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AFFILIATE with the ACADEMY

Guidelines for Archaeological Projects Sponsored or Co-Sponsored by the American Academy in Rome

1. The Academy welcomes applications for the sponsorship or co-sponsorship of archaeological projects. These are expected to have clear and specific research objectives and design, and a span of not more than four years, with a further year as a study season, followed by timely publication. Naturally, any site might have more than one five-year project, but the Academy does not encourage open-ended schemes. Each project proposed is reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Archaeology of the Academy and, if approved, recommended to the Director of the Academy. Recommended projects must be approved by the Committee on the School of Classical Studies before they become eligible for sponsorship by the Academy. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their projects with the Mellon Professor in advance of submitting applications.
   
   The directors of proposed archaeology projects must have at least three years of excavation experience, preferably in Italy. As it is the policy of the Academy to encourage relation with the colleges and universities that are Member Institutions, preference will be given to those archaeology proposals where the directors of the projects have a regular faculty or staff status at a Member Institution. A letter of support from the President/Provost/Dean of the Member Institution with which the project director is affiliated is required as part of the application.
   
   
2. Applicants should submit a proposal containing the objectives of the project, the historical context, the research design, the proposed methodology, the proposed staff (CV's for senior members), conservation plan, a description of the student training component, budget, sources of funds, and the plans, format and timetable for publication. If the project is to be sponsored by more than one institution, a clear description of the respective roles should be included. Evidence that prior publication commitments of the project director have been fulfilled must be submitted.
   
   Submissions should include a precise narrative description of the area to be excavated/surveyed keyed to a map of appropriate scale; a brief discussion of how the proposed project relates to previous and/or ongoing research in the area; a brief description of any scientific applications and computer technology that will be used in the project; a summary report on any contacts that have been made with the Italian archaeology authorities about the work; plans for temporary storage of any excavations find; and a brief description of how and where project records will be archived.
   
   
3. Each principal investigator would be ultimately responsible for his or her own request for permission. However, the Mellon Professor will be happy to advise with respect to the process.
   
   
4. Major savings in cost can be made by asking local government for help with housing, and even in some cases, board for the team members. There is a legal obligation that Italian schools should be used for cultural purposes over the summers, and it is not difficult to persuade the local town to let excavation teams stay in a school. The Mellon Professor will be happy to offer suggestions.
   
   
5. The laboratory space at the Academy, together with its equipment, will be available to projects at the discretion of the Academy. Although some temporary storage space may be available occasionally, the Academy will not provide long-term storage.
   
   
6. The Academy takes no responsibility for housing or financing archaeological projects. All approaches for funds to support the project must be pre-cleared by the Academy. Requests for financial support should be modest relative to the overall budget for the proposed project, and they should be included in your fundraising plan and reflected in the proposal budget.
   
   
7. In order to ensure opportunities for the training of young archaeologists, it is assumed that any Academy project will provide on-site training for some volunteers without experience. The Academy feels strongly that volunteers should not be charged for their participation on a dig, except where lodging is so expensive that the excavation is not able to pay for it or if academic credit is granted in exchange for the field experience.
   
   
8. Illustrated summary reports of each season's work must be received by the Academy by 31 October of each year for publication in the Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, as well as in the institution's annual report. The Academy requires the right of first refusal for all publications, and all published and printed references to the project should mention the Academy's involvement in the project.
   
   
9. Publication of any project must take place within five years of the completion of all fieldwork.

Download the Guidelines and Checklist as a .pdf file.

Application Checklist for Academy Project Proposals

Each application should contain a copy of the documentation noted below.

1. Project Design, to include details of:
• Background
• Aims and objectives, including description of training program
• Methods
• Timetable for all phases of project
  
  
2. Budget
• Detailed budget for the current year
• Long-term budget
• Proposed and committed sources of funding (including in-kind)
  
  
3. Project Staff, with brief résumés.
   
   
4. Detailed description of the responsibilities of the various participants and institutions, in the case of a collaborative project.
   
   
5. Outline of envisioned Academy support.
   
   
6. Publication Plan.
   
   
7. Preliminary Reports on any earlier phases of the project and any feasible studies.
   
   
8. Statement regarding publication of prior excavations.