Through scholarships and mentorship, IFR continues to work toward our goal of improving access to field research training opportunities and promoting equity and diversity in the field sciences. Please scroll below to learn more about our Vera R. Campbell Promise Scholarship. In addition, we provide links to funding search engines and to grants and scholarships available to students from external organizations.
You could help IFR send more students into the field who otherwise would not have the financial means to do so. Please click on the donate button below or visit our Donate to IFR page to learn more.
Vera R. Campbell Promise Scholarship
This scholarship provides:
- Direct financial support of up to $5,000 towards the cost of attending an IFR field school.
- One-on-one mentorship sessions with IFR Academic Board members and/or IFR staff before and after the field school.
To Apply:
- Complete the Vera Campbell Promise Scholarship application, including:
- Contact information for a recommender, preferably a faculty member, who can speak to your academic and personal fit for a field school experience. Please let your reference know that you are requesting their support.
- Unofficial transcript showing a GPA of 2.7 or higher.
- FAFSA Submission Summary with SAI (Student Aid Index). Please reach out to admissions@ifrglobal.org if you do not have a recent FAFSA (SAR) but can provide other documentation demonstrating financial need.
- Complete answers to essay questions.
- Click here to see a preview of the application components.
- Submit an application for and IFR field school. Note that this is a separate application and you must be admitted to a field school to receive the scholarship. IFR will waive the program application fee for scholarship applicants- please contact admissions@ifrglobal.org for details.
- Be an undergraduate student or recent graduate (2023 or 2024) at an accredited university, college, or community college in Los Angeles County.
- Be in good standing with a minimum GPA of 2.7.
- Be at least 18 years old by the first day of the field school program.
- Have demonstrated financial need.
- Be accepted into an IFR field school.
Students of any nationality or major may apply. Previous Vera Campbell Promise Scholarship recipients are not eligible.
If you are awarded a Vera Campbell Promise Scholarship, you agree to:
- Participate fully in the entire field school.
- Attend pre-departure meetings and complete pre-departure assignments and materials.
- Participate in at least two mentorship sessions with an IFR mentor.
- Attend post-program meetings designed to help you leverage your field school experience.
- Create a short video about your field school experience and its impact (details will be provided).
- Contribute to storytelling efforts on IFR’s social media & student blog (details will be provided).
- Have your name, blog post, photos and video used by IFR for informational and promotional purposes.
- Participate in an in-person event in Los Angeles with the scholarship sponsor, to be held in the months following the completion of your field school.
Scholarship Application Deadline: March 1, 2025
>> Click here to see what application components you need to prepare.
George McJunkin
George McJunkin IFR Scholarship
George McJunkin was the original cowboy archaeologist. His work was integral to our understanding of the human past. Born into enslavement near Midway, Texas, he discovered the famous Folsom site in New Mexico in 1908. After a devastating flood revealed archaeological deposits, he identified remains of bison bones and a distinctive stone tool, now known as the Folsom point. He tried, with some success, to engage archaeologists and historians in investigating the site. He died in 1922, and a large-scale excavation did not occur until 1926, when others began to take credit for his work. McJunkin’s legacy is irrefutable; his findings proved that indigenous people inhabited North America before the last Ice Age, approximately 7000 years earlier than accepted at the time. His dedication to fieldwork and impact on scientific inquiry inspires us all at IFR. We are honored to offer a scholarship in his memory with the Society of Black Archaeologists, to support the next generation of field scientists.
The George McJunkin IFR Scholarship is offered in collaboration with the Society of Black Archaeologists (SBA) and is dedicated to the support of a current student member of SBA in good standing to participate in an IFR field school. Priority is given to students with demonstrated financial need.
This scholarship provides:
- Direct financial support to fully cover IFR program fees for a field school.
- One-on-one mentorship sessions with IFR Academic Board members and/or IFR staff before and after the field school.
To Apply:
- Complete the George McJunkin IFR Scholarship application, including:
- Contact information for a recommender, preferably a faculty member, who can speak to your academic and personal fit for a field school experience. Please let your reference know that you are requesting their support.
- Unofficial transcript showing GPA.
- FAFSA Submission Summary with SAI (Student Aid Index). Please reach out to admissions@ifrglobal.org if you do not have a recent FAFSA (SAR) but can provide other documentation demonstrating financial need.
- Complete answers to essay questions.
- Click here to see a preview of the application components.
- Submit an application for and IFR field school. Note that this is a separate application and you must be admitted to a field school to receive the scholarship. IFR will waive the program application fee for scholarship applicants- please contact admissions@ifrglobal.org for details.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
- Be a current paid student member of SBA. To learn more about SBA or become a member, you can visit their website here.
- Be in good standing.
- Be at least 18 years old by the first day of the field school program.
- Have demonstrated financial need.
- Be accepted into an IFR field school.
Students of any nationality or major may apply.
The George McJunkin Scholarship offers full program fees for an IFR field school. As a scholarship awardee, you may apply the scholarship to any IFR field school, in the US or internationally. You must be accepted into the field school and commit to attending.
To receive and to retain the scholarship funds, you must participate and complete the field school as well as the additional scholarship requirements pre- and post-program as outlined in the agreement.
If you are awarded a George McJunkin IFR Scholarship, you agree to:
- Participate fully in the entire field school.
- Attend pre-departure meetings and complete pre-departure assignments and materials.
- Participate in at least two mentorship sessions with an IFR mentor.
- Create a short video about your field school experience and its impact (details will be provided).
- Contribute to storytelling efforts on IFR’s social media & student blog (details will be provided).
- Have your name, blog post, photos and video used by IFR for informational and promotional purposes.
NOW OPEN!
Scholarship Application Deadline: April 1, 2025
>> Click here to see what application components you need to prepare.
More Scholarship Opportunities
Funding Search Engines & Directories
NAFSA Financial Aid for Study Abroad Students
NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, has put together an extensive page with federal, state and private grants that support a variety of study abroad program types.
Institute for International Education Study Abroad Funding Directory
The Institute for International Education created a searchable directory that features detailed descriptions of hundreds of study abroad scholarships, fellowships, grants, and paid internships for U.S. undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students, and professionals.
Maryville University: Scholarships and College Guide for Native American Students
Maryville University has written a blog compiling information on various scholarships for Native Americans, specifically for educational opportunities.
Society for Classical Studies (SCS)/American Philological Association (APA)
Comprehensive listing with multiple scholarships/fellowships available for students pursuing education in Classical studies. Many opportunities for funding travel and excavation for both graduate and undergraduate students.