Tag: funding

International Nautical Archaeology Foundation Funding

https://www.nauticalarchaeologysociety.org/inaf

The International Nautical Archaeology Foundation (INAF) was created in 2024 to advance the education of the public in the subject of nautical archaeology and to promote research for the public benefit in all aspects of the subject and to publish the useful results.

INAF has been created to facilitate the development of a grant giving programme with funds generated from an amazing $1million donation from the Edward & Saryl Von der Porten Trust, in the USA. 

INAF has been registered as a charity with the Charity Commission (No.1210349) and is being administered by the NAS, acting as a Corporate Trustee, with representatives of the donor family in the USA acting as Members of INAF.

The inaugural INAF grant programme opens on the 1st January 2026 and closes on 28th February 2026.

INAF Grant Board

The grant decision-making for the International Nautical Archaeology Foundation is to be done by a Grant Board consisting of five representatives from key nautical archaeology organisations around the world (“Board Members”).  Currently these five organisations are:

  • East Carolina University, Department of History, Program in Maritime Studies, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
  • Institute of Nautical Archaeology, College Station, Texas, USA
  • Nautical Archaeology Society, Portsmouth, UK
  • Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  • Vasa Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

A member of the Von der Porten family also sits on the Grant Board. Board Members will individually recuse themselves from evaluating projects with which their individual organisations have a material connection. The Trustee will not be eligible to apply to the Fund.

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Grant Purposes and Guidelines

INAF will support nautical archaeological endeavours, broadly defined to include underwater, intertidal, and terrestrial archaeological work on nautical subjects, including, but not limited to, shipwrecks, cargos, fishing, harbours, & shipbuilding sites.

Projects should have reasonable prospects for making significant contributions to knowledge of nautical archaeological matters, broadly defined.  The applicability of the knowledge that is likely to be gained to wide audiences should be a major consideration in the selection process.  Narrow projects with only small specialised audiences do not fit within the purview of the Fund.

In addition to archaeology fieldwork, laboratory work, creating illustrations, work on publications, printing costs, etc., which are follow-ups to fieldwork investigations, are included in this definition.  The Fund encourages means of bringing knowledge of the results of nautical archaeology to a wide public in the form of publications in various media.

Carefully planned small projects with potential for development will be considered for funding.  Proven success will not be a requirement for funding.

Projects that are primarily educational, such as fieldschools, lecture series, and public events, do not fit within the purview of the International Nautical Archaeology Fund. Funds shall not be granted for creating, managing or attending conferences, travel outside specific needs of a project, and similar non-research purposes.

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Our Approach to PublicationUndertaking research by itself is not a charitable purpose and confers little or no benefit to the public. To achieve such benefits the results of the research must be disseminated in a publicly accessible format, thus adding to the collective knowledge and understanding of humanity’s past in a nautical context.

Dissemination of the results of research in a publicly accessible format is therefore an integral component of any nautical archaeology project, as recognised by Rules 30 -36 of the Annex to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural heritage 2001. As such, the INAF regards such dissemination to be an essential component of any proposal for award of a grant from the INAF.

The INAF will require as a condition of any grant awarded, the publication of the results of any research undertaken from funding provided. Such publication may be proportional to the funded research undertaken and may make take the form of, but not necessarily be limited to:

  • Publication on the INAF’s website or other Internet media outlet
  • Publication in popular literature, such as magazines and news periodicals
  • Publication in peer reviewed academic journals
  • Publication in monographs or books
  • Publication as documentary film or television program

It may be the case that two or more forms of publication may be intended to be undertaken in respect of research funded by the INAF. If so, applicants should expressly identify this in the application. Wherever possible, applicants may wish to identify the intention to provide a readily comprehensible form of publication for the general public as well as a more technical format for a specialised audience.

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Application Eligibility

Applications will only be considered from:

• Not for Profits, Registered Charities (including CIOs), Non-Government Organisations, Archaeological Groups or Societies

• Individual researchers affiliated with a University

• Individual researchers and members of a Non-Government Organisation or Archaeological Group or Society

• University students studying nautical archaeology or related subjects at undergraduate level or above.

