be listed as the Co-PI. In practice, this means the institution submits the proposal, the faculty member leads as PI, and the student is formally included as Co-PI as the dissertation researcher.
The timeline is flexible compared to many grant programs. The posted and creation date for this solicitation is March 6, 2015, and proposals are accepted at any time (no fixed deadline), which can be especially helpful for dissertation projects that need to align with field seasons, permitting schedules, lab access, or other research constraints.
For additional details, NSF points applicants to NSF Publication 15-554. For technical access issues with the announcement through Grants.gov, NSF directs users to contact grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF Archaeology Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Awards (DDRI) - Funding Opportunity Number 15-554
What is the NSF Archaeology DDRI program (15-554)?
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Archaeology Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Awards (DDRI) program (Funding Opportunity Number 15-554) provides discretionary grant funding to support doctoral dissertation research in archaeology that is clearly grounded in anthropological questions and significance.
What is the main goal NSF expects proposals to meet?
The core expectation is that applicants make a strong case that the proposed archaeological research contributes to broader anthropological knowledge. NSF indicates that projects should not be narrowly descriptive or purely regional in importance; instead, the proposal should frame the intellectual payoff in an anthropological context.
Does the research need to connect to anthropology, or can it be purely archaeological?
NSF emphasizes that the work needs to be framed in an anthropological context, connecting archaeological evidence to larger debates about human behavior, culture, social organization, evolution, or related anthropological themes.
Are there geographic or time-period restrictions for proposed research?
No. The program sets no priorities by geographic region or time period. Projects can be based anywhere in the world and focus on any archaeological era, as long as the research is anthropologically relevant and well justified.
Does NSF favor particular topics, theories, or research orientations for this DDRI?
No specific theoretical orientation or research question is privileged in advance. The burden is on the applicant to explain why the theory, questions, and approach are significant, innovative, and likely to produce insights that matter beyond the specific site or dataset.
What kinds of dissertation work does this program typically support?
NSF indicates that most DDRI requests typically fall into two broad areas: (1) funding for field research and (2) funding for analysis of archaeological materials using multiple approaches. The key requirement is that the work is tied to anthropological questions.
Does the program support fieldwork like excavation or survey?
Yes. Supported field activities can include excavation, survey, sampling, and other field research activities, provided they are clearly linked to anthropological questions and significance.
Does the program support lab work and specialized analyses?
Yes. NSF describes laboratory and analytical work as commonly supported, including approaches such as artifact analyses, chronometric dating, bioarchaeological approaches, geochemical sourcing, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, remote sensing, quantitative modeling, and other interdisciplinary methods, as long as these are tied to anthropological questions.
Are methodological or tool-development dissertation projects allowed?
Yes. The program explicitly welcomes methodological projects that develop or refine analytical techniques that could be valuable to archaeology more broadly. Proposals that advance tools or methods (not just apply them) can be competitive when the broader archaeological value is clear.
How should applicants demonstrate broader impact beyond a single site or region?
Based on NSF's stated expectations, applicants should explain how the archaeological evidence and proposed analyses connect to larger anthropological debates and how the results will contribute insights that matter beyond the specific site or dataset.
Who is eligible to submit a proposal?
Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based academic institutions. Proposals may be submitted only by doctoral degree-granting universities and colleges that are accredited in the United States and have a campus located in the U.S.
Can a student submit the DDRI proposal directly?
No. The institution submits the proposal on behalf of its faculty members, with a required PI/Co-PI structure that formally includes the dissertation student as Co-PI.
Who must be listed as the Principal Investigator (PI)?
The PI must be the doctoral student's dissertation advisor or another faculty member at the U.S. university where the student is enrolled.
Who must be listed as the Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)?
The dissertation student must be listed as the Co-PI.
What is the required submission structure for a DDRI proposal?
A DDRI proposal must list both a PI and a Co-PI. In practice, the institution submits the proposal, the faculty member serves as PI, and the dissertation student is included as Co-PI as the dissertation researcher.
Is cost sharing or matching funds required?
No. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching funds.
How many awards did NSF anticipate making for the referenced cycle, and what was the estimated funding level?
NSF anticipated making about 50 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $1,200,000 for the referenced cycle.
What NSF category and CFDA listing is associated with this award?
The award is administered as a grant under NSF's Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, within CFDA 47.075 (Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences).
When was this solicitation posted, and are there deadlines?
The posted and creation date for the solicitation is March 6, 2015. Proposals are accepted at any time, with no fixed deadline.
Why might the "no fixed deadline" submission be helpful for dissertation research?
This flexible timeline can help dissertation projects align submissions with field seasons, permitting schedules, lab access, or other research constraints.
Where can applicants find the official solicitation details?
NSF points applicants to NSF Publication 15-554 for additional details.
Who should applicants contact for technical issues accessing the opportunity through Grants.gov?
For technical access issues with the announcement through Grants.gov, NSF directs users to contact Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
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