Elizabeth Bartman Museum Internship at the Archaeological Institute of America
Elizabeth Bartman Museum Internship at the Archaeological Institute of America
Deadline: April 1, 2025
Amount: $1,000 – $4,000
Purpose: A scholarship established in honor of AIA Honorary President Elizabeth Bartman to assist advanced undergraduates, graduate students, or those who have recently completed a master’s degree with the expenses associated with participating in a museum internship either in the United States or abroad.
The internship fund is intended to help advanced undergraduates, graduate students, or those who have recently completed a master’s degree, in Archaeology or a related field (e.g., Anthropology, Art History, Classics, History, etc.) meet expenses associated with undertaking a museum internship (minimum duration a summer or semester). Specific projects will vary and might include the following: collection cataloguing, provenance or archival research, exhibition preparation, the writing of labels and/or didactic panels, assisting with websites and presentations in other media, such as audio guides and exhibition videos, and participating more broadly in museum activities, working with conservators, art handlers, designers, and other museum professionals.
The committee will consider academic achievement, past experience (or lack thereof), and financial need in its deliberations.
AIA scholarships are open to students from all backgrounds. Students from historically marginalized communities are encouraged to apply.
Requirements: Applicants are not required to be members of the AIA at the time of application. Successful applicants will receive a one-year complimentary student membership to the AIA. Applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program in Archaeology or a related field. Please note that all application materials (including references and transcripts, and the online application form below) must be received at the AIA by the April 1 deadline. Awards are contingent on confirmation of acceptance by a host institution. At the conclusion of the internship tenure, the recipient is required to submit a report on the use of the award to AIA Headquarters (directed to David DeVore). Within two years of tenure of the internship, the recipient is also expected to submit an abstract to the Program for the Annual Meeting Committee, in order to be considered for participation in the AIA Annual Meeting.
Guidelines & Required Information
Applicants must complete the online application form (below) that asks for the following:
Project Proposal. The Museums and Exhibitions Committee attaches the greatest importance to the summary statement of your interest in museum work and how the proposed internship will help you to achieve your larger goals. It is helpful if you include background information outlining any past museum experience, field experience, and the reasons you wish to pursue museum work in general and this internship project in particular. Proposal to include information about the internship and your anticipated length of stay. Applicants must participate in the project for a summer (minimum of eight weeks) or a semester.
Budget. An outline of anticipated expenses associated with participation in the project and a statement from the applicant indicating any other financial resources available or applied for, if any, to help cover these expenses.
Transcripts. Official or unofficial transcripts from the applicant’s college(s) or university(ies). Applicants must include completed and/or current transcripts for undergraduate/graduate work. Transcripts may be sent David DeVore or sent digitally to ddevore@archaeological.org.
Letters of Recommendation. The names and emails of two professors or academic advisors at the applicant’s college or university who know the applicant’s work and who are willing to provide letters of recommendation. These references will receive further instructions from the AIA. A recommendation from the prospective supervisor of the internship is encouraged.
All application materials including transcripts and letters of recommendation must be received by the April 1 deadline. Incomplete or late applications will NOT be considered by the review committee. Applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision no later than June 15.
NOTE: All applicants must notify David DeVore immediately if there are any changes in their application information (i.e. the internship you applied for is changed or canceled; you received funding from other sources; etc.)
Awards are contingent on confirmation of acceptance by a host institution. Funding recipients must provide a letter from the supervisor of the museum project indicating that the applicant has been accepted for an internship. Deadline for receipt of this letter is June 30. This letter must be on museum letterhead and signed by the supervisor of the project. It may be emailed to David DeVore (email: ddevore@archaeological.org). [NOTE: if one of your letters of recommendation is from the supervisor of the project and he or she certifies that you have been accepted for participation, this requirement will be considered complete.]
Recipients of Bartman Museum Internship Program funding must agree to submit a final report on their use of the funds and what the experience meant to them no later than 60 days after completion of the field project. Final reports will be posted on the AIA’s web page and may be featured in other AIA publications.
Fieldwork And Families
As part of the Archaeological Institute of America’s ongoing commitment to fieldwork and families, reasonable line items for the care of dependent and elderly family members are allowable expenses for AIA grants, fellowships, and scholarships.