Department of Anthropology Ph.D candidate Jeff Burnett has been awarded the Wenner-Gren Enagaged Research Grant for his proposal titled “Oak Bluffs Historic Highlands Archaeology Project”. For this project Jeffrey will be conducting a landscape study that utilizes archaeological methods, archival data, and oral histories and stories to map the beginnings and growth of a Black vacationing community in the Highlands area of Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts.
For more information on the Wenner-Gren Engaged Research Grant, please see the following description from their website: This program supports research partnerships that empower those who have historically been the subjects of anthropological research, rather than researchers themselves. Designed in alliance with individuals who have borne the impact of marginalization, these partnerships bring together scholars and their interlocutors in an effort to expand anthropological knowledge, combat inequality, and help communities flourish. The program supports projects that will make a significant contribution to anthropological conversations through collaboration and engagement.
Anthropological research involves forging ethical relationships. Researchers must acknowledge the contributions of interlocutors and compensate them appropriately for their labor and time. Projects funded by Engaged Research Grants go even further. Not only are interlocutors participants in the research, but they have an active role in determining the problems explored. This grant program targets projects that show greater potential when undertaken as a partnership, beginning with the formulation of research questions and extending to data gathering, skill sharing, scholarly communication, and public mobilization. Engaged research occurs in a broad range of settings, including communities, courtrooms, government offices, and laboratories. It results in findings that are meaningful and potentially transformative for research participants and others with a stake in the collaboration. Through this program, the Foundation seeks to demonstrate how engagement can foster innovation and further anthropological knowledge.
This program is open to applicants with PhDs in anthropology and related fields. We also welcome applications from students enrolled in a doctoral program (or equivalent, if applying from outside the U.S.) at the time of application. There is no preference for any methodology or subfield. Individuals of all nationalities are eligible to apply.
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For more information on Jeff Burnett’s project, please see the following links to local newspaper stories: