Financial Support

If registration fees might prevent your participation in the annual meeting, you may apply for a scholarship to reduce or eliminate the obstacle.

In memory of folklorist Gerald L. Davis, AFS provides a limited number of grants of up to $500 each year to persons of color who want to participate in the annual meeting. Recipients will receive complimentary AFS membership. Prospective applicants may be graduate students, community scholars, staff members of public folklore programs, or others who want to attend.

Applications should include the following in a single Word or PDF file:

• A brief curriculum vita, resume, or biography of your professional life.
• A letter detailing your specific reasons for wanting to attend the AFS annual meeting AND the impact you expect the meeting will have on your work.
• Your estimated expenses and the amount requested.

Supporting letters are not required. Applications received after the deadline may not be considered. Previous recipients are eligible to receive a second award, but you must apply again, and your application must be competitive. Members of AFS Cultural Diversity Committee will review the applications and select the grant recipients.

The deadline for applications is April 15.

To apply: complete this form.

For questions about the application process, contact [email protected].

Applications will be reviewed by the Cultural Diversity Committee, chaired by Fariha Khan and Mintzi Martinez-Rivera. For questions about the Award, contact the chairs at [email protected] and [email protected]. 

AFS offers a limited number of travel stipends on a competitive basis for folklorists and other cultural specialists from outside the United States and Canada. Stipends will vary between $500 and $800, depending on the availability of funds and the number of applicants.

The AFS particularly encourages applications from individuals who have limited or no institutional support for travel, as well as from independent scholars and freelance practitioners. Applicants should be in the early stages of their careers and have submitted a proposal to present at the Annual Meeting. Please note: this award is primarily for international scholars traveling to the meeting from abroad, rather than for international scholars already residing in North America. Previous recipients of international travel awards are not eligible to apply.

To apply for a travel stipend, please send the following in a single Word or pdf file:

• A letter introducing yourself and your work and describing how you will benefit from attending the AFS meeting.
• A statement of purpose (no more than 100 words) in which you briefly outline the paper or presentation you plan to make.
• A brief statement explaining how you will communicate your experience of the meeting to your home professional context. (The overall goal of the travel awards is to increase international communication and awareness of international issues in our field. Since the AFS has limited funding available, it is important for applicants to communicate their experience effectively to a larger professional community back home.)
• A current curriculum vitae.

The deadline for submission of applications is April 15. 

To apply: complete this form.

For questions about the application process, contact [email protected].

Applications will be reviewed by the Committee on International Issues. 

We also encourage AFS members and sections to spread the word, to help identify potential applicants, to collaborate with international colleagues in the application process, or to provide or seek matching funds to complement the possible AFS award. For example, by adding a visit to your campus or a consultation at your agency, you could fruitfully expand on an international visitor’s participation in the AFS meeting. We especially welcome AFS member assistance in organizing panels that include international participants.

International scholars and AFS members are invited to contact [email protected] to discuss ways in which they might work to expand international participation in the meeting.

AFS will provide stipends of $300 each to selected students whose presentations are accepted for the annual meeting program. There are no additional application requirements for these stipends; your presentation proposal, if accepted, will serve as your stipend application. Decisions will be made on the basis of the quality of the proposal and geographical representation among students’ institutions. Previous recipients of these stipends are not eligible. We will notify recipients in July.

The AFS Public Programs Section and the Independent Folklorists’ Section offer a travel stipend of $1000. The award supports travel costs (transportation, meeting registration, lodging and/or per diem expenses) for a member of the AFS Independent Folklorists’ Section involved in public folklore to attend the annual meeting and to present their work.

The stipend will be awarded to a member of the Independent Folklorists’ Section who submits a proposal to the upcoming annual AFS meeting program committee, and who demonstrates an interest in, and contribution to, the field of public folklore. The award is contingent on the applicant’s proposal being accepted for participation in the AFS meeting.

To qualify for the award applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Paid membership in the AFS Independent Folklorists’ Section, but not necessarily an AFS member.
• Live at least 100 miles from the meeting location.
• Be a member who earns a significant portion of her/his income from independent consulting work.
• Plan to attend the annual AFS meeting for at least two full days as well as the business meetings of the Public Programs and the Independent Folklorists’ Sections (where the recipient will be acknowledged and may be asked to briefly describe their participation).
• Not have made the same presentation at a previous AFS meeting.
• Not have received the award in the past two years.
• Be willing to serve on the selection committee the year following their award.

You may apply for both this award and the Women Independent Folklorists’ Travel Award, if you are eligible for both, and both will be reviewed by the same committee, but you can only receive one award.

How to Apply

The deadline for applications is April 15.

To apply: complete this form.

