Margaret Mead Award is an award in the field of anthropology presented (solely) by the Society for Applied Anthropology from 1979 to 1983 and jointly with the American Anthropological Association afterwards. This award was named after anthropologist Margaret Mead, who had a particular talent for bringing anthropology fully into the light of public attention. It is awarded annually but once became every-other-year from 1991 to 1999.
The Margaret Mead Award is presented to a younger scholar for a particular accomplishment such as a book, film, monograph, or service, which interprets anthropological data and principles in ways that make them meaningful and accessible to a broadly concerned public. The award is designed to recognize a person clearly associated with research and/or practice in anthropology. The awardee's activity will exemplify skills in broadening the impact of anthropology, the skills for which Margaret Mead was admired widely.