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EAG Laboratories–SAS Student Pilot Research Award

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Program Description

The Society for Archaeological Sciences (SAS) in collaboration with the Purity Survey division of Eurofins EAG Laboratories invites applications for the Eurofins EAG Laboratories – The Society for Archaeological Sciences Student Pilot Research Award.  This is a competition for one prize per annual application cycle with a maximum value of $3000 USD of credit towards the cost of analytical chemistry analyses carried out by the Eurofins EAG Laboratories Purity Survey facility located in Liverpool, New York, USA.  This award program is intended to support student researchers seeking to acquire pilot data that will facilitate subsequent competitive applications for major private and government research grants. 

Applicant Eligibility

  • Current dues-paid student or lifetime member of The Society for Archaeological Sciences
  • Currently enrolled as a graduate student in a Master’s or Doctoral degree program in archaeology, anthropology, museum studies, art conservation, analytical chemistry, materials science, or any other degree program relevant to the goals of the society.  
  • All application materials submitted by e-mail to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by the single annual cycle deadline of the second Monday in April: April 14th, 2025 at 11:59 PM GMT (UTC+00:00)

Project Eligibility

  • This program is not intended to be combined with or to supplement major (direct costs > $25,000 USD) research grants.  Laboratory fee credit awarded under this program may be combined with funds from grants with direct costs < $25,000 USD.  If the fee credit is intended to be combined with other funding, either obtained or pending, this must be stated in the proposal.
  • In addition to Master’s Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation projects, this program is applicable to Ph.D. students nearing the end of their program who are seeking funding for pilot work for postdoctoral projects.  In such cases, the applicant must still be enrolled as a graduate student at the time of application submission.
  • The first step to applying is to contact EAG and state that your inquiry is in reference to The Society for Archaeological Sciences Student Pilot Research Award program administered through the Liverpool, New York lab.  EAG technical sales experts will put each applicant in contact with relevant analysts and scientists, including EAG’s Registered Professional Archaeologist on staff, to determine project feasibility and produce a cost estimate if applicable.  Obtaining a cost estimate from EAG is a prerequisite to proceeding with applying for the award.

Eligible Analytical Techniques

Any of the following techniques offered by the Liverpool, New York EAG facility are eligible.  One or more of these techniques may be included in the cost estimate obtained from EAG.  If you are not familiar with these techniques, there is information about each on the EAG website at the links below.

Application Components (all required; submit as .pdf or .docx documents attached to one email)

  • Applicant’s Curriculum Vitae (most recent version)
  • Letter of Recommendation from Applicant’s Adviser or Department Chair
  • Project Proposal: a maximum two-page proposal describing the research objectives and methodology, the justification of budget, and plans for disseminating the results.  A bibliography will not count towards the page limit.  The bibliography should use the reference format of either the Journal of Archaeological Science or Archaeometry.  The proposal and bibliography should be in 12-point font, Times New Roman, with one-inch page margins.
  • A cost estimate (i.e., a quote) obtained from EAG Laboratories no more than 90 days prior to the award cycle application deadline.  If the cost estimate is for work greater than $3000 USD in value, the project proposal must state the source and status (obtained or pending) of funding that will be used to cover the difference in cost.

Application Evaluation and Award Selection Criteria

  • Proposals will be evaluated by a committee led by the President of The Society for Archaeological Sciences, including suitable referees chosen from the membership of the Society.  The committee evaluates the eligibility and merit of each application. The criteria used will be the record of the candidate, the letter of recommendation, and the scientific merit and potential career impact of the proposal.
  • All proposals deemed to be “finalists” by the committee will be entered into a random drawing to select the single winning proposal.  The Society is using this unique award model with the goal of mitigating the concentration of competitive  funding among a small number of repeatedly successful applicants.

Terms and Conditions of the Award

  • The successful applicant is committed to submitting a brief summary (1 page or ~500 words) of the results to the SAS Executive Board no later than one year after the analytical work is carried out at EAG and results delivered to the winner (not one year after the completion of the entire project).
  • No redress against the decision of the evaluating committee is possible.
  • The award consists of credit for laboratory fees that may only be used for work carried out at the Liverpool, New York facility of Eurofins EAG Laboratories.  Any unused credit will expire one year after the award is made to the recipient. The credit is non-refundable (i.e., is not redeemable for cash).                
  • Either The Society for Archaeological Sciences, Eurofins EAG Laboratories, or both may promote the award program and each cycle’s winner by sharing information about winning applications, including the summary of results, publicly.
  • Any written publications, conference presentations, or conference posters that contain the results of analyses carried out under this award program shall include an acknowledgement of the support provided by The Society for Archaeological Sciences and by Eurofins EAG Laboratories.
  • Failure to comply with these terms and conditions will result in the renunciation of the award, cancellation of the laboratory fee credit, and a ban on the awardee from future participation in all awards and competitive opportunities sponsored by the Society.

About Eurofins EAG Laboratories

Eurofins EAG Laboratories has over 40 years’ experience in materials testing services. Our parent company, Eurofins Scientific, is a multi-billion-dollar global leader in scientific services with a portfolio of over 200,000 validated analytical methods. We offer a consultative, multi-disciplinary approach to solving your materials- and engineering-related product problems. As thought leaders in investigative science, we set the global standard for materials testing services.

Eurofins EAG Laboratories has over 20 locations in 8 countries around the globe.  With 2,500 instruments worldwide we can scale to your demand, meet time constraints and ensure client confidentiality.

Located near Syracuse, in Liverpool NY, the laboratory supporting this award program is 50,000 sq. ft. with facilities analyzing high-purity metals/alloys, high performance composites, semiconductors, medical devices and more. Originally called Shiva Technologies, Inc. this site was founded in 1990 and acquired by EAG Laboratories in 2006.