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U.S. National Science Foundation

Archaeology Program Senior Research Awards

Open

Key facts

Deadline
Due Dec 1, 2026 · 55 days left
Award size
Not stated: see the official notice
Total available
$6M · about 30 awards
Match ?
Not required · Work out your budget and match
Who can apply
Set by the official notice: see Who can apply below
Where
Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee

Before you apply: federal grants require an active SAM.gov registration (Unique Entity ID) and a Grants.gov account. Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist

How this fits you

  • Available in Davidson County (nationwide program)
  • No match required
  • Past Tennessee awards on file: 63 — including your county

Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.

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More from U.S. National Science Foundation

About this grant

The Archaeology Program supports anthropologically relevant archaeological research to increase understanding of past behaviors. This means that the value of the proposed research can be justified within an anthropological context. It is the responsibility of the investigator to explain convincingly why the focus of their research is significant and has the potential to contribute to anthropological knowledge. The program sets no priorities by either geographic region or time period. It also has no priorities in regard to theoretical orientation or question. While the program, in order to encourage innovative research, neither limits nor defines specific categories of research, most proposals either request funds for field research or the analysis of archaeological material through multiple approaches.

Who can apply, from the official notice

*Who May Serve as PI: PIs and co-PIs must be researchers who have a Ph.D. or equivalent education and experience, sufficient to allow them to carry out independent basic research. PIs of senior research proposals are encouraged to include undergraduate and graduate students in their research projects, but not as PI/co-PI or other senior/key personnel.

Ask a partner for a letter

Your schedule, working back from the deadline

  1. Oct7
    Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
    Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov
  2. Nov10
    Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
    Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters.
  3. Nov24
    Finish a complete draft for a final review
    Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft.
  4. Nov29
    Submit
    Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog
  5. Dec1
    Deadline
    From the funder.

Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.

Writing the need statement? Davidson County facts with citations.

Who in Tennessee has won this program

29 awards to Tennessee groups in 3 counties since 2019 · 20 in Davidson County. Largest shown:

Past Tennessee winners
Past winnerWhereAmountFiscal year
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$2.8M2022
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$2M2024
State of TennesseeNashville$1.9M spent that year2025
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville$1.9M spent that year2025
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$925K2024
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$673K2021
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$627K2024
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$557K2019
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$508K2021
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$475K2024
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$450K2022
University of MemphisMemphis, Shelby County$450K2021

Source: USAspending.gov, Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.

Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization

This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. 34 pass-through grants on file · 5 in Davidson County. Largest shown:

Tennessee pass-through grant winners
Past winnerWhereThroughAmountFiscal year
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox CountyArizona State University$638K2026
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson CountyUniversity of Florida$396K2026
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson CountyRegents of the University of Michigan$274K2025
University of MemphisMemphis, Shelby CountyArizona State University$238K2024
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson CountyTrustees of Dartmouth College$155K2024
University of MemphisMemphis, Shelby CountyThe Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York$77K2025
State of TennesseeNashvilleArizona State University$71K spent that year2025
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox CountyIowa State University of Science and Technology$55K2023
East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson City, Washington CountyUniversity of Tennessee$50K2023
University of MemphisMemphis, Shelby CountyThe Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York$47K2024
State of TennesseeNashvilleUniversity of Texas at Dallas$44K spent that year2023
University of MemphisMemphis, Shelby CountyUniversity of North Carolina at Wilmington$44K2023

Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).

About the federal program

Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences, also called “(SBE)”
Program number 47.075 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · National Science Foundation · Project grant

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

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Source: Federal grants from Grants.gov · the official federal record. Last checked by GrantMe Oct 7, 2026.

Reference numbers: official notice number 23-566 · program number 47.075