The following policies of the Evolutionary Anthropology Society (EAS) codify matters that are not covered explicitly in the EAS by-laws, and may be changed as required by majority vote of the EAS board.

Services to Members: EAS is a section of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) devoted to evolutionary anthropology (in the broadest sense) that performs a number of services for its members. These services include (1) organizing sessions focused on topics relevant to evolutionary anthropology at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association, (2) publishing a regular column in the AAA's Anthropology News, (3) awards for the best student paper and best paper by a new investigator in the sessions organized by EAS at the annual AAA meetings, (4) travel grants (as finances permit) for scholars and scientists from less developed countries who have an interest in evolutionary anthropology to attend AAA meetings, (5) providing discounted subscriptions to the journal Human Nature, and (6) compiling and disseminating information about matters of interest to members, including graduate programs relevant to evolutionary anthropology.  Other services may be added as the current officers see fit.

Awards: The Society awards two prizes each year for excellent papers given by EAS members at the AAA meetings, as judged by a committee appointed by the EAS President. Both orally-presented papers and poster presentations are eligible. The competition for best student paper is open to currently-enrolled students who are members of EAS, and the competition for the best paper by a new investigator is open to EAS members whose doctoral degree or equivalent was awarded within five years of the date on which the paper is presented at the AAA meetings. Only papers sole-authored or first-authored by the nominee are eligible.  People who wish to be considered for either award should notify the EAS program committee for that year. The program committee may also ask potential nominees if they wish to be considered, but nominees must assent before they are entered in the competition. Because of the difficulty in judging papers at diverse, potentially-overlapping sessions, orally-presented papers will only be considered if they are part of sessions sponsored or co-sponsored by EAS.

Dissemination of Information: Our column in the AAA's Anthropology News is used (1) to solicit proposals for EAS sessions at the annual AAA meetings, (2) to provide news of planned sessions and other news of interest to EAS members including announcements of relevant conferences and relevant meetings of other organizations, (3) to solicit applications for travel grants, to announce best paper awards once they are given out, and (4) to solicit additional members. Our web site contains longer-term information (by-laws, policies, list of officers, etc.), maintained and updated by the Webmaster under the direction of the Board. The Board may also authorize the use of the membership email list (as maintained by the AAA staff) for various announcements.

Membership Dues: We aim to keep our dues very low, thus encouraging a broad membership (including students). If and when our services expand, we expect that the Board of Directors will raise dues so that the cost of services can be met. Annual dues are currently five dollars for graduate and under-graduate students and ten dollars for other members.

(last modified 4/27/06)