Smithsonian Institution Fellows are key to the Smithsonian’s aspiration to discover, create, innovate and diversify. The Smithsonian’s vast collections, numerous facilities, and staff expertise provide an incredible range of opportunities for independent research in residence at the Institution. Smithsonian Institution Fellows receive stipends from the central fund and can be found in all areas of the Smithsonian exploring, probing and charting new directions. For more information look here.

Through a joint fellowship with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and the Smithsonian, the fellow will explore place-based, cultural heritage and the connection between intangible cultural heritage and place. For more information go here.

The Big Ten Academic Alliance and the Smithsonian Institution (SI) invite doctoral candidates at Big Ten Academic Alliance Member Universities to apply for one-year fellowships to support research in residence at Smithsonian Institution facilities.  All fields of study that are actively pursued by the museums and research organizations of the Smithsonian Institution are eligible. For more information go here.

The Smithsonian Institution (SI) Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biodiversity Genomics promotes collaborative research in these fields involving comparative genomic approaches such as phylogenomics, population genomics, metagenomics or transcriptomics, and have a component that involves significant bioinformatics analysis. The Smithsonian’s molecular research facilities are located at National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute/National Zoological Park (SCBI/NZP), Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in the Republic of Panama. Collaboration among SI facilities is encouraged. For more information go here.

The Smithsonian welcomes Fulbright Students and Scholars from around the world to come to our facilities, engage with our colleagues, and conduct research of their own. Foreign Fulbright Commissions and Embassies conduct the application process and selection, but Foreign Students and Scholars should engage with us to discover the unlimited possibilities for research and study.

The Smithsonian also welcomes Fulbrighters from Ireland and UK under hyphenated awards.

For more information on Fulbright opportunities at the Smithsonian, see here.

George E. Burch

The Burch Fellowship Program is an opportunity that awards $60,000 per year plus allowances to post-doctoral scholars, whose research interests lie within medicine, biology, physics, chemistry, and fields in the social science and humanities, as it applies to human health and medicine. For more information go here.

James Smithson

Started through the generosity of Paul Neely, past chair of the Smithsonian National Board, the James Smithson Fellowship Program offers an early career opportunity for post-doctoral scholars interested in gaining experience in both scholarship and policy through a Smithsonian lens. The fellowship provides an immersion experience working with Smithsonian scholars and relevant collections. In addition the fellows will develop an inside view of how policy is crafted and how resource plans are designed by participating in a well-planned program offering direct experience internally with Smithsonian leaders, and externally with leaders throughout the Washington, DC network. For more information, look here.

The Office of Fellowships and Internships is committed to increasing the participation of U.S. Citizens and U.S. permanent residents who have previously been underrepresented in Smithsonian scholarly exploration. The Diversity Awards Program provides an incredible range of opportunities for independent research. Visiting Students can explore, probe and chart new directions at the Smithsonian. For more information, look here.

Appointments in residence at the Smithsonian are awarded to applicants who are formally or informally related to a Native American community, to undertake projects on a Native American subject and utilize the Native American resources of the Institution. You can learn more here.

Appointments are available for currently enrolled graduate students who are formally or informally related to a Native American community, to pursue independent research on a Native American subject and utilize the Native American resources of the Institution. There is more information here.

2015 SARF Artist: Paco Cao (1) Psycho-Linguistic-Retro-Futuristic Self-Portrait, 2013 (part of a series)

The Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship is a nomination-only opportunity that provides distinguished artists one or two months in residence at a Smithsonian location immersed in seriously amazing collections and collaborating with world class staff. Past recipients of this extremely competitive fellowship have delved deep to build connections between art, science, history and culture. Discover more here.

Mpala Postdoctoral Fellows study biology, anthropology, geology, hydrology, material science, social science, soil science or related areas. Tenable in residence at Mpala Research Centre, Kenya (see www.mpala.org).  The project must be a meaningful collaboration with an appropriate Smithsonian unit (collaboration with multiple units is encouraged). Proposals are encouraged in the fields of conservation medicine, soils/erosion potential/water conservation, rangeland regeneration/grazing management, ecosystem services, socio-economic studies of natural resource management, and the principals of wildlife ecology and behavior, but other creative ideas are welcome. Collaboration with the ForestGEO/CTFS plot is also encouraged.  More information can be found here.

This fellowship program is offered by the Smithsonian Institution to provide opportunities for recent graduates of masters programs in art and archaeological conservation or the equivalent or conservation scientists, including those at the postdoctoral level, who wish to conduct research and gain further training in Smithsonian conservation laboratories for conservation of objects in museum collections. For more information, look here.