Applications will not be considered from:

• Not for Profits and Charities that do not have one year of registered accounts

• Political parties

• Persons or organisations engaged, or proposing to engage in the commercial exploitation of cultural heritage contrary to the provisions Article 2 of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage 2001, and Rule 2 of the Annex thereto.

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Application Timetable and Financials

The minimum grant size is £500. Awards of more than £20,000 will be rare.

2026 applications to the International Nautical Archaeology Foundation open on the 1st January 2026 and close on the 28th February 2026.

Applicants will be informed of the award decision by the 6th April 2026. Grant recipients will be required to report on their supported work by the 31st March 2027, and the 31st March 2028 (if a two year funded project).

Any unused funds shall be returned within two years of the award. If a grant is being used for a project lasting longer than two years, applicants will be advised on returning any unused funds. 

The financial and administrative overhead rates for grants shall not exceed 10% of the grant applied for. For example, a £1,000 grant may not have more than £100 allocated to overhead. Any overhead amounts must be disclosed in the grant application and in any financial reports.

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Download the 2026 INAF Application Form here

Please direct any enquiries and send applications to inaf@nauticalarchaeologysociety.org 

2026 applications close at 23.59 (GMT) on the 28th February 2026.

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Donate to International Nautical Archaeology Foundation

The International Nautical Archaeology Foundation is an open fund, happy to accept further donations to help support nautical archaeology research and fieldwork. If you would like to talk to someone about donating a legacy to the field of nautical archaeology please feel free to contact the NAS CEO, Mark Beattie-Edwards by email on mark@nauticalarchaeologysociety.org

The PADI FOUNDATION encourages and supports research and education related to aquatic environments.

http://www.padifoundation.org/index.html

The PADI FOUNDATION encourages and supports research and education related to aquatic environments. The Foundation will fund and assist worthwhile projects that either:

Enrich mankind’s understanding of aquatic environments and encourage sensitivity to and protection of ecosystems.

Increase understanding of sport diving physics and physiology that will benefit the general diving public and add to the scientific understanding of man’s relationship   and ability to survive in the underwater environment.

Improve understanding of, and response to, hazards to humans and ecosystems       related to climate change in coastal and ocean environments.

The PADI Foundation is an IRC Section 501 (c)(3) non-profit, tax exempt organization. It is a separate and distinct organization, corporately unrelated to PADI, Inc. and its affiliates, but funded through International PADI, Inc .

Since 1992, the Foundation has awarded almost $5.93 million to almost 1,389 projects. In 2025, there were over 400 grant applications of which 40 received grants aggregating $167,516.  Each year, the Foundation will consider proposals with budgets up to $12,000 although the average for proposals will be on the order $5,000 to $10,000 (diving physiology proposals related to diver safety with budgets larger than $12,000 will be considered).  The Foundation will generally not fund overhead and other indirect expenses, salaries, dive training, and standard diving equipment.

All applications must be submitted beginning November 1, 2025 and no later than January 15, 2026. Successful applicants will be notified by May 1, 2026 and funds will be disbursed shortly thereafter.

We are now using Common Grant Application, a web-based management program, to receive and administer your grant proposals. Carefully review the PADI Foundation 2026 Electronic Grant Submissions below.

The following instructions were specifically prepared to walk you through the online application process:

PADI Foundation 2026 Electronic Grant Submissions:

Read these instructions before starting to fill out the forms on line

The following is a list of new instructions on how to submit an application:

1.  If you are new, please register on the Common Grant Application website or if you already have an account      go to the login.

2. You will be given the option to go to Continue to Dashboard or Continue to Application.

3.  If you have any questions about using the Common Grant Application site, please contact the Common Grant Application directly. The contact information can be found by going to www.commongrantapplication.com and the Contact tab. They may also be reached by phone at: +1 (310) 490-1277.