With you application, upload a letter of application (not to exceed three pages) with a narrative describing:

• How you will participate in the annual American Folklore Society meeting (paper session, panel, forum, workshop, or other event);
• Your work as an independent folklorist and your experience and interest in public folklore;
• The approximate proportion of your income that is derived from independent consulting work;
• The impact receiving the Independent Folklorists’ Travel Stipend will have on your ability to attend;
• How you hope to benefit from attending the meeting and what contribution your presence at the meeting will make to the field;
• Budget Estimate: Please estimate the travel expenses you expect to incur (Include airfare or other transportation costs, lodging and meal expenses, and meeting registration fees). It is understood that the $1000 stipend may not cover all expenses.
• Attach, in the same file, a current resume or cv.

Review Criteria

Applications are reviewed by the stipend selection committee, which is composed of a representative from the Independent Section, Public Programs Section, the Women’s Section, and the previous years’ recipients of the award, according to the following criteria:

• The quality and significance of the applicant’s work, as based on the narrative, abstract proposal and résumé.
• The extent to which the applicant’s attendance at the AFS meetings will benefit both the applicant and the field, especially in the area of public folklore.
• The feasibility of the budget and the applicant’s demonstrated need of the stipend in order to attend the meeting.

If you have questions about the Independent Folklorists’ Travel Stipend, contact the Selection Committee chair Thomas Grant Richardson at [email protected].

The Independent Folklorists’ Section gratefully acknowledges support from the AFS Public Programs Section to facilitate participation in the annual meeting by an independent folklorist.

For questions about the application process, contact [email protected].

The AFS Independent Folklorists’ Section and the Women’s Section offer a travel stipend of $750 to attend the Annual Meeting. The award will support travel costs (transportation, meeting registration, lodging and/or per diem expenses) for a member of the AFS Independent Folklorists’ Section and the Women’s Section who is working on women’s issues to attend the annual meeting and to present their work.

The awardee will be notified prior to the AFS presentation proposal deadline (March 31). The award is contingent on the applicant’s proposal being accepted for participation in the AFS meeting.

Eligibility for the award:

• Paid membership in the AFS Independent Folklorists’ Section and the Women’s Section, but not necessarily an AFS member.
• Live at least 100 miles from the meeting location.
• Be a member who earns a significant portion of income from independent consulting work or as an independent scholar.
• Plan to attend the annual AFS meeting for at least two full days as well as the business meetings of the Women’s and the Independent Folklorists’ Sections (where recipient will be acknowledged and may be asked to briefly describe their participation). Not have made the same presentation at a previous AFS meeting.
• Not have received either of the two Independent Travel Awards in the past two years.
• Be willing to serve on the selection committee the year following receipt of the award.

If you are eligible, you may apply for both this award and the Independent Folklorists’ Travel Award, but you can receive only one award.

How to Apply

The deadline for applications is April 15.

To apply: complete this form.

With you application, upload a letter of application (not to exceed three pages) with a narrative describing:

• How you will participate in the annual American Folklore Society meeting (paper session, panel, forum, workshop, or other event);
• Your work as an independent folklorist and your experience and interest in women’s folklore;
• The approximate proportion of your income that is derived from independent consulting or academic work;
• The impact receiving the Independent Folklorists’ Travel Stipend will have on your ability to attend;
• How you hope to benefit from attending the meeting and what contribution your presence at the meeting will make to the field;
• Budget Estimate: Please estimate the travel expenses you expect to incur (Include airfare or other transportation costs, lodging and meal expenses, and meeting registration fees). It is understood that the $750 stipend may not cover all expenses.
• Attach, in the same file, a current resume or cv.

Review Criteria

Applications are reviewed by the stipend selection committee, which is composed of a representative from the Independent Section, Women’s Section, the Public Programs Section, and recent recipients of the award, according to the following criteria:

• The quality and significance of the applicant’s work, as based on the narrative, abstract proposal and résumé.
• The extent to which the applicant’s attendance at the AFS meetings will benefit both the applicant and the field, especially in the area of women’s folklore.
• The feasibility of the budget and the applicant’s demonstrated need of the stipend in order to attend the meeting.

If you have questions about the Independent Folklorists’ Travel Stipend contact the Selection Committee Chair, Thomas Grant Richardson at [email protected].

The Independent Folklorists’ Section gratefully acknowledges support from the AFS Women’s Section to facilitate participation in the annual meeting by an independent folklorist.

For questions about the application process, contact [email protected].

The AFS Women’s Section invites applications for the Polly Stewart travel stipends for one or more students to attend the AFS annual meeting. If enough qualified applications are received, the Section awards a First Place Prize of $500 and a Second Place Prize of $300 in the hopes of facilitating participation in the annual meeting by emerging scholars who show promise of furthering the study of women’s folklore, gender issues in folklore, and/or feminist approaches to the study of folklore. The award supports travel costs (transportation, meeting registration, lodging and/or per diem expenses) for students or recent graduates who are members of the AFS Women’s Section and who plan to attend the annual meeting and present their work.

The deadline for submission via email is July 1. 

The recipient will be notified in late July.