Yale Smithsonian Fellows conduct independent study and research related to Smithsonian collections, experts or facilities in cooperation with at least one Smithsonian advisor. Fellowships are offered for three to twelve months for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral applicants, and for 10 weeks for graduate students. All fields of study that are actively pursued by the museums and research organizations of the Smithsonian Institution are eligible. For more information go here.

The Rigzin Fellowship offers a two-to-four-week cultural leadership program in the U.S. available to Tebetans in China engaged in culture or the arts. More information can be found here.

The SI-CI Postdoctoral Fellowship is a two-year fellowship that specifically contributes to the goals of both the Smithsonian Institution’s Working Land and Seascapes program and Conservation International’s Sustainable Landscapes Partnership program. More information can be found here.

The Anne van Biema Fellowship was established by bequest to promote excellence in research and publication on the Japanese visual arts. Fellowships support research at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The Galleries provide magnificent opportunities for collections-based study, and hold world-class library and archival collections related to Japanese visual arts. Research proposals are evaluated in terms of merit, originality, methodology, and potential for significant publication that will advance scholarly and public understanding of the Japanese visual arts. Interdisciplinary proposals with a primary focus on Japanese visual arts are considered. More information can be found here.

The Lunder Fellowship provides opportunities for both emerging and established scholars to conduct research in the Freer collections and to work with the Lunder Consortium for Whistler Studies on collaborative programs and publications focusing on James McNeill Whistler and the art of the Aesthetic Movement. This fellowship is offered through the generosity of the Lunder Foundation and administered through the Lunder Consortium for Whistler Studies (comprising the Freer Gallery, Colby College, and University of Glasgow). Fellowships are awarded for twelve- to eighteen-month terms. More information can be found here.

The J.S. Lee Memorial Fellowship fellowship facilitates the international exchange of curatorial expertise and contributes to the professional development of Chinese art curators and academics. Fellows may choose to be based at the Freer and Sackler or at a number of other museums worldwide. More information about this fellowship can be found here.

2020 Smithsonian Post-Graduate Paintings Conservation Fellowship with NMAAHC and MCI

The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC is accepting applications for a one-year post-graduate fellowship in modern and contemporary paintings conservation beginning in late Summer 2020.

The Fellow will be invited to participate in the survey, treatment, and exhibition of paintings and will be invited to participate in the preventive care in painting storage at NMAAHC’s Visual Art Collection and conduct technical analysis at MCI.

The Fellow will be expected to pursue independent research related to paint analysis, preventive conservation, and treatment of diverse mixed media and single media paintings in the NMAAHC’s collection. The Fellow’s allied research should seek to broaden the discipline through their scholarly undertaking. Research topics of interest to the Fellow should be included in the application. The Fellow will have the opportunity to participate in routine activities of the MCI painting conservation lab and related Smithsonian workshops, symposia, or programs. The Fellow will be advised by the NMAAHC Head of Collections and the MCI Senior Paintings Conservator. To defray living costs during the tenure of this one-year fellowship, the Fellow will be offered a stipend of $40,000 plus health insurance, for research and travel, not to exceed $7,000.

Applicants should be a recent graduate of a recognized master’s level conservation training program with knowledge and understanding of conservation principles and practices; conservation challenges of modern and contemporary paintings and the importance of preventive care; organic chemistry and its application in paint adhesion, cleaning and identification; paint aging and deterioration; and/or painting structure and processes.

More information can be found here.

