It has become clear that the pandemic will continue to impact the livelihoods of our members for some time to come. While the pandemic touches all of us, it is most economically devastating for our members who work independently, in a small business, or in precarious circumstances in the academy.
We are pleased to announce that the AAA has set up an emergency grant fund to assist financially vulnerable AAA members who are self-employed, sole proprietors, or teaching part-time. From this fund we will make one-time $500 emergency grants that can be used to cover unexpected expenses related to the pandemic and its professional or personal consequences. For example, the grant might be used to help alleviate a loss of income or support remote workplace improvements necessitated by public health emergency directives.
To be eligible, applicants must:
The application deadline is May 10, 2020. Grants will be awarded to eligible applicants on a lottery basis until the resource pool is exhausted.
To apply for one of these grants, please click on this link – you will need to provide a name and email to create an account.
We are working to set aside at least $50,000 to support these grants. The money comes from several sources. The AAA Executive Board has contributed $25,000 from AAA reserves, and a number of sections have generously pledged funds from their reserves as well. AAA is seeking additional funding from philanthropic organizations. If you are in a position to donate now, we invite you to join us and our fellow individual Executive Board members to contribute.
The Society for Medical Anthropology has established a separate fund; additional information about applying to this fund is available here. SMA members may apply to both SMA and AAA emergency programs but are only eligible to receive one $500 grant.
Please contact AAA membership staff if you have questions.
My most sincere wishes for the health and safety of you and your households at this troubling time.
Akhil Gupta
AAA President
