AFS Launches a Fieldwork Grant to Support Student Research

Thanks to a generous gift from the Noyes-Krippendorf Fund of the Columbus Foundation, the American Folklore Society is delighted to announce the launch of the AFS Graduate Fieldwork Grant, a 5-year program to support ethnographic fieldwork by graduate students.

The gift will support multiple awards each year. In 2022, AFS will offer two grants of $4000 each. AFS will then offer three grants of $4000 and one of $8000 each year from 2023 to 2026.

The AFS Graduate Fieldwork Grant program provides more than just financial support; it also includes mentoring and grant-writing guidance to strengthen applications for future funding from external sources. 

The goal of the grant program is to foster excellence in folklore research by enabling students to develop ambitious projects grounded in long-term ethnographic engagement. Recipients will also benefit professionally from the visibility and enhanced mentoring provided by the program. Projects are selected based on their intellectual excellence and the likelihood that the applicant will make a productive career in the field of folklore.

The program is also intended to foster the emergence of robust, diverse cohorts of new researchers whose conversations will cumulatively advance the field of folklore studies and strengthen the Society. We hope that this 5-year program will attract attention to our field, lead faculty to encourage their students to join AFS, motivate students to remain engaged, and pave the way for further donations to support an ongoing effort. If you’d like to learn more about how to support this program, contact Executive Director Jessica Turner. 

Students can apply now for the two $4000 grants offered this year; applications are due May 1. Applicants should receive notification of the award by June 1, and may begin their fieldwork at any time through May 2023. See the call for proposals for more information.