Archaeology and Archaeometry
The NSF Archaeology and Archaeometry Program funds research and technique development in anthropological archaeology, offering multiple grant competitions for students, senior researchers, and high-risk projects.
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Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: December 1, 2026 (Archaeometry target) | December 20, 2026 (Senior Research target) | July 1, 2027 (Senior Research target) | Archived opportunity—proposals not accepted
Funding Amounts: DDRI: up to $20,000 plus university overhead | HRRBAA: up to $35,000 total | Senior Research and Archaeometry: normally 2–3 years
Summary: Supports anthropologically significant archaeological research, archaeometric methods and infrastructure, dissertation research, and high-risk exploratory projects.
Description
The NSF Archaeology Program supports laboratory, field, and non-field research that advances anthropologically relevant archaeological knowledge and offers fundamental scientific insight. It sets no priorities by time period, geographic region, or specific research topic. Its four competitions cover dissertation research, senior investigator research, archaeometric techniques and infrastructure, and high-risk exploratory research in biological anthropology and archaeology.
Archaeometry support focuses on developing or refining analytical techniques and sustaining service laboratories or data archives. Projects applying established archaeometric techniques to specific archaeological questions belong in the senior research competition instead. The program also supports proposals under NSF-wide CAREER, EAGER, RAPID, and Research Experiences for Undergraduates supplement guidelines. This program description is archived; NSF directs researchers to NSF 23-566 for Senior Research and NSF 23-573 for Archaeometry.