Dr. Ernst Crone Fellowship and the Prof. J.C.M. Warnsinck Fellowship of the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam

https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.com/collection/research/fellowships/fellows-2025

Prof. J.C.M. Warnsinck Fellowship 

The Prof. J.C.M. Warnsinck Fellowship is a one-time stipend of up to €4,000, including travel expenses, to conduct maritime historical research relating to objects in the collection of the Netherlands Maritime Museum in Amsterdam. The sum may only be dispensed directly to the applicant. The fellowship is open to those who have (almost) completed their master’s degree. The fellowship may last a maximum of six months, the earliest starting date is 1 March 2025. It is possible to postpone the start of the fellowship, in consultation, up to 1 June 2025. The closing date for applications is 19 December 2024. 

Are you interested in this fellowship? 

Are you interested? Click here to open the pdf outlining the application process, the timeframe, the range of available subjects and the selection criteria employed. 

Dr. Ernst Crone Fellowship 

The Dr. Ernst Fellowship is a one-time stipend of up to €25,000, including travel expenses, to conduct maritime historical research relating to objects in the collection of the Netherlands Maritime Museum in Amsterdam. The sum may be dispensed directly to the applicant or to their employer. The fellowship is open to academics holding a PhD. The fellowship may last a maximum of twelve months. 

Interested in this fellowship?

Currently this fellowship is not open for applications, but you can indicate your interest by emailing fellows@hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl. You will then be informed when a new call opens.

Senior Specialist, Science and Innovation Programs (Ocean): National Geographic Society

https://ngs.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ngs_external_career_site/details/Senior-Specialist–Science-and-Innovation-Programs–Ocean-_R1532

The Senior Specialist’s primary responsibility is supporting the Science & Innovation Programs team programmatic needs, developing Requests for Proposals, evaluating and recommending Level 1 and Level 2 research and conservation grants, providing high-quality customer service to grantees – our National Geographic Explorers – and supporting other dynamically evolving needs across the Science and Innovation Programs team. The Senior Specialist will primarily support grants and programs in either the Ocean, Wildlife, Space, or Planetary Health focus area and will additionally provide similar services and support across other focus areas within Science and Innovation Programs as needed. The Senior Specialist should have a deep and broad curiosity about the world, proactive and collaborative mindset, a strong sense of accountability and follow-through, and willingness to take on new challenges. Through their work, the Senior Specialist will build on the Society’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The most competitive applicants will have experience in program management and conservation and/or scientific research. Experience working with local communities and stakeholders is strongly preferred.

Your Impact

Responsibilities Include:

Strategy and Program Development (10%)

  • Support the team in the strategic development and adaptive management of the focus area’s portfolio.
  • Understand relevant field(s), stay networked and informed on emerging trends, and scan for gaps and opportunities in the focus area’s portfolio and on other topics as requested.
  • Assist the Science and Innovation Programs leadership in researching and scoping potential new priority areas and/or partnerships
  • Support the development of research and conservation Requests for Proposals in the designated focus area and other focus areas as assigned.
  • Participate in internal strategic discussions as well as cross-division working groups 
  • Provide programmatic support across Science and Innovation Programs.

Grant Support (25%)

  • Collaborate within and across teams to seek, evaluate, fund, and manage Level 1 and Level 2 grants and grantees within both the designated focus area and other focus areas as assigned, ensuring alignment with NGS’s strategic plan and programmatic priorities.
  • Under supervision, oversee scientific aspects of grants including development, recruitment, proposal review, developing new RFPs (requests for proposals), contributing to the definition of our science and grantmaking priorities, and coordination of internal and external expert review.
  • Develop and maintain strong, positive and empathetic relationships with prospective and active Explorers. Act as primary contact for Explorers leading Level 1 grants, and serve as an internal subject matter expert on these projects, including understanding the context in which they occur.
  • Communicate with Explorers to stay apprised of new discoveries, high profile academic publications, and/or media-friendly results that should be elevated and coordinate internally through established processes for review and amplification. 