The National Air and Space Museum offers four fellowships. The Guggenheim Fellowship  is a competitive three- to twelve-month in-residence fellowship for pre-or postdoctoral research in aviation and space history. Predoctoral applicants should have completed preliminary course work and examina-tions and be engaged in dissertation research. Postdoctoral applicants should have received their Ph.D. within the past seven years. A stipend of $30,000 for predoctoral candidates and $45,000 for postdoctoral candidates will be awarded, with limited additional funds for travel and miscellaneous expenses. More information can be found here. The Charles A. Lindbergh Chair in Aerospace History is a competitive twelve-month fellowship open to senior scholars with distinguished records of publication who are working on, or anticipate working on, books in aerospace history. Support is available up to a maximum of $100,000 a year. Each Lindbergh Chair application is judged relative to the suitability of its proposal, the scholarly record of the applicant, the availability of relevant museum staff advisors knowledgeable on the proposed topic, whether the NASM can provide the specific resources, and the applicability of the proposal to NASM’s work-in-progress series. The winner is expected to reside in the Washington, D.C., area for nine months to a year, the academic year generally starting in September and ending by the following August. He or she is also expected to take part in discussions with museum staff and to attend professional seminars and colloquia. Along with access to primary research materials, the winner is given the use of an office, a phone and a computer. More information can be found here. The Verville Fellowship  is a competitive nine- to twelve-month in-residence fellowship intended for the analysis of major trends, developments, and accomplishments in the history of aviation or space studies. The fellowship is open to all interested candidates with demonstrated skills in research and writing. An advanced degree in history, engineering, or related fields is not a requirement. A stipend of $55,000 will be awarded for a 12-month fellowship, with limited additional funds for travel and miscellaneous expenses. More information can be found here. The Engen Conservation Fellowship is a competitive twelve month in-residence fellowship for recent Master’s graduates in conservation intended to introduce fellows to a wide range of composite objects, metals, organic materials and painted surfaces. A stipend of $37,000 will be awarded for a 12-month fellowship, with limited additional funds for travel and research related expenses.  More information can be found here.

2020 Smithsonian Post-Graduate Paintings Conservation Fellowship with NMAAHC and MCI

The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC is accepting applications for a one-year post-graduate fellowship in modern and contemporary paintings conservation beginning in late Summer 2020.

The Fellow will be invited to participate in the survey, treatment, and exhibition of paintings and will be invited to participate in the preventive care in painting storage at NMAAHC’s Visual Art Collection and conduct technical analysis at MCI.

The Fellow will be expected to pursue independent research related to paint analysis, preventive conservation, and treatment of diverse mixed media and single media paintings in the NMAAHC’s collection. The Fellow’s allied research should seek to broaden the discipline through their scholarly undertaking. Research topics of interest to the Fellow should be included in the application. The Fellow will have the opportunity to participate in routine activities of the MCI painting conservation lab and related Smithsonian workshops, symposia, or programs. The Fellow will be advised by the NMAAHC Head of Collections and the MCI Senior Paintings Conservator. To defray living costs during the tenure of this one-year fellowship, the Fellow will be offered a stipend of $40,000 plus health insurance, for research and travel, not to exceed $7,000.

Applicants should be a recent graduate of a recognized master’s level conservation training program with knowledge and understanding of conservation principles and practices; conservation challenges of modern and contemporary paintings and the importance of preventive care; organic chemistry and its application in paint adhesion, cleaning and identification; paint aging and deterioration; and/or painting structure and processes.

More information can be found here.

The National Museum of American History offers several fellowships. The Lemelson Center Fellowships supports projects that present creative approaches to the study of invention and innovation in American society. These include, but are not limited to, historical research and documentation projects, resulting in publications, exhibitions, educational initiatives, documentary films, or other multimedia products. More information can be found here. The Lemelson Center Travel To Collections Award supports research on the history of invention and innovation based on the holdings of the Museum’s Archives Center and curatorial divisions. The Archives Center holds more than 20,000 feet of archival materials. The collections are particularly strong in personal papers and business records documenting the history of American enterprise and technology. More information can be found here. The Lemelson Center’s Arthur Molella Distinguished Fellowship supports the work of experienced authors and senior scholars from the history of technology, science and technology studies, business history, museum studies, STEAM education, or an allied field.  More information can be found here. In addition, the Travel Research in Equity Collections (TREC) fellowship offers short-term travel awards for researchers to make use of the museum’s equity-related collections; more information can be found here.

In addition, NMAH works together with the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) to support fellows through the Joe and Wanda Corn Fellowship. The Joe and Wanda Corn Fellowship is endowed by their former students Mike Wilkins and Sheila Duignan and supports scholars whose research interests span American art and American history. Recipients will draw on the Smithsonian’s broad resources in both areas, utilizing the holdings of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH). The terms of the fellowship, as well as the application guidelines and deadlines, are the same as for the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program. Applicants are encouraged to propose advisors at each museum. More information can be found here. 

Andrew W. Mellon fellowships are intended to cultivate practical skills as well as foster a solid understanding of the contexts of material culture, the philosophies of conservation at the NMAI, and the ethics of the conservation profession. Museum programming involves collaboration with Native people in developing appropriate methods of caring for and interpreting cultural materials. Andrew W. Mellon fellowships involve work on the Conservation Office’s major projects and research related to projects and collections. Current projects include the preparation of artifacts for loans and for exhibits at NMAI sites in Washington, D.C., and New York City. For more information, go here.