Ernestine Friedl Research Award

"Published in 1975, Women and Men exemplified my conviction that behavior on the ground – what people actually do or practice – is an essential beginning for investigations....The political economy of gender is, in my view, still where the main thrust should be found, but the value of studying the richness of symbol, ritual, and literary texts as a source of nuanced understanding of gender relations has become obvious."

- Ernestine Friedl

The Award

The Ernestine Friedl Research Fund was established by the family and friends of Dr. Friedl, a cultural anthropologist. Dr. Friedl's fieldwork in a Greek village was the first published study on modern Greece. She came to Duke in 1973 to chair the newly formed department of Cultural Anthropology. Dr. Friedl became the first woman Dean of Trinity College and (jointly) Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Duke from 1980 to 1985. The Women's Studies Program at Duke was established under her deanship. During her years at Duke, she served on the National Science Foundation Board and as president of the American Anthropological Association. She was also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Awards of up to $1,500 will be given to foster research by graduate students working on the cultural, social and biological constructions of gender in any department of Duke University. The award may be used for travel, living expenses, direct costs incurred in collecting and analyzing information, or as a means of recognizing outstanding research work. Graduate students who have passed the preliminary examinations in their departments and are engaged in dissertation research and writing are eligible to apply. Winners will be asked to report on the use of these funds and their work. 

Funding Awarded for Travel or in-person events are subject to current CDC and Duke University policies and restrictions.  

Application Procedure

• a proposal of 2-3 pages addressed to the Ernestine Friedl Research Award Committee and
• a current curriculum vitae. 

The proposal should describe the student's dissertation project, the status of the work, a budget for requested funds, an explanation of other funds available to the student, and the name of the student's dissertation advisor.