Engaged Research Grant

Funding Agency:
Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research

Engaged Research Grants support research partnerships that empower those who have historically been among those researched in anthropology, rather than researchers themselves.   Designed in alliance with individuals who have born the impact of various kinds of marginalization, these partnerships bring together scholars and their interlocutors in the mutual production of anthropological knowledge aimed at combatting inequality and promoting the flourishing of human and more than human worlds.  The program supports projects that promise to make a significant contribution to anthropological conversations through collaborations in which engagement is a central feature of a project from the very start.  

All anthropological research involves the forging of ethical relationships.  At a minimum, researchers should acknowledge the contributions of interlocutors and compensate them appropriately for their labor and time.   Projects funded under the Engaged Research Grant go further.  Interlocutors are not simply participants in this research; they have an active role in determining the problems explored.   The program targets research that has more potential when done together.  The partnerships funded through it begin with the formulation of research questions and can extend to data gathering, skill sharing, scholarly communication, and public mobilization.   The engaged research occurs in a broad range of settings, from communities to courtrooms, government offices, and laboratories.  It results in findings that are meaningful and potentially transformative for research participants and others with a stake in the collaboration.  Through this program, the Foundation seeks to demonstrate how engagement can foster innovation and further anthropological thought.

This program is open to applicants with postdoctoral researchers in anthropology and students enrolled in a doctoral program (or equivalent, if applying from outside the United States) at the time of application. There is no preference for any methodology or subfield. Individuals of all nationalities pursuing doctorates in anthropology or equivalent fields are eligible to apply. 

The maximum amount of the Engaged Research Grant is US $20,000. Grants are non-renewable.  Funding may be requested to cover distinct research phases (for example, two summers) if this is part of the research design.  The research must be completed within four years of the starting date of the grant. 

Deadline: August 1.

Agency Website

http://www.wennergren.org/programs/engaged-research-grants

Eligibility Requirements

  1. Applicants must have doctorates in anthropology or a related field or currently be enrolled for a doctoral degree in anthropology or a related field.
  2. Applicants enrolled in doctoral programs must apply jointly with an academic mentor.  The academic mentor should be the dissertation supervisor or other scholar willing to provide scholarly supervision. 
  3. All applicants must submit evidence of commitment from the community, such as a letter of support from community leaders, minutes from a community meeting, a research permit, and/or other appropriate indications of support.  This evidence must take a form consistent with community processes, policies, and protocols.   It should include detailed information on what the stakeholders have agreed to do in support of the project. 
  4. Qualified postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students are eligible without regard to nationality or institutional or departmental affiliation.
  5. Applicants may not apply for the Dissertation Fieldwork Grant or Post-PhD Research Grant and the Engaged Research Grant during the same academic year.
  6. Special note for doctoral students: The Foundation will not release grant funds to an applicant who has not successfully completed all requirements for the doctoral degree other than the dissertation/thesis.  Students may apply before completing these requirements.  However, they must have firm plans to fulfill them before the start date listed on the application form.

Amount

$20,000

Funding Type

Grant

Eligibility

Faculty
Grad/Prof Students
Post Doctoral Fellows

Category

Social Sciences

External Deadline

August 1, 2022