The M. Estellie Smith Memorial Fund honors Dr. Smith’s vibrant personality and her dedication to scholarship, mentorship, and the application of social science knowledge to real world issues. During her long career as an anthropologist, Estellie followed her intellectual curiosity through diverse subjects including Pueblo Indians, European societies, societal evolution, maritime anthropology, linguistics, and Portuguese communities. A past president of SEA, Estellie is fondly remembered for her generous attention to students, to whom she provided critical and helpful advice.

To celebrate Estellie’s spirit of mentorship and concern for pressing world issues, the M. Estellie Smith Memorial Fund provides graduate student awardees small grants specifically to supplement dissertation fieldwork expenses (typically, $2000) and subsequent travel money to present their findings at the Society for Economic Anthropology annual conference (typically, $500).

Applicants must demonstrate how their research will address the field of economic anthropology as well as significant and pressing world issues, offering potential theoretical or applied advances that could make the world a better place particularly for vulnerable peoples.

ELIGIBILITY

1. Any student enrolled in an anthropology (or allied field) doctoral program, regardless of citizenship or nation, is eligible for the award.
2. Collaborative proposals, i.e., research by two or more PhD students who are pursuing research jointly, are possible.  Awardees would split the $2000 research funds.  Collaborative proposals must clarify the reasons for the collaboration and the roles each applicant would take to complete the research.
3. Funds must be spent on travel, field, or lab expenses directly related to the student’s dissertation, as approved by their academic advisor and committee, and all applicants must be ABD by the time the research would be conducted.
4. The funds are not intended for predissertation fieldwork or language study.

APPLICATION AND DEADLINE

Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements may apply for the award by providing the following materials prior to the deadline listed below. All materials should be submitted via email to bramtuck@uga.edu by January 26, 2026. Awards are will be announced in March 2026.

1. Proposal Cover Sheet (includes PhD advisor’s signed endorsement and budget).
2. Abstract (100 words)
3. Project description, 1000 words or less about research goals, itinerary, primary research tasks, potential outcomes. Note that the review panel will rate projects according to their (a) contributions to economic anthropology, (b) feasibility, and (c) creativity and innovation.
4. 300 word discussion of how the research will address significant and pressing world issues, offering potential theoretical or applied advances in economic anthropology that could make the world a better place particularly for vulnerable peoples.
5. Curriculum Vitae
6. For collaborative proposals only (submitted by two or more PhD students who plan to conduct joint research):  In 300 words or less, describe the reasons for, and plan for, this collaboration, and choose one student to be the primary contact on all award related matters.
7. Letters of recommendation are no longer required and will not be accepted.

Before funds will be disbursed, the applicant must provide official documentation from their department of A.B.D. status (candidacy). All materials should be submitted as a single PDF document.

THE AWARD

• Recipients receive $2,000 for PhD research, issued upon acceptance of the award and notification to the Treasurer of the SEA.
• Recipients receive a one-year membership in the Society for Economic Anthropology (for those already members of the American Anthropological Association).
• Recipients receive $500 to supplement the costs of traveling to the SEA spring conference during the year following the research award to present a poster or paper on the dissertation research or background work.