Program Support (40%)

Includes but not limited to:

  • Identifies and interprets internal/external issues; elevates issues/inefficiencies where appropriate; recommends solutions, best practices, tools, and improvements needed; supports development and utilization of new/streamlined processes and refinement of current processes.
  • Organizes data and implements data best practices, performs research, data validation, and manipulation; works with team members to create NGS forms, reports, campaigns, and dashboards to visualize program impact; summarizes data and metrics for use in divisional reporting and analysis.
  • Assists with managing projects and schedules, notifies relevant parties of approaching deadlines and helps to keep all projects on track, including updating schedules, project tracker, and other relevant documents.
  • Supports leadership with budget creation and tracking.
  • Supports internal operations, including but not limited to assisting with contracts, legal, presentation preparation, invoices, mailings, travel and logistics, maintaining shared calendars and shared documentation, and other administrative tasks as needed.

Team, Divisional, and Organizational Collaboration (25%)

  • Develop and maintain strong positive and empathetic working relationships with other NGS divisions and external teams to maximize impact and reach.
  • Supports leadership in establishing and advancing cross-division collaborations and initiatives
  • Reviews grant and project related materials and provide approval on behalf of program to external partners, NGP and internal divisions.
  • May represent Science & Innovation at external meetings, convenings, conferences, events, etc;

What You’ll Bring

Educational Background

Bachelor’s degree in science including one or more of the following: environmental science, biology, ocean science, engineering, space science related disciplines, or related fields required.

Minimum Years and Type of Experience   

4+ years of relevant experience in one or more of the following: research, science, conservation, sustainability or related fields. Experience working on wildlife or ocean related science or conservation preferred. Experience working on programs or partnerships at a non-profit in the environment or sustainability sector is also preferred.

Necessary Knowledge and Skills

  • Understanding of the scientific method and ability to understand and evaluate technical material. 
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to work with individuals and groups at all levels.
  • Ability to work on multiple projects, under deadlines, with changing priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
  • Ability to manage tasks and responsibilities that span multiple teams.
  • Must be able to learn quickly and adapt to new situations.
  • Positive attitude with proactive approach.
  • Excellent organizational skills.

Desired Qualifications

  • Experience with GoogleDocs suite, Microsoft Office suite, Slack, Miro and Airtable.
  • Ability to compile information from disparate sources (literature review, interviews and conversations, first-hand accounts, etc.) and produce condensed, topline messaging and/or recommendations.
  • Experience speaking in front of small and large audiences and putting together reports for many different types of audiences. 

Supervision

No direct reports

Salary Information

National Geographic Society offers a competitive and holistic total rewards package. Our compensation structure and transparent pay philosophy are based on industry-specific market data for similar sized nonprofit organizations.

The salary range for this position is $62,100 – $74,000.

Pay offered to candidates will be based on several factors including but not limited to industry-based or other relevant work experience, education, skills, certifications, and training.

In addition, National Geographic Society offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance; engaging and comprehensive wellness program; 401(k) retirement savings plan with matching contributions after 6 months of employment; flexible paid time off benefits with up to 22 days of paid annual leave per calendar year (15 days for new hires in their first year, prorated based on the number of pay periods remaining in the year) and 10 days of sick leave; 12 paid holidays and a paid winter break between December 25 and 31; paid parental leave, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility benefits; learning and development opportunities; Lifestyle Spending Account; pet adoption assistance and insurance; pre-tax transportation benefits with a generous employer subsidy; employer-paid life insurance and disability benefit; and a variety of National Geographic discounts and perks.

Job DesignationHybrid – At the Society, we believe in the advantages of coming together to build community, mentor and learn from colleagues, and connect more deeply with our mission. As a result, the majority of our staff are Hybrid. Our Hybrid category requires that staff work at Base Camp two days each week: every Tuesday and Wednesday. Hybrid staff are also always welcome to come in additional days each week if preferred.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

We encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a 100% match with the position. We are looking for someone with relevant skills and experience, not a checklist that exactly matches the job description. We want to help you grow and in return, you help us grow into a stronger, more inclusive organization. 

