Terms of the de Vries Fellowship
The Bert and Sally de Vries Fellowship provides support in the amount of $2,500 to an undergraduate or graduate student of any nationality except Jordanian citizens for participation on an archaeological project or research in Jordan. The fellowship must be used during the period between May 1 of the award year and April 30 of the following year. The fellowship is to assist in partial payment of essential expenses. Students whose expenses are being borne largely by the project are ineligible. Applicants must be enrolled students at the time of application. This fellowship may be combined with other ACOR fellowships.
Application requirements 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 de Vries Fellowship
Bert and Sally de Vries established their fellowship in 2004 to support students participating in archaeological excavations in Jordan. They worked in Jordan as researchers and administrators for more than forty years.
Bert de Vries (1939-2021) was an archaeological architect and a professor of History and Archaeology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He first worked in Jordan in 1968 as a novice architect for the Hisban Project. In 1972-73 he was the Albright Fellow at ACOR, and later he served as Director of ACOR from 1988 to 1991. In his career, de Vries has participated in and directed several archaeological projects in Jordan, including major studies of ancient communities, especially Hisban and Roman fortifications. His major project is at Umm el-Jimal where his work will contribute to the creation of a virtual museum on the web (www.ummeljimal.org). Bert De Vries regularly engaged in teaching, research and development work in Palestine and Jordan, and often collaborated with colleagues at Birzeit University on the West Bank.
Sally de Vries has been visiting Jordan for over three decades, beginning in 1972 when she and her husband lived in Jordan for two years. From 1988 to 1991 she was the administrative director of ACOR. Sally was also the administrative director of the excavations at Umm el-Jimal for eight summers. Sally’s particular expertise is in the traditional village cultures of Jordan and Palestine, especially the study of the daily life and customs as found in textiles, clothing and costumes. She has collaborated with Jordanian colleague Widad Kawar on two books and several catalogues as well as the Kawar collection (Arab Heritage). Sally de Vries also has developed her own collection of textiles, jewelry, carpets and household accessories.
To donate to this fellowship, please click here and write “de Vries” under the “Additional Details” section of the donation form.
Click here to apply for this fellowship.
Applications are due annually February 15.
