Funding Opportunities
The Anthropology Department offers several graduate assistantships for teaching and research. These are nine month appointments at 20 hours a week. These are awarded competitively. The Graduate Assistantship Application deadline is January 31. The tuition waivers that accompany graduate assistantship awards are described at Tuition Waivers. In addition, the Anthropology Department offers annual awards for graduate student research and travel the Robert Bell Award, the Morris Opler Award, the Morris and Lucille Opler Award, and the Rain Vehik Award, and departmental research and dissertation writing awards. More information about these scholarships is given below. The Graduate College and the Graduate Student Senate have competitions for research and travel grants as well. For information on tuition and fees, you may use the Office of the Bursar tuition estmator.
Scholarships
The Department of Anthropology sponsors two annual scholarship
competitions, which are due to the department chair on October
15 and April 1. Please complete the proposal form below following
the scholarship descriptions. The Scholarship Committee prefers
not to fund travel to conferences or research that has already happened. The Rain Vehik Memorial Fund was recently established to offer assistance to graduate students participating in scholarly conferences and workshops, especially The Plains Anthropological Conference.
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Morris
E. Opler Memorial Scholarships
Both undergraduates and graduate students may apply for an Opler
scholarship. Lucille Ritter Opler established this endowed
fund in memory of her husband, Dr. Morris E. Opler, to provide scholarships
to deserving anthropology students at the University of Oklahoma.
Morris Opler was a leading scholar of Native North America.
A specialist on Apachean people, he authored numerous articles in
scholarly journals and wrote several books on the culture and history
of the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, and Plains Apache
(Kiowa Apache). Dr. Opler was a member of the University of
Oklahoma Department of Anthropology faculty for nearly two decades,
having served here after a distinguished teaching and research career
at Cornell University. Much respected for his knowledge and
teaching ability, he retired as Professor Emeritus from the University
of Oklahoma in 1977 and passed away in 1996.
The Opler Scholarship competition will be conducted twice yearly and is open to all undergraduate majors and graduate students in anthropology. Students may submit a proposal for a maximum of $250 for the following:
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Robert
E. Bell Award for Graduate Research
Only graduate students may apply for this award. Established
in 1982, this fund generates enough interest to provide
a small grant annually to help a graduate student with his or her
thesis or dissertation research. 1997 marked the fiftieth
anniversary of the beginning of Dr. Bell's illustrious 33 years
of teaching and research at the University of Oklahoma. Given
the many positive impacts that Dr. Bell had on students, colleagues,
and numerous avocational archaeologists in Oklahoma and adjacent
states, we reward the best graduate research to reflect Dr. Robert
E. Bell's importance as a teacher, scholar, and friend.
The Bell competition is open to all graduate students in anthropology. Students may submit a proposal for a maximum of $100.
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Morris E. and Lucille R. Opler Award (Graduate Students)
Dr. Morris E.Opler (1907-1996), a leading scholar of Native American peoples, taught at the University of Oklahoma from 1969 to 1977 when he retired as Emeritus Professor of Anthropology. Dr. Opler received his Ph.D. in anthroplogy from the University of Chicago in 1933. His dissertation research began his long association with Apachean peoples of the Southwest and Plains. He authored numberous journal articles and sevearal books on the culture and history of the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, and Plains Apache (Kiowa Apache). Dr. Opler also did important research on the Indian sub-continent. Among his many hornors, Dr. Opler was past President of the American Anthropological Association.
Lucille Ritter Opler (1916-2003) served in the Navy WAVES during World War II. She and Dr. Opler met while he was doing research at a library in California. They worked closely together on the research discussed above, and she especially helped him with writing and editing. Virginia Bell, a close friend of the Oplers said, "Mrs. Opler was the most perfect secretary and editor that a person could have." The Oplers traveled abroad and spent much time around Tucson, Arizona. Mrs. Opler's ashes were taken to the mountains of Arizona to be with those of her beloved husband.
The department will make the following annual, competitive awards. The competition is open to all graduate students in all subfields, but Ph.D. students may have priority. If any proposed project will involve human subjects/informants then prior clearance from the Institutional Review Board is required.
