IPPA has very limited funding availability for delegates.  However, support from specific session organisers and sponsors may be available for qualified delegates.

IPPA23 STUDENT/COLLEAGUE/TRADITIONAL OWNER TRAVEL AWARD 

The Australasian Research Cluster for Archaeological Science (ARCAS) is offering 5 travel awards to support students, Traditional Owners and colleagues from low- or middle-income countries (LMICs) to attend the 23rd Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association conference (IPPA23) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from 2-6 November 2026. Grants available will be between AUD 1,500 to AUD 2,000.

Applicant Eligibility

• Applicants must be a member of ARCAS at the time of the application. Visit the ARCAS website to join for free: https://arcas.org.au/join/.

• Funding is to be used for Economy flights ONLY (no fully flexible fares) to and from Yogyakarta.

• Applicants must submit an abstract for a first-authored paper to be presented in-person only in the ARCAS-sponsored session (Session 11), and must be submitted along with the application form.

• The applicant must demonstrate a genuine financial need to request travel support. Students/ delegates with institutional or grant support for attendance are not eligible.

• Submit all required application documents before midnight AEST on Sunday, 1st of March 2026.

Assessment Criteria

Travel awards will be assessed by the ARCAS committee and applications will be ranked primarily according to (i) financial need and, or, lack of other funding, with secondary consideration given to (ii) benefit to the recipient, and (iii) quality of the abstract.

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered by the assessment committee. As funding is limited, we ask individuals not to apply if they already have other funding to support their travel. All information provided will be treated as strictly confidential.

Required Documents

·      Completed application form.

·      For student applicants: a letter or statement of support from your primary supervisor confirming that no other project, internal or alternative funding is available to support your attendance at IPPA23.

·      A copy of your first-authored IPPA abstract submitted to the conference.

·      One-page academic CV

·      Completed ARCAS Membership form (if not already a member): New ARCAS Membership

Submission Details

Please submit the online application form with all other required documents compiled in a single pdf through the DELEGATE REGISTRATION portal in the IPPA Secretariat website AND to the ARCAS committee via the IPPA23 TRAVEL AWARD form before midnight AEST Sunday,  1st of March 2026. The ARCAS committee will notify successful applicants in April 2026.

About Prof. Virendra Nath Misra IPPA Congress Participation Fund

Prof. Virendra Nath Misra Fund will make three A$ 500 grants available for early career faculty and researchers who are of Indian nationality or who have primarily worked on Indian Archaeology, to participate in 23rd IPPA Congress. IPPA will facilitate in the application process but will not be directly involved in selecting successful applications.

Selection Committee: Dr. Alok Kumar Kanungo, Prof. Kishor K. Basa and Prof. Shahida Ansari

Requirements

• The applicant’s paper on Indian Prehistory in general and microlithic age in particular, ethnoarchaeology or archaeological excavation, must have been accepted for oral paper presentation at the 23rd IPPA Congress.

• Papers should be based on original research and not a review of earlier work.

• Awardees are required to submit their presented paper for publication consideration in the Journal of Indo-Pacific Archaeology or another outlet, acknowledging the award.

• The award is only applicable to the lead author.

Virendra Nath Misra (09.01.1935-31.10.2015)

1984 IPPA President, Prof. Virendra Nath Misra (VNM)’s personality is a challenge to describe: scholarly, erudite, dynamic and charming. In the field of Indian archaeology, few individuals have reached the pinnacle of success:- whether it be academic brilliance, as a teacher and in widespread influence on the world of archaeology.  VNM was one such scholar who dominated the scene of Indian archaeology for over half a century.

In his exceptional academic career, VNM was greatly aided by a photographic memory, linguistic skills, a questioning spirit and meticulous attention to detail. He combined in himself the skills of an archaeologist, anthropologist and sanskrit scholar, leading him to explore diverse aspects of India's past and present heritage.  As a sanskrit pundit, he had the advantage of first-hand knowledge of ancient Indian texts and drew on these in his conversation and philosophy of life. As an anthropologist, his fascination for exploring the lives of contemporary and historical Indigenous communities and castes led him into the field of ethnoarchaeology, which he used effectively to explore prehistoric behaviour. As a trained prehistorian, his research established new directions in the study of India's past. His passion for the Mesolithic led him to excavate many sites of this time period, such as Tilwara and Bagor, and to effectively draw on diverse sources to bring alive prehistoric communities of this time period. He is best remembered for his path-breaking work at the Bhimbetka rock-shelter complex, Madhya Pradesh, where his excavations revealed a continuous occupation from the Acheulian to the Mesolithic and highlighted the rock art of this region. Towards the end of his illustrious career as Director of Deccan College Post-Graduate & Research Institute, VNM returned to his original research area of Rajasthan, excavating the Chalcolithic site of Balathal.

