Edward Liebow

EDWARD LIEBOW, American Anthropologist Association, Washington, DC, was awarded a Global Initiatives Grant in May 2020 to build capacity in anthropology through the “AAA COVID-19 Emergency Grant Fund.” Shortly after the March 2020 onset of the global pandemic, AAA established a “COVID-19 Emergency Grant Fund” to assist vulnerable AAA members who are self-employed, sole proprietors, or teaching part-time. Resources drawn from this fund would be in the form of one-time $500 emergency grants that can be used to cover unexpected expenses related to the pandemic and its professional or personal consequences. We drew $25,000 from AAA reserves, and sought to add to this fund by soliciting contributions from individuals, the AAA’s sections, and from philanthropic organizations like the Wenner-Gren Foundation. In total, we were able to raise sufficient funds to make grants to 170 individuals from 18 countries. In addition, we invited all 170 grantees to join the fall virtual event series, Raising Our Voices, which replaced the Annual Meeting that had to be canceled due to the pandemic. Funds from the COVID-19 Emergency Grant Fund were used to cover the registration fees for these individuals. The funds provided by the Wenner-Gren Foundation were disbursed to 20 individuals, all living outside the United States, in keeping with the spirit of the Foundation’s Global Initiatives Grant program.