THE GRETCHEN GOULD AWARD FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELDWORK
Bridging Frontiers is excited to announce the new Gretchen Gould Award to support undergraduate international fieldwork experience. Bridging Frontiers is a non-profit organization committed to the study and preservation of the past by supporting student opportunities to participate in archaeological investigations abroad.Â
Participation in archaeological investigations is vital for students seeking employment as professional archaeologists, but cost is one of the prohibitive factors limiting opportunities for these experiences. These awards are meant to assist students with expenses related to pursuing fieldwork training experiences outside the United States.Â
The awards, ranging from 200-400 USD, are open to students majoring in archaeology or the related disciplines to help pay expenses related to participation in an archaeological field project. It is open to any US citizen accepted to participate in field investigations in any region or temporal period outside of the United States. The Bridging Frontiers committee will consider both academic merit and financial need in granting the awards.
CRITERIA:
To be considered for the award, applicants must detail answers to the following in a brief (750-1000 word) cover letter.
Prove they are currently enrolled at an accredited university and are US citizens undertaking fieldwork prior to beginning postgraduate studies.
Demonstrate they have been accepted to an archaeological investigation outside the United States that is at least two weeks in length.
Demonstrate both their academic merit and/or financial need to support participation at the field investigation.
Supply an essay that demonstrates the applicant’s intentions, their capabilities in undertaking advanced work in archaeology, and proof that additional field experience is required to achieve their goal.
Discuss how they are funding their field experience and how the Gretchen Gould Award will support these endeavors.
In addition to the essay, the applicant must supply a curriculum vitae, an outline of proposed expenses to participate in the field investigation, and a letter of reference from a member of the student’s academic department that discusses the merits of the applicant. Within the letter of reference, we would like to see a discussion on the merits and reputation of the overseas excavation. If the applicant has any other financial resources available or pending applications for grants/awards to help cover the fieldwork expenses, please note this in the outline of anticipated expenses.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The deadline for applying to the Gretchen Gould Award is April 30 (12.00 midnight EST). The student is required to submit a cover letter, CV, outline of anticipated expenses, and one academic letter of reference to bridgingfrontiers@gmail.com. Should an application be successful, funds will be paid directly to the student.
GRETCHEN GOULD
Gretchen Gould was an adventurous, curious soul. Born in the mid-1920's in Hawaii, she and her family relocated to the Pacific Northwest due to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Following her graduation from Vassar College with a Child Study degree and work that took her to Florida, she married Carl F. Gould, Jr in Seattle, WA. Early in the 1950's the two of them took off on a 16-month long bicycle/freighter/train trip around the world--exploring and enjoying the many different cultures, countries and their histories. As the avid advocate for learning Gretchen was--whether it was hands-on, higher education, or following one's own curious nature--the Gould family, following her passing in 2018, felt it appropriate to honor her legacy with the Gretchen Gould Award. Gretchen would be delighted to know her own adventurous, curious self was helping to influence others in the pursuit of work that is all about history, cultures, and peoples from around the world.