It is important for aspiring researchers to be able to see where they and their research fit in the wider archaeological picture. Conferences and events are often a great way to meet people doing similar or complementary work but can often be expensive for students to attend. As part of our commitment to fostering new research, ScARF has a number of bursaries available each year that are designed to help students and ECR’s with the costs of attending workshops and conferences.
We can help fund attendance at events where they are either directly relevant to an aspect of Scottish archaeological research, or the student should be presenting some aspect of their research into Scottish archaeology at a broader themed conference.
In return for ScARF covering the conference fee/stipend towards travel, bursary recipients are usually expected to write a short report on their experience of the conference. The full series of ScARF supported student reports can be found here.
To apply, please send an email with details of the conference you would like to attend, along with a short supporting statement explaining why it would benefit your studies and how it relates to Scottish archaeological research questions. We may also ask for a short letter written by a referee to support your application.
New COVID-19 bursaries:
Our ScARF student bursaries are normally only available to help travel and attendance at conferences or workshops. However, in light of COVID-19 and that there will unlikely be many conferences and networking events taking place for the foreseeable future, we are keen to support Student/ECR research into Scottish archaeology in other ways.
We are therefore pleased to offer a small number of bursaries to help support student and ECR research activities in the coming months.
We are initially asking for applications for support where COVID-19 has affected student and ECR research plans and there may be additional costs which cannot be covered in another way. For example, we could help fund extra costs for access to research material digital resources, or maybe cover costs where new software or online training is required. Are there online conferences where you need to pay fees or membership costs to attend? Please get in touch with us to discuss your application and to see if your project would be suitable. The main criteria that your research being undertaken should be into some aspect of Scottish archaeology. We will consider retrospective applications – i.e. where the cost has already been incurred – but we will require receipts/proof of the additional expense. The maximum that can be applied for is £200.
To apply please send us an email with a short summary of your research, how COVID-19 has affected it and a clear breakdown of the costs involved (c. 300 words), along with a short letter written by a referee to support your application.
ScARF supported students are amongst the SIRFA symposium delegates visiting the Neolithic Axe Factories at North Roe, Shetland ©ScARF
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Previous bursaries awarded:
- Society of Medieval Archaeologists‘ Student colloquium, Exeter 2019
- Scotland’s Island Research Framework for Archaeology (SIRFA) Symposium, Shetland 20th – 23rd September 2019
- Perth and Kinross Archaeological Research Framework (PKARF) ‘Priorities in Progress’ Conference, 30th August 2019
- PAGES Landcover6k Workshop: “Land-use and land-cover for Climate Modelling” Hemmenhofen, Germany, 28th-30th January 2019
- Scotland’s Island Research Framework for Archaeology (SIRFA) Symposium, Western Isles 7th – 11th January 2019
- Association of Environmental Archaeologists Conference 2017
- 7th Developing International Geoarchaeology conference, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 4th -7th September 2017
- Rural settlement: relating buildings, landscape, and people in the European Iron Age conference at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, June 19th to 21st 2017
- Europa 2016: Dynamics of Art, design and Vision in Iron Age Europe, Edinburgh
- Nordic Research Network conference 2016 ‘Bridges Between: Norse and Insular Worlds’, Glasgow
- 8th International Symposium on 14C & Archaeology, Edinburgh
- The 19th Iron Age Research Student Symposium (IARSS), Leicester
- Archaeomalacology Working Group Meeting at AEA2016, Orkney
- Association of Environmental Archaeologists Conference 2016, Kirkwall, Orkney
- Archaeology of Argyll symposium, Kilmartin. November 2015
- Cramond Roman Fort: 60 Years of Excavation and Research conference, Edinburgh. October 2015 (notes can be viewed here)