The Research Program in Armenian Archaeology and Ethnography was founded in 2013 by Zaruhy Sara Chitjian. The research program is a part of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA and represents the first permanent research program of in Armenian Archaeology and Ethnography established in the U.S. The program is designed to foster research and to serve as an active repository for Armenian cultural materials. The documents and artifacts held by the program are available to students and scholars for research and educational purposes. The research program is dedicated to the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage and the dissemination of this knowledge through public lectures, seminars, conferences, and publications.