The Sally Christian Fund
In memory of Sally Christian, who developed her passion for archaeology as a mature student, this Fund supports individuals of all ages who are interested in undertaking archaeological research or study, regardless whether or not they are on a course of formal study.
Grants from The Sally Christian Fund are available to all individuals who are in the early stages of their journey into archaeology.
The fund aims to support those wishing to explore if they’d like to take archaeology further or to support the early stages of their studies.
Applications are particularly welcome from undergraduate students (undergraduate level and below); and individuals who are not currently on a course of formal study. The Fund particularly welcomes applications that relate to the archaeology of Sussex.
Grants can assist with the costs of various types of training, both practical and academic, and to enable such individuals to gain experience in archaeological fieldwork, research and short courses, such as archaeological drawing, pottery and flints.
Types of activity that can be funded
– Courses and field schools
– Attending conferences and workshops
– Research projects and museum study trips
Other purposes, such as publication costs and the purchase of equipment may be considered where appropriate.
How to apply
Funding is awarded twice a year, in the Spring and Autumn to multiple awardees.
The next two deadlines for applications are:
– Wednesday 13th November 2024 at noon
– Wednesday 12th March 2025 at noon
Successful candidates will be notified within one calendar month of each deadline
Please email the following to membership@sussexpast.co.uk with the subject line The Sally Christian Fund Application:
– Completed application form
– An up-to-date CV
– Reference
How we assess applications
The Society will use the following criteria to assess the suitability of your application:
– Applicant is at the start of their career or interest in archaeology (essential)
– Project has a clear Sussex focus (desirable)
– Applicant can demonstrate how the funding will help support their study of archaeology (desirable)
Preference will be given to applications that meet both the essential and desirable criteria.
We are committed to being a truly inclusive organisation and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We encourage individuals to apply from marginalised and underrepresented groups, comprising identities such as race, disability, religion, socioeconomic background, gender identity and sexuality.
What you’ll be expected to do
Successful applicants will be required to:
– Submit a short report to confirm how the funding was spent and how valuable you found the activity
– Acknowledge the funding in any publications (online or offline) or presentations
– Deposit any resulting publication with the Sussex Archaeological Society library
– Consider publication of resulting work in our journal, the Sussex Archaeological Collections
Background to The Sally Christian Fund – Text from Sally Christian
“The idea for this fund came about after hearing the disappointment of many fellow students who were unable to attend external training courses on various aspects of archaeology because of restriction of financial resources.
“Sometimes this was just that they did not have enough money to pay for the course, or it was that they could not afford to take the time off work and pay the fees as well.
“For others they felt that the existing demands of their fees for their studies already impacted on the family budget and that it was unfair on the rest of the family for them to use more money for additional courses that were not a compulsory part of their course.
“Many of the students come to their studies in archaeology with amateur experience of fieldwork via membership of local archaeological societies and they already have a knowledge and understanding of the subject and many have already defined their specific areas of interest.
“Many other students, including me, have wanted to study the subject for many years but have had no practical involvement other than visiting sites and information from books and the media.
“My initial criteria for the fund was to provide money for training courses, including the University Excavation Techniques course, but also courses on other aspects of archaeology that students relatively new to the subject could use to explore their areas of interest.
“Such short courses as archaeological illustration, pottery, flints and others run by archaeological societies locally and around the country.
“It is my intention that as many people as possible benefit from the fund and specifically those at the earlier stages of their studies and those who have had less exposure to archaeology and have more ground to gain!”