1. Dissertation Fellowship
Depending on the availability of funds, the department will provide 12 months (July 1-June 30) of support to write the dissertation. One award may be made per year based on the monthly graduate assistantship stipend times 12.
The qualifications for this award are: 1) All fieldwork must be completed, 2) all requirements must be completed for the Ph.D., except for writing the dissertation, 3) the applicant must provide evidence of progress on the dissertation, such as completed draft chapters, 4) there can be no concurrent GA/RA support or other employment, 5) there will be a six month progress review that includes possibility of fellowship termination if there is no evidence for significant progress, and 6) there will be no additional graduate support after the fellowship period has expired.
Application for this award should not exceed five double spaced pages and should include a synopsis of the proposed project and its importance to anthropology along with documentation that requirements 1-3 have been met. An accompanying letter of support from the student’s Ph.D. committee chair should include statements that the applicant has met requirements 1-2 and that the applicant will be able to complete dissertation writing during the fellowship year. Applications are due to the Graduate Liaison by April 1.
The six-month review is to consist of a three to five page discussion of progress accomplished and evidence for additional draft chapters, along with a short letter from the student’s advisor acknowledging this progress.
2. Research Awards
Depending upon availability of funds there will be two or more of these available per year. Each award will not exceed $3000. In general, the awards are for a minimum of eight weeks and are intended for use during the summer. Applications for both awards should not exceed five double-spaced pages and should include a narrative description of the proposed project and its importance to anthropology, documentation for having met the listed requirements, and a budget. A letter of support from the student’s master’s or dissertation committee chair should accompany the application. Proposals should be submitted to the Graduate Liaison by April 1. Funds will be available as reimbursements for expenses.
Research Award A: This award will fund a pilot project to assess the feasibility of a proposed master’s or dissertation project. In most cases, this will be a field project that will provide enough data to show that the proposed project is feasible so that master’s students can complete a thesis or so that Ph.D. students can apply for national grants. The requirements for this award are: 1) completion of the first year of master’s or Ph.D. course work, 2) formation of the master’s or Ph.D. committee, and 3) a budget for the proposed work. This is to be submitted to the Graduate Liaison by April 1. A student may receive no more than two of these awards during their graduate career. The student must provide a written report to their committee chair and the graduate liaison on the results of the feasibility study within six weeks following the final week of the award’s tenure. The report will include a financial accounting of the funds expended.
Research Award B: This award will provide support for dissertation research. The requirement for this award is that the student’s Ph.D. committee must have approved the topic. A student may receive no more than two of these grants during their graduate career. To apply for the student needs to submit a dissertation prospectus that has been approved by their Ph.D. committee along with a proposed budget to the Graduate Liaison by April 1. Students must provide a written report to their committee chairs and the Graduate Liaison on the results of the award within six weeks following the final week of the award’s tenure. The report will include a financial accounting of the funds expended.
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Rain Vehik Award
The Rain Vehik Memorial Fund offers grants to Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, students participating in scholarly conferences and workshops. The grants are designed to encourage anthropology students to actively contribute to professional conferences. The awards are not meant to stand alone but are intended to supplement other resources, such as those provided by the Graduate Student Senate and the Graduate College. Higher priority is given to students attending the annual Plains Anthropological Conference, although awards for other conferences will be granted if sufficient funds are available. Awards may also vary in amount depending on the level of participation. Students not formally participating in the conference (i.e., paper, poster, or workshop participant) are not eligible for awards. Each student is eligible for only one award per academic year.
Eligibility Requirements
Proposals
Proposals must be typed and include the following information:
Deadlines
Proposals are due to the department chair by October 15 and April 1 of each year.
Eligible Expenses
Note: The award may not be used to cover individual membership dues or any expenses associated with the preparation of poster and/or paper presentations.
Department of Anthropology Scholarship Application Form
Morris E. and Lucille R. Opler Award application
Due April 1
Opler, Bell, and Vehik Awards application
Due October 15 and April 1
For general inquiries about financial aid, visit the website of OU's Financial Aid Office.
