Institute for Field Research (IFR)

The Institute for Field Research (IFR) was created in March 2011 by a group of leading academic archaeologists (click here for a link to our Board of Directors page). Operating as an independent, nonprofit academic organization has allowed us to break down traditional institutional barriers and deliver archaeology field schools to students regardless of the university in which they matriculate. Fu

rthermore, by working with leading scholars from universities across the world, the IFR can deliver a broad range of regional and temporal programs and ensure excellence in research and in teaching. Students are no longer limited to the expertise of faculty members at their home campus; and, faculty can recruit the best students from universities across the world. The IFR signed an affiliation agreement with Connecticut College – a highly ranked, private liberal arts institution – in November 2012. Through this agreement, students receive 8 semester credit units (equivalent to 12 quarter units) for attending any of our field schools. These units are easily transferable to student’s home institution through official Connecticut College transcripts. Our vision is to raise awareness and enhance the protection of our shared human past. We seek to reinforce the idea that archaeology is a public good by fortifying the place the discipline holds in the public consciousness and imagination. Our mission is to expand the offerings of archaeology field schools to students across the world, develop a system of excellence in both research and pedagogy and use economies of scale to ensure the affordability, growth and sustainability of our field schools. Whether taken for required fieldwork training, additional academic credits, accelerated graduation, resume-building achievements, or simply to realize a once-in-a-lifetime transformative experience, IFR field schools infuse within students a lifelong relationship with archaeology.