A Cotlow Award…

What is it?

How do I get one?

Cotlow awards are grants to support student research

• On anthropological topics in any of the four fields

• Awarded on a competitive basis each year

• Usually done during the summer

It’s about anthropology

• The project you are proposing must make sense in terms of anthropology

• You should have had some coursework in anthropology so you can bring an anthropological perspective to the project

• Take an anthropology research methods course to help you strengthen your proposal

Who is eligible to apply?

You must be a GW student:

BA

MA

PhD

What is anthropology?

• Archaeology

• Biological anthropology

• Cultural anthropology

• Linguistic anthropology

Cotlow Advisory Committee, 2012-2013

• Barbara Miller (cultural anthropology), chair• 1957 E St. NW, suite 501• barbar@gwu.edu

• Jeffrey Blomster (archaeology)• 2112 G St. NW (HAH), room 303• blomster@gwu.edu

• Alexander Dent (linguistic anthropology)• 2110 G St. NW (HAH), room 302• asdent@gmail.edu

• Shannon McFarlin (biological anthropology)• 2114 G St. NW (Bldg. BB), room 303• mcfarlin@gwu.edu

How to find a topic

• Inspiration (hard to explain!)• Something from your background—been there, seen

something• Something you heard about in a class• An issue that is in the news• A place you want to go• Scan past Cotlow proposals (dept website)• Scan programs of professional anthropology

meetings, such as the American Anthropological Association, etc.

• Talk with anthropology professors

Tips for success in topic selection

• Work with your strengths: if you know Spanish, don’t propose to do a project in Russia

• Use your past experience and contacts to increase the feasibility of the project

• Follow your heart

Is it “anthropological”?

• Talk to some professors to see how you can shape it

• Read “the literature” (in anthropology)

• Think about methods—how would you study it?

Seek faculty mentoring

• A side benefit of the Cotlow process is that students and faculty get to know each other

• So, if you are thinking of a project some-where in South America or about fossil hominins or about rap music…talk to a professor who knows that area/topic.

• Who are the faculty? Check out the department’s website

Relevance to Anthropology• Do preliminary library research on the

topic (start with Gelman electronic databases such as “AnthroSource” and “Anthropology Plus)

• Find out about anthropologists who have done related work and learn how they did it (methods)

• Use the Gelman tool “Refworks” to keep track of your sources

The Cotlow Proposal Form

• Available on the Anthropology Department website:

http://departments.columbian.gwu.edu/anthropology/cotlow

Personal Information and Faculty Mentor(s)

• Basic background information

• Faculty advisor: name one, or two– At least one should be a fulltime member

of the Anthropology Department faculty– You may have anthropologists outside the

university as a mentor, or non-anthropologists, but make sure to have one faculty member from the department

Title of Project The Abstract• Title: think of something informative

and not too long• Abstract: a short (80 words) description of

your project’s goals, context, methods, and importance. It pulls key elements from all the major sections of the proposal.– THEREFORE: BEST TO WRITE IT LAST; or,

write it early on, and keep revising it, and review it carefully and revise it before you submit the proposal

Description of the Project

• This section provides a general description of your project:– Overall research objectives– The location/site/context of the project

• Characteristics of the site• Why this particular site

Significance of the Topic to Anthropology

• Review of the related “literature” in anthropology• Discuss what selected anthropologists have written

on/around your topic• “Bundle” related anth lit into themes; see examples of

successful proposals on the Anthropology Department website

• Specific references needed; ring bells!• Use social science citation style (SMITH date:pp); see

style guidelines on aaanet.org• References cited/consulted must be listed in the

section called “References Cited” at the end

Research Questions and Methods of Data Collection

• Objectives: State your overarching research questions: what, overall, do you want to learn? (try sticking to two or three)

• Discuss the data collection methods you will use to provide information to help answer those questions

• As appropriate, you may wish to mention data analysis methods used during or after the funding period

Ethics: Anthropology Guidelines

• Learn about anthropology ethics from your mentor(s)

