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Wenner-Gren Foundation For Anthropological Research Inc

Annual Giving
$5.9M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.0M
Decision Time
6mo
Success Rate
15%

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $5,932,749 (2023)
  • Success Rate: 15% overall (50% pass Stage One; 33% funded in Stage Two)
  • Decision Time: 6 months for most grants; 4-6 months for conferences
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $40,000 (depending on program)
  • Geographic Focus: International (worldwide)

Contact Details

Address: 655 Third Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10017, USA

Phone: (212) 683-5000

Email:

Website: wennergren.org

Overview

The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Inc. was founded in 1941 by Swedish industrialist Axel Wenner-Gren as the Viking Fund, renamed in 1951. With annual giving of approximately $5.9 million, the Foundation is one of the major funding sources for international anthropological research. The Foundation is dedicated to playing a leadership role in supporting anthropology and anthropologists worldwide across all branches of the discipline: cultural/social anthropology, ethnology, biological/physical anthropology, archaeology, and anthropological linguistics. The Foundation supports research, publishes the journal Current Anthropology, and provides platforms for scholarly exchange. Open to applicants irrespective of nationality or country of residence, the Foundation emphasizes theoretically-driven research that advances anthropological knowledge and amplifies the discipline's broader impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Dissertation Fieldwork Grant: Up to $25,000 (online portal, fixed deadlines)

  • Funds doctoral or thesis research that advances anthropological knowledge
  • Open to all methodologies, topics, and subfields
  • Deadlines: May 1 and November 1

Post-PhD Research Grant: Up to $25,000 (online portal, fixed deadlines)

  • Funds individual research projects by doctorates in anthropology or closely related fields
  • Supports work that furthers understanding of what it means to be human
  • Deadlines: May 1 and November 1

Engaged Research Grant: Up to $25,000 (online portal, fixed deadline)

  • Targets projects growing from established relationships with communities
  • Emphasizes partnership from research formulation through public mobilization
  • Deadline: August 1

Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowship: Up to $40,000 for 9 months (online portal, fixed deadline)

  • Supports full-time writing
  • Deadline: May 1

Conference and Workshop Grant: $20,000 maximum (online portal, fixed deadlines)

  • Funds innovative conferences and workshops
  • Deadlines: June 1 and December 1

Global Initiatives Grant: $5,000 - $20,000 (online portal, fixed deadline)

  • Funds innovative, collaborative initiatives that build capacity in anthropology
  • Deadline: May 15

Priority Areas

The Foundation supports all branches of anthropology with emphasis on:

  • Theoretically-driven research that advances anthropological knowledge
  • Projects that demonstrate contribution to broader anthropological conversations
  • Research that builds capacity in the discipline
  • International and underserved researchers
  • Public scholarship and inclusive conversations
  • Diverse epistemological traditions within anthropology

What They Don't Fund

  • Institutional overhead or administrative fees
  • Renewable grants (all grants are non-renewable)
  • Annual conferences organized by national associations
  • Panels or sessions that are part of larger meetings
  • Gatherings open to auditors who are not presenting work
  • Funding for the same annual meeting more than once every other year
  • Materials beyond application requirements (transcripts, reference letters, manuscripts, publications, photographs, recordings)

Governance and Leadership

President: Dr. Danilyn Rutherford (appointed 2017)

  • Former chair of UC Santa Cruz's anthropology department
  • Cornell PhD in anthropology

Governance Structure:

  • Board of Trustees (12 members)
  • Advisory Council (8 international anthropologists)

Key Quotes from President Rutherford:

"These are exciting times for anthropology, and I'm thrilled to have a chance to take part in shaping the discipline's future."

"I've always admired Wenner-Gren's commitment to supporting an intellectual ecology where different varieties of knowledge production can flourish."

"Wenner-Gren is in a perfect position to create a space for conversation among anthropologists trained in different epistemological traditions."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through the Foundation's online portal, which opens 2 months before each deadline. All applications and materials must be in English.

Application Portal Process:

  1. Portal opens 2 months before deadline
  2. Submit all required forms and materials online
  3. Applications must be submitted by UTC-04:00 on deadline date
  4. Do not send additional materials beyond what is requested

Key Deadlines by Program:

  • Dissertation Fieldwork & Post-PhD Research Grants: May 1 and November 1
  • Engaged Research Grant: August 1
  • Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowship: May 1
  • Conference and Workshop Grants: June 1 and December 1
  • Global Initiatives Grant: May 15

Important Note: Nearly half of all applications are submitted during the last 12 hours before the deadline. The Foundation recommends submitting 1-2 days early to avoid bandwidth competition.

