The Pierre & Patricia Bikai Fellowship will be awarded to assist one graduate student for two months or two students for one month in conducting archaeological research in Jordan. The fellowship will provide room and board at ACOR and a stipend of $800 per month. The fellowship must be used during the period between May 1 of the award year and April 30 of the following year. It may be combined with another ACOR fellowship that will assist with travel, or the applicant may find travel funds from other sources. This fellowship is not for field work support, but to allow the awardee to continue study or research at ACOR after the field project has concluded and residency at the ACOR center is required. Open to enrolled graduate students of any nationality except Jordanian citizens. Required application materials include:
- Completed application form
- Academic review (either a letter from a project director confirming acceptance into an ongoing field or study project or, in the case of an independent research project, proof that your research has been accepted by ACOR or another academic institution as a scholarly and ethical project)
- Project proposal narrative (up to 2,000 words, not including bibliography)
- Transcript(s) (first-year graduate students should submit both graduate and undergraduate transcripts)
- One recommendation
Background of the Bikai Fellowship
The Pierre and Patricia Bikai Fellowship was established in 2006. Pierre and Patricia Bikai began their association with ACOR in 1991, he as Director and she as Associate Director, and they served until 2006. Both are archaeologists trained at the University of California at Davis, and they brought to ACOR their extensive archaeological field experience in Lebanon, Turkey, the Azores, Iraq, Egypt, Syria and Jordan.
ACOR grew substantially over the fifteen years of their leadership. Their fundraising efforts raised nearly a million dollars a year for endowments, the ACOR building in Amman, fellowships, and numerous archaeological projects. Patricia Bikai initiated the ACOR publication program and she personally oversaw the production of four books, all major contributions to the archaeology and cultural heritage of Jordan.
Some of the notable projects that ACOR implemented in Jordan under the Bikais’ leadership include the Great Temple on the Amman Citadel, the Madaba Archaeological Park, and JADIS (Jordan Antiquities Database Information System). In addition, at that time ACOR projects included the excavation of the Ayyubid Tower in Amman, and presentation of Aqaba/Ayla.
During the Bikais’ tenure, ACOR projects at Petra unearthed and documented major buildings and structures – the Petra Church, the Roman Street, the Ridge Church, and the Blue Chapel. A whole new area for tourism in the city center area of Petra was opened up by virtue of this work.
Recent Bikai Fellow profiles:
To donate to this fellowship, please click here and write “Bikai” under the “Additional Details” section of the donation form.
Click here to apply for this fellowship.
Applications are due February 15 annually.
Applicants will be informed in April.
