Scott AnderBois received the award for his work with A'i (Cofán) communities in the Amazonian region of Ecuador in partnership with the Instituto para la Conservación y Capacitación Ambiental (ICCA), an indigenous research organization directed by undergrad alum Hugo Lucitante '19. The Howard R. Swearer Engaged Faculty Award is given annually to two Brown faculty members (one junior, one senior) to recognize faculty "whose scholarship (research and/or teaching, as appropriate to their position) engages community partners in reciprocal relationships to co-produce knowledge, high-impact learning experiences and tangible public benefit".

AnderBois receives the award for his work on the A'ingae Language Documentation Project, a community-centered project to understand A'ingae grammar across social settings, document contemporary A'i experiences and traditional knowledge, and use these materials to answer scientific questions about language and collaborative create pedagogical materials for primary schools and other work supporting community language vitality.