• Refer to the AAA website for ethics guidelines in all four fields: aanet.org

• More detailed guidelines exist on other sites for archaeology and biological anthropology

• Be specific in describing how you will follow ethical practices in your research

Ethics: GW Research Rules• Regarding “research” involving “human subjects”• Consult the GW website for the Institutional Review

Board: http:/www.gwumc.edu/research/human– Research includes activities that seek to provide

“generalizable knowledge”– A human subject is just a person; it is a person involved in

particular kinds of research• Most, but not all, student projects involving living

humans fit under the category of “excluded” research and so you do not need to fill out IRB forms

• Projects that are related to health issues, or involve children and pregnant women, for example, fit into “risk” categories of IRB concern

• Consult with your mentor(s)!

Research Product

• How will you present and otherwise make use of your findings?

• Examples:– For your academic goals (thesis, etc.)– To the “scholarly community” (conference

paper, website, etc.)– To the host community/country (copy of

your thesis or other written work for a library, website, shared skills with local people, etc.)

One Required “Product”

• If you receive a Cotlow award, you are required to present your findings in a brief oral presentation at the annual Anthropol-ogy Student Research Conference which is usually held in mid-October

Timeframe

• Lay out your goals week by week, or in whatever way is appropriate and sufficiently detailed

• Imagine your way through the project—this stage may prompt you to rethink your research objectives!

• Look at examples of successful Cotlow proposals posted on the Anthropology Department website

Budget

• Cotlow awards range from $200 to $1800

• Consider your potential expenses carefully and try to find the lowest rates for travel, housing, etc.

• In your budget, list all major expenditures, estimated as best as you can

Details in the Budget

• You may want to add a line for “local travel,” rough amount $200 (just an example)

• Or, gifts to project participants, $200

• Or, translation assistance, $500

• Faculty mentor(s) can advise you about the budget

Budget cont’d: What You Cannot Ask For

• Equipment such as cameras

Budget cont’d:Staff

• Most Cotlow projects do not involve staff but some do, perhaps for translation assistance

• If your project requires an assistant, explain the reasons why somewhere in the body of the proposal

• In the budget, provide a line item and explain qualifications of person(s) to be hired

Budget cont’d:Outside Financial or Other Support

• Some Cotlow recipients co-finance the project themselves or receive financial help from other grants, family, etc. Other receive “in-kind” support such as free housing or food from relatives or friends during the research.

• If so, please mention this support on the Budget page, making it clear that it is not being requested from the Cotlow award.

References Cited/Select Bibliography

• Provide references for all sources cited in your proposal; you may also include sources that you have noted cited but that were important in your development of the proposal

• We are looking for solid anthropological references, although you may include some non-anthropological sources

• Follow, generally, the reference style of the American Anthropological Association (aanet.org)

• PhD proposals should generally have more references

Permits

• Particular research sites may require formal permission from the country, locality, or institution for your project

• In your application, please provide copies of such permission or mention that you are in the process of securing such permissions

Transcript

• Include a scanned copy of your GW transcript for your current degree program (or from a previous school if you are transfer BA student)

• Failure to include your transcript will mean that your proposal is incomplete and will not be reviewed

Legal Conditions of the Award

• A brief expenditure report must be submitted to Professor Miller within three months of the end of research

• Presentation of findings at the Student Conference

• Compliance with all relevant ethical guidelines

• Compliance with GW safety guidelines when outside the US

Personal Safety during the Research Period

• Choose a research site that will be safe for you

• In case of potential problems, keep track of US government advisories about the country

• For international research, keep GW apprised of your location and follow GW safety rules and insurance regulations

• Have a back-up site in mind in case you need to change your research site at the last minute due to safety concerns

Final Tip for Success: (proposal drafts and revisions take time and are

essential for a successful proposal)

• Allow a lot of time to write and revise the proposal:– Ask faculty mentor(s) to review drafts and

allow for time for them to do so (turnaround time)

– Revise (this takes time)– Have your mentor look at it again; revise

again…– And maybe again– Submit a complete proposal on time! (don’t

forget your transcript)