SEAC Public Outreach Grant Program Description

The Southeastern Archaeological Conference, in order to promote public awareness of archaeology in the Southeast, supports a program of small grants to finance public outreach projects. SEAC will provide an annual grant, not to exceed $2,000 per year, to an applicant through a competitive application process, as follows.

  1. Projects proposed for grant funding should promote public awareness of archaeology in the Southeast through any of a variety of educational and outreach activities. Examples of suitable projects might include: teacher workshops, printed material for public consumption, exhibits, workshops for adults or children, Archaeology Week/Month activities, Project Archaeology workshops, Elderhostel programs, archaeology fairs, public field trips, or other public-oriented projects.
  2. Grants cannot be used solely to fund receptions, food, or entertainment, but these items can be included as part of a public outreach project. The costs of such items should not exceed one-third of the grant funds awarded.
  3. Projects can be held at any time of the year and in any location in the Southeast. They do not have to be in conjunction with the SEAC annual meeting. The competition is open to anyone in or near the traditional boundaries of the southeastern culture area, and all proposals must have some tie to the southeast. For purposes of the grant, southeastern states are defined as: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee; border states are defined as: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
  4. Grants may be applied for by anyone; it is not necessary to be a member of SEAC. Collaborations between agencies or organizations are encouraged.
  5. Grants will not exceed a total of $2,000 per year. Applicants are encouraged to seek additional funding sources and in-kind contributions. Grant funds may not be used for institutional overhead or indirect costs.
  6. The SEAC Public Outreach Grant Committee will choose the best applicant based on the information provided in the grant application. The committee can also choose to make no award in a given year. If the award committee does not award a grant for a particular year, the money for that year will return to SEAC, and only one award will be given the next time an applicant is selected.
  7. Proposals will consist of a 6-page application. For copies of the application, please see the SEAC web site or contact the chair of the Public Outreach Grant Committee. The application may be submitted by mail or email.
  8. Grants will be reviewed by the Public Outreach Grant Committee, a standing committee of SEAC, and the Committee's recommendation will be sent to the SEAC board, which will approve the grant recipient. The Public Outreach Grant Committee will consist of at least three members, appointed by the President, to include at least one member of the SEAC Board and 2 at-large appointees experienced in public education/public outreach.
  9. Grant proposals must be received (not postmarked) by December 1. Email applications are preferred. Applications sent by mail must include 4 copies of the application and all attachments. Notification of grant awards will be given by March 1 of the following year. The project may commence at any time following March 1, but must be started during that calendar year.
  10. Projects must be completed by the stated deadline in the proposal. If a problem arises that would prevent completion by the time stated, the grant recipient must provide a letter of explanation to the Public Outreach Grant Committee for an extension.
  11. At the conclusion of the funded project, and no later than 4 months after its completion, grant recipients will be required to prepare a Final Report about 500 words in length for the SEAC Board, submitted to the Public Outreach Grant Committee, and for publication in the SEAC Newsletter, submitted to the newsletter editor. In addition, a report on the evaluation of the project and an accounting of expenditures will also be submitted to the Grant Committee. See the SEAC web site or contact the committee chair for specific requirements.
  12. Grant recipients should acknowledge SEAC in any printed, electronic, or graphic material produced through the grant and in announcements at any public meetings or events to which the grant gives rise, as follows: This (publication, project, etc.) was produced in part by a grant from the Southeastern Archaeological Conference.
  13. Grant proposals and queries should be submitted to the Chair of the Public Outreach Grant Committee. See Standing Committees page for current contact information.