Financial Information

 Our baseline financial package includes a stipend of $26,000 per year for five years, plus tuition and fees. This includes one year of fellowship funding and 4 years of TAship or Graduate Student Researcher (i.e. RAship) positions. Students receiving UCSD diversity fellowships or external fellowships may receive different stipends and have different work requirements. 

• Graduate Tuition and Fees
• Graduate Student Travel Support
• Student Certification for Travel form* 

*This form is used to document the circumstance in which the student is eligible for Travel Reimbursement.

Research Grants and Awards Sources for Graduate Students

1.  National Science Foundation 

A fair amount of anthropology research is from this source. There are two main funding programs available to graduate students. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides 3 years of stipend + tuition funding. Eligibility depends on year in the program and whether you have already completed any graduate school. See here for helpful tips on applying.  The Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant provides up to $25,000 for completing fieldwork or labwork. Both programs are highly competitive. 

2. Fulbright Program 

Many UC San Diego graduate students have had their international fieldwork supported by the Fulbright Program. Fulbright grants are available to qualified citizens of the United States. An additional informative web site is that of the Fulbright Association, a separate organization of Fulbright alumni, with links to other international grant opportunities. 

3.  The Wenner-Gren Foundation 

Support for basic research in all branches of anthropology. This is a major source of anthropology research funding, including Dissertation Fieldwork Grants

4. National Institutes of Health

An important funding source, especially in psychological and medical anthropology.

5.  Institute of Museum and Library Services - Museum and Library Grants

6. Post-Field/Dissertation Fellowships

Funding for various dissertation writing grants.

7. Tinker Field Research Grant Competition

This grant is generously supported by the Tinker Foundation and UC San Diego Graduate Division and are awarded to UC San Diego graduate students for travel and field-related expenses for brief periods of pre-dissertation field research in the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Tinker Field Research Grants Awards are open to students across all academic disciplines and graduate degree programs.

Travel Support to Present at a Scholarly Meeting

The Department of Anthropology provides a travel award of up to $300 for in-state and out-of-state travel to conferences. Only students who will be presenting their work are eligible for this award. Students can apply for support once per year. We recommend you review Anthropology's Travel and Reimbursement page before you attend your conference.  

Graduate Student Association (GSA) also provides a Travel Grant program to award graduate and professional students grants of up to $300 for in-state and up to $500 for out-of-state travel to conferences where you will present your own professional work. This program is funded by GSA, Graduate Division, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the Office of the Chancellor.