Decision Timeline

Review Process Duration:

  • Most grant programs: 6 months from deadline to decision
  • Conference and Workshop Grants: 4-6 months

Two-Stage Review Process (for major grant programs):

  • Stage One: Approximately 50% advance to Stage Two
  • Stage Two: Approximately 33% receive funding
  • Reviewers rate proposals on 1-5 scale (lower scores are better)
  • Generally, proposals with average review scores of 2 and lower are funded

Notification Timeline:

  • Foundation aims to inform applicants at least 2 weeks before the next application deadline
  • For May 1 deadline: notification by approximately April 15
  • For November 1 deadline: notification by approximately October 15

Success Rates

Overall Success Rate: Approximately 15% of all applications receive funding

By Program Type (historical data):

  • Dissertation Fieldwork Grant: 15.0% (146 funded out of 971 applications)
  • Post-PhD Research Grant: 17.5% (49 funded out of 281 applications)

Important Context: Resubmitted applications have a significantly higher success rate than first-time applications, suggesting that incorporating reviewer feedback substantially improves chances of success.

Reapplication Policy

Unsuccessful applicants are welcome and encouraged to reapply. As part of resubmission, applicants must:

  • Explain how they have addressed reviewers' concerns
  • Document any changes to their plans
  • Make substantive changes to the application (not just a resubmission statement)

The Foundation expects meaningful revisions, not simple resubmissions of the same application.

Application Success Factors

What Wenner-Gren Values

Contribution to Broader Anthropology: "A successful application is one that emphasizes the proposed project's contribution to the broader field of anthropology. Be explicit about what your research will add to wider anthropological conversations and how, by funding your project, the Foundation will be building capacity in the discipline as a whole."

Theoretical Foundation: The Foundation prioritizes research that is theoretically driven. It is not enough to just cite literature—applicants must provide a clear and comprehensive discussion of the issues at stake and demonstrate how their work fits into current debates in the field.

Knowledge of Literature: Applications must clearly demonstrate good knowledge of the anthropological literature relevant to the topic, as well as other disciplinary literature.

Strong Project Description Answers: Good and convincing answers to the project description questions are essential—they are the core of the application and its success depends on how well these questions are answered.

Budget Justification: Include detailed breakdown showing how expenses were estimated in each category. Items not fully justified will not be considered.

Tailored Bibliography: Tailor the bibliography specifically for the proposal, focusing on the central research question and the broader conversations and debates that inspired the work.

Resources for Applicants

Proposal Collection Database: The Foundation maintains a searchable database of successful proposals contributed by recent grantees. Some grantees also contributed earlier iterations so applicants can track improvements. Examples include projects on indigenous identity in Brazil, infant skin microbiome research, Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and food and identity in the Wari Empire.

Proposal Workshops: The Foundation holds online proposal writing workshops for prospective applicants to help them understand what makes a strong application.

Recent Examples of Funded Projects

  • Elizabeth Adeyemo (2023): Laboratory research on archaeological ceramics and socioeconomic systems in the Igbo Ukwu society of the 9th-12th centuries CE in Nigeria (Dissertation Fieldwork Grant)
  • Various projects examining indigenous blood claims in northeastern Brazil
  • Research on infant skin microbiome
  • Studies of Syrian refugees in Lebanon
  • Archaeological research on food and identity in the Wari Empire

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Emphasize disciplinary contribution: Explicitly articulate how your research will advance broader anthropological conversations and build capacity in the discipline—this is what the Foundation most values
  • Build strong theoretical framework: Simply citing literature isn't enough; provide comprehensive discussion of issues and clearly situate your work within current debates
  • Consider resubmission: With 15% overall success rate but significantly higher rates for resubmissions, unsuccessful applicants should strongly consider revising and reapplying with substantive improvements based on reviewer feedback
  • Use available resources: Access the Foundation's searchable database of successful proposals and attend online proposal workshops to understand what strong applications look like
  • Budget thoroughly: Provide detailed justification for all expenses; unjustified items will not be considered
  • Submit early: With half of applications submitted in the last 12 hours, submit 1-2 days early to avoid technical issues
  • Answer questions directly: The project description questions are the core of your application—invest time in crafting convincing, clear answers that demonstrate both knowledge and contribution to the field

References

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