Award Guidelines

Award Description

• Travel (airfare, car rental, gas, etc.) 
• Lodging (hotel within SAA room block)
• Food (meals during the meeting and while traveling to/from it)
• Incidentals (public and private transportation, including but not limited to train, subway, bus, taxi, Uber/Lyft, etc.; visa application costs and travel costs associated with obtaining a visa; poster printing fees)
• Childcare
• Meeting registration fees 

Who Is Eligible to Submit Nominations or Apply for the Award

• student (undergraduate or graduate);
• first-generation college student;
• international member*;
• Indigenous, Native American, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations person;
• first-time presenter at the SAA Annual Meeting.

Application deadlines occur annually twice a year. One round each in the summer and fall prior to the annual meeting. Applicants for the summer round will receive notification in September. Funds will be distributed to successful applicants by February 15 annually.

Applicants awarded a DNMAG may not apply for another DNMAG until the following calendar year (successful applicants for the 2026 Annual Meeting in San Francisco may not apply again until 2027 for the 2028 annual meeting). The SAA will ask grant recipients unable to follow through with their intended participation in the in-person annual meeting to refund the funds awarded. Recipients failing to return the unused funds will be ineligible to apply for other future SAA support, including but not limited to the meeting access grants.

The application for the fall round of the 2026 meeting access grants is now closed. The application for 2027 will re-open for the summer round soon!

All applicants will receive an email confirmation that their application was received. 

Other Special Requirements

N/A

Nature of Award (e.g. monetary, medal, symposium)

Recipients receive up to $500 to support access and travel to the annual meeting. Recipients of meeting access grants are not recognized at the SAA Business Meeting and Award Ceremony or in the awards issue of the SAA Archaeological Record. 

Committee Information

Current Committee Charge

The Deborah L. Nichols Meeting Access Grants Committee is responsible for promoting meeting access grants, selecting the recipients, monitoring the guidelines, and recommending changes to the guidelines as needed. 

Committee Composition

The committee is composed of a chair and at least four members.

Term Length

Term length is three years. Individuals ending their terms cycle off the committee at the close of the Business Meeting held during the annual SAA Meeting, and new appointees begin their terms at this time.

Award Cycle

Application deadlines occur annually twice a year. One round in the summer prior to the annual meeting and one round in the fall prior to the annual meeting. The summer round will open soon and its deadline is July 15, 2026 at 3PM ET. 

Committee Chair and End of Term

Erik R. Otárola-Castillo [2027]

Committee Chair Contact Information

[email protected]

Committee Members and Ends of Terms

Names and term end dates for the chair and all members can be found on the committee page in the SAA Directory. 

Selection or Evaluation Criteria

• student (undergraduate or graduate);
• first-generation college student;
• international member*;
• Indigenous, Native American, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations person;
• first-time presenter at the SAA Annual Meeting.

Committee Deliberation Process (e.g. dates, venue)

N/A