Applications are invited for ONE post of Research Assistant/Scholar in the research project entitled “3D Reconstruction of Underwater Archaeological Site Poompuhar” sponsored by MHRD, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Opportunities (Research Assistant/Fellow for the following projects)

[1] Applications are invited for ONE post of Research Assistant/Scholar in the research project entitled “Crowdsourcing Framework for Digital Archiving of Cultural Heritage” sponsored by MHRD, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

[2] Applications are invited for ONE post of Research Assistant/Scholar in the research project entitled “3D Reconstruction of Underwater Archaeological Site Poompuhar” sponsored by MHRD, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Essential Qualification: About to graduate / Graduated with B.Tech or M.Tech degrees in Electrical Engg./Electronics Engg./Computer Science or related disciplines.

Desirable: Knowledge of basic image processing, computer vision, machine learning/deep learning. Proficient with the following programming languages: Python, MATLAB, C++ (preferable) , C. Candidate having prior knowledge in the relevant research area will be given priority.

Duration: Minimum 6 months to 1 year initially, which may be extended depending on the performance till the end of the project.

Remuneration: Handsome emolument based on qualification, exposure and projects dealt earlier.

How to apply (Applicable only for Project [1]): Interested candidates are advised to forward their current CV to shankar@kletech.ac.in. In the subject of the E-mail, candidates should write “RA Position in DST-Crowdsourcing Project”. Shortlisted candidates will be informed through e-mail regarding the interview date. Students can also meet in-person for any discussions. The position gets closed once the right candidates are selected. For any queries, drop a mail.

Note: Candidates will be highly encouraged to apply for PhD at KLE Technological University.

HFF Grants Supporting Maritime Archaeology in the Eastern Mediterranean

Expression of Interest for Grants over £10,000

Since inception, the Foundation primarily supports regional projects which focus on maritime archaeology or underwater cultural heritage undertaken in the countries where Honor Frost worked. Broadly, this is the eastern Mediterranean, specifically Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria and also Egypt including the Red Sea. The Foundation is keen to support projects which will foster strong collaborations with regional partners, particularly those with local training opportunities. Our full aims and objectives are available here.

The Foundation also offers broader support for activities in this field, including education, training and workshops, conferences with a regional involvement, conservation work, museum exhibitions and public engagement.

We have recently introduced an expression of interest form for grants over £10,000. If accepted for development, potential grantees would be expected to work with HFF staff to develop the projects to reflect the aims of both parties.

Projects under £10,000- Full application.

April 1st, 2024. Final decisions will be made June 2024.

October 1st, 2024. Final decisions will be made December 2024.

Form and guidance are available by following this link.

 

Projects under £70,000- Expression of Interest

April 1st, 2024: If accepted, a full project proposal to be submitted in May 2024. Final decisions will be made June 2024.

September 1st, 2024: If accepted, a full project proposal to be submitted in October 2024. Final decisions will be made December 2024.

Projects over £70,000- Expression of Interest

April 1st, 2024: If accepted, a full project proposal to be submitted in June 2024. Final decisions will be made September 2024.

Expression of interest form are available by following this link.

DSAC BURSARIES FOR HERITAGE RELATED STUDIES: 2024

https://www.uwc.ac.za/news-and-announcements/announcements/dsac-bursaries-for-heritage-related-studies-2024

Archaeology (exclusively with a focus on marine and underwater cultural heritage, and forensic)

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture invites applications for bursaries from institutions accredited and registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training for students who wish to pursue studies in heritage related programmes.

Eligibility

  • South African citizenship;
  • Letter of provisional acceptance / letter of admission from the institution;
  • Not older than forty (40) years;
  • Outstanding / satisfactory academic performance (academic progress report if already at an institution) or (Grade 12 if you are a 1st year student);
  • Field of study (heritage related)
  • Not employed full time by government, state agencies or private sector with a salary of more than R350 000.
  • Students who are beneficiaries of other bursaries or donors for the 2024 academic year will only be considered if tuition fee at the said university or institution exceeds the DSAC’s threshold by at least 10% upwards.