We envision a total of eight undergraduate participants in each summer field season, one or two of whom may have been involved in previous field seasons.
Applicants will be judged according to several criteria. First, students must be anthropology majors or have completed at least six credits of anthropology if no major is offered at their institution. They must show a strong commitment to general anthropology; previous experience with more specialized research will be taken into account but will in no case be determinative. (Previous training in the technical areas of direct relevance to the project is not a prerequisite.) Second, students must demonstrate a commitment to scientific, empirical anthropology. Third, students must be intelligent, mature, reasonably adept in social situations, and able to operate respectfully in another culture. They will need to have completed at least four semesters of study, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Copies of college transcripts will be required to show how much anthropology and anthropology-related coursework they have completed. In addition, applicants will need to submit an essay of about 1000 words on how fieldwork in general and the North Orkney Population History Project in particular fit in with their own interests and their future professional and personal goals. Finally, students will be required to provide two letters of recommendation from faculty members in a good position to evaluate their aptitudes and suitability for foreign research.
The deadline for applications will be December 15, 2005 for this year. All applicants who make the first cut will be interviewed in person or by telephone by one of the faculty mentors. Students will be notified by mail on or before January 15, 2006 as to whether they have been accepted, wait-listed, or rejected. By January 30, 2006 we must receive a letter from accepted students indicating their commitment to the project. After that date any open places will be offered to wait-listed students. The final list of participants will be completed by March 1, 2006 giving students ample time to prepare for the summer.