Eligibility

To be considered for the stipend, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Be enrolled as a student at the time of application. (Those who will have earned their degrees before the AFS meeting at which they present are eligible.)
• Be a dues-paying member of the AFS Women’s Section at the time of application and for at least one year following the award.
• Demonstrate commitment to the study of women’s folklore, gender issues in folklore, or feminist approaches to the study of folklore as part of your research agenda.
• Plan to attend the annual AFS meeting for at least two full days, including the business meeting of the AFS Women’s Section during the year you win the award (where you will be acknowledged and asked to briefly describe your participation).
• Be willing to submit a brief written report of your participation in the AFS meeting to the co-conveners of the Women’s Section within 60 days of the conclusion of the meetings in the year that you receive the award. Your statement will be circulated to the section membership along with the minutes of the annual business meeting.
• Have not received the award previously.
• Be willing to serve on the selection committee the year following your receipt of the award.

To apply, submit a single Word or PDF document that includes:

• Student’s name, address, email, phone number, university, degree objective, and expected month and year of completion. 
• 100-word abstract for paper, diamond session, or media presentation proposed for AFS (and title of session if proposed as part of an organized session).
• Brief statement (250 words) describing:
  • Your research focus,
  • Your professional goals,
  • Ways you hope to contribute to the discipline of Folklore; to the study of women’s folklore, gender issues in folklore, or feminist approaches to folklore specifically; and/or to AFS,
  • Ways you expect to benefit from attending the meeting and what contributions your presence at the meeting will make to the field or the society.
  • Budget estimate of the travel expenses you expect to incur (Include airfare or other transportation costs, lodging and meal expenses, and meeting registration fees). It is understood that the $500 or $300 stipends may not cover all expenses. Include additional sources and amounts of any other funding that you will apply for and decision dates if not already awarded.
• A copy of your message from AFS indicating that your proposal has been accepted for the annual meeting.

Please submit the document as an email attachment to 2020 selection committee chair Kaitlyn Berle, [email protected], before midnight Central Time, July 1, 2020. 

Review Criteria

Applications are reviewed by the stipend selection committee, which is composed of representatives from the Women’s Section, including recent recipients of the travel stipend, on the basis of:

• The quality and significance of the applicant’s work, as based on the abstract and statement of research and goals.
• The extent to which the applicant’s attendance at the AFS meetings will benefit both the applicant and the field, especially with regard to women’s folklore, gender issues in folklore, or the feminist study of folklore.
• The feasibility of the budget and the applicant’s demonstrated need of the stipend in order to attend the meeting.

Address any questions about the Women’s Section’s Polly Stewart Student Travel Stipend to the 2020 selection committee chair Kaitlyn Berle, [email protected].

The AFS Public Programs Section will provide up to three awards of up to $500 each, named for folklorist and activist Archie Green of San Francisco, for students to defray costs for traveling to the meeting. The section is interested in supporting graduate and undergraduate students who have an interest in working as public folklorists, or who have chosen an area of public folklore as a primary topic of research.

Application materials will consist of:

• a two-page letter written by the applicant
• a letter of support written by a faculty member or public folklorist that describes the student’s interest in public folklore and supports the student’s plan for using the AFS meeting to further her or his interests in public folklore
• a budget outlining anticipated expenses

The applicant’s letter should address her/his interest in public folklore, goals for attending the meeting, and plans for using the resources of the meeting to further her/his academic and/or professional development. Previous recipients of student travel awards are not eligible to apply.

The deadline for receipt of applications is July 1. Awards will be announced in early August. 

To apply, send the above materials by email to Kaitlyn Berle at [email protected].

The next award will be given in 2022.

The Folk Belief and Religious Folklife Section of AFS announces a travel stipend in honor of distinguished folklorist, religious folklife scholar, and professor, Elaine J. Lawless, of up to $500 to be awarded once every three years to a graduate student to participate in the Society’s annual meeting. The purpose of the prize is to stimulate new work in religious folklife. Applicants are encouraged to join AFS and must be members of the Folk Belief and Religious Folklife Section of AFS. Application is open to international and domestic graduate students, both MA/MS and PhD level. The award money will be released to the recipient after the annual meeting to assure participation. 

The award is contingent on the applicant’s proposal being accepted for participation in the AFS meeting. The awardee and the Folk Belief and Religious Folklife Section members will be notified after AFS proposal reviews are complete, usually by June 15.

The graduate student recipient may receive this award one time only.

To be considered for the award, you must submit the following:

• A copy of the long and short abstracts that you will be submitting for AFS meeting evaluation/selection. 
• A brief curriculum vitae, resume, or biography of your professional life.
• A letter detailing your specific reasons for wanting to present on religious folklife at the AFS annual meeting AND the impact you expect the meeting will have on your work.
• A letter from a faculty member of your academic department in support of your application.
• Your estimated travel expenses and the amount requested.

Please submit inquiries by email to Margaret Kruesi, PhD, [email protected], and include the subject line: Lawless AFS Graduate Student Travel Award and Stipend.