The Swan Fund is a trust account administered by the Museum which was established by a bequest from the late James A Swan in 1955. Graduate students and established researchers could apply for grants awarded annually from the Swan Fund, regulations for which were approved by Congregation in 1961. Grants were awarded for archaeological and anthropological field research within areas of interest to James Swan, including the Later Stone Age prehistory of southern Africa and the study of contemporary Bushman and Pygmy peoples of Africa. The grants were awarded for this purpose until 2003 when the Museum gained permission to use the funds for its building work on the Museum galleries and office accommodation.