VNM was a polyglot with Marathi, Hindi, English, Sanskrit, French and German knowledge. He was decorated with many fellowships and awards, to cite a few Homi Bhabha, Leverhulme, Fulbright, ICHR National and UGC Emeritus Fellowships, V.S. Wakankar National and many other awards. He authored/edited 12 books/monographs and published more than 150 highly acclaimed research papers. Two of his monumental works are Rajasthan: Prehistoric and Early Historical Foundations (2007) and Mesolithic Age in South Asia: Tradition and Transition (2018).

Application

Submit the application in English containing the following details in one combined pdf (A4 size, normal margin, 12 font size, Times New Roman Font and 1.5 spacing):

1. Full name of applicant (if co-authored, only the first author who should be the corresponding author will be considered as the applicant).

2. Email

3. Nationality

4. Date of birth (In DD/MM/YYYY format)

5. Gender

6. Last Educational Degree (applicant needs to have a Master/PhD degree in Archaeology or a related subject)

7. Designation and Institutional address

8. Title of Paper

9. Accepted Abstract of no more than 250 words (with acceptance letter from IPPA)

10. Methodology adopted and what research gaps the paper fills in understanding the human past in 300 words

11. Rationale for participation in 23rd IPPA Congress in 200 words

12. Add a one-page curriculum vitae, which should include three degrees awarded, three related publications, and previous research projects.

All applicants must fill out the DELEGATE REGISTRATION FORM to submit their application in the IPPA Secretariat website. In the Funding section of the registration form, please attach the the complete application requirements enumerated above on or before the 1st of March 2026. The award will be declared by April 2026.

If you accept this award, you will be ineligible to receive any other funding from IPPA for the 23rd Congress in Yogyakarta.

Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology is pleased to announce provision for six grants (AUD 300 each) to support Rate B presenters in Session 19: New Approaches to Environmental Archaeology in the Indo-Pacific Region at the 23rd IPPA Congress.

Requisite

• The applicant’s paper on environmental archaeology must be accepted for oral paper presentation at the 23rd IPPA Congress.

• The applicant must be the lead author and presenting the paper (face-to-face) at the conference.

• Papers should be based on original research and not a review of earlier work.

• Priority will be given to students and early-career researchers.

• Applicants must confirm that no other funding sources are available to attend the conference.

Application

• Please complete your registration of attendance for the 23rd IPPA Congress and submit your abstract through the IPPA online system at:  https://www.ippasecretariat.org/ippa2026.

• Make sure that you indicate that you are going to present in S19 NEW APPROACHES TO ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION.

Submission deadline for all presentation applications for this session is the 1st of March 2026. Decisions on the recipients of the grants will be declared in April 2026.

Research Topic Description

This Research Topic stems from the S19 thematic session held at IPPA23 (Yogyakarta, November 2026) entitled ‘New Approaches to Environmental Archaeology in the Indo-Pacific Region.’

The session and this Research Topic aim to attract a diverse range of new and innovative approaches to environmental archaeology in the Indo-Pacific region. Multidisciplinary approaches to human-environment interactions in the past that contribute to contemporary climatic, environmental and social challenges are preferred. Topics can range from the Early Pleistocene to the industrialized age and can be situated within the bioarchaeological, archaeological science or earth sciences subfields of research, but has direct relevance for environmental archaeology.

The collection welcomes submissions from members of the IPPA community conducting research in the Indo-Pacific region – particularly from participants involved with the session, but also relevant work from those involved in the wider IPPA23 conference.

Publication with Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology

Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology proposes a special issue of the journal resulting from presentations at the 23rd IPPA Congress. Although, those presenting in S19: New Approaches to Environmental Archaeology in the Indo-Pacific Region will be prioritised, any papers that focus on environmental archaeology topics within the Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology will be considered for publication. Papers in the special issue are eligible for full fee support/ article processing charge cover following acceptance.

If you are interested in publishing your research with Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology and not presenting in session S19 please contact environmentalarchaeology@frontiersin.org.