MacDonald and Sampson Fellowship

Terms of the MacDonald/Sampson Fellowship

The Burton MacDonald and Rosemarie Sampson Fellowship will be awarded to assist an undergraduate or graduate student for research in the fields of Ancient Near Eastern languages and history, archaeology, Bible studies, or comparative religion. Applicants must be enrolled students and Canadian citizens or Canadian landed immigrants. Applicants must choose one of the two options available with this fellowship.

1) A four-week residency at the American Center of Research for research in the fields of ancient Near Eastern languages and history, archaeology, biblical studies, or comparative religion. The residency fellowship option includes room and board at the American Center of Research in Amman and a stipend of $1,500.

2) Or, a travel grant of $2,500 to provide support 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 for students.

Undergraduate applicants for the Burton MacDonald and Rosemarie Sampson Fellowship may also apply for the Groot and de Vries Fellowships. Graduate student applicants may also apply for the Groot, de Vries, Harrell, and Bikai Fellowships.

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

Deadline for applications is February 15.
Applicants will be notified in April.

Background of the Fellowship

Dr. Burton MacDonald at ACOR in 2010.
Dr. Burton MacDonald at ACOR in 2010.

Dr. Burton MacDonald and his wife, Dr. Rosemarie Sampson, are longtime supporters of ACOR and founded their fellowship in 2004 to encourage undergraduate and graduate student Canadian citizens and landed immigrants to take part in archaeological excavations in Jordan.

MacDonald is Senior Research Professor in the Department of Religious Studies and  in the Department of Anthropology at  St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Canada.

Rosemarie Sampson is a clinical psychologist.  In 2007 she retired as Dean of Professional Studies at Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax, Canada. She first traveled to Jordan in 1979-80, taught clinical psychology at the University of Jordan in 1986-87, and has returned many times over the years.

Dr. Burton MacDonald and Dr. Rosemarie Sampson in Spain in 2010.
Dr. Burton MacDonald and Dr. Rosemarie Sampson in Spain in 2010.

Dr. Burton MacDonald began survey archaeology projects in Jordan in 1977 with work at the Bad ad Dhra’ excavation.  He returned to Jordan to be the Annual Professor at ACOR in 1979-80 and again in 1986-87, and he was also the Dodge fellow in 1991-92.   MacDonald has carried out four major archaeological surveys:

  1. The Wadi al-Hasa Archaeological Survey (1979-1983)
  2. The Southern Ghor and Northeast ‘Arabah Archaeological Survey (1985-1986)
  3. The Tafila – Busayra Archaeological Survey (1999-2001)
  4. The Ayl to Ras an-Naqab Archaeological Survey (2005-2007).

To donate to this fellowship, please click here and write “MacDonald and Sampson” under the “Additional Details” section of the donation form. 

Click here to apply for this fellowship.

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