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Scholar Programs
Nourishing the scholarly spirit through residential fellowships and seminars that inspire intellectual risk-taking and advance academic inquiry in archaeology, anthropology and other social science fields.
Resident Scholars
SAR offers nine-month appointments to a selection of scholars who have completed their research and require time, space and collaborative support to prepare manuscripts or dissertations on topics important to the understanding of humankind. Resident Scholars approach research from the perspective of anthropology or from related fields such as history or sociology.
Seminars
SAR seminars promote in-depth communication among scholars who are at a critical stage of research on a shared topic and whose interaction has the potential to create new insights on human evolution, behavior, culture, and creative expression. These programs have resulted in some of the most influential publications in their respective fields.
J.I. Staley Prize
Awarded annually since 1988, the annual book award is given to a living author for a book that exemplifies outstanding scholarship and writing in anthropology.
The Catherine McElvain Library
A special collections research library and archive open to the public.
Serving the scholars, artists, staff and members of the School for Advanced Research, the library is a resource for comparative research on human prehistory, topics in contemporary archaeology, anthropology, and related fields.
The library also supports the work of the Indian Arts Research Center in documenting its research collections and projects in Native American studies, art history, and creative expression.
The archival collections include the records of the Indian Arts Fund, the papers of Kenneth M. Chapman, the papers of Martha and Amelia Elizabeth White, records of the De Vargas Development Corporation, and papers of Rick Dillingham. Other collections relate to the history and work of SAR from its beginning in 1907 through the following century.
Scholars in the News
With over 300 former resident scholars working in more than 30 countries today, our alumni employ the knowledge gained at SAR in their ongoing work around the world.
SAR Alumna Tiya Miles Interviewed for the New York Times Book Review
An interview of Tiya Miles (History, Harvard), an SAR resident scholar in 2007-2008, appeared in the New York Times Book Review's "By the Book" section on October 15. In the interview, Miles describes her childhood passion for reading: "Reading became my escape and...
SAR Press Top Reads: 2019–2020 Resident Scholar Picks
A selection of this year’s resident scholars—who study everything from ancient drinking practices in Chaco Canyon to the newly built Delhi metro—have recommended the SAR Press books they find most useful, thought provoking, or even just enjoyable. We hope you enjoy them, too.
SAR Press Top Reads: Chaco Canyon
From excavations of Chaco in the early nineteenth century to the latest research on cosmology, monumental architecture, and long-distance trade, SAR has supported scholars who wish to understand and protect this unique place—and shared their findings with other researchers and the public.