National Museum of American History (NMAH) Fellowship Program

National Museum of American History (NMAH) Fellowship Program is sponsored by Smithsonian Institution. Provides fellowships for research in American history, culture, and society.

Fellowship Programs | Office of Academic Appointments and Internships Smithsonian fellowships are designed for individuals who submit proposals to conduct independent research. Types of Fellowship Programs Central Fellowship Programs - These programs fund fellowships that take place at museums, research institutes and offices across the Smithsonian.

Museums, Research Institutes, Centers, and Office's Fellowship Programs - These programs are managed by the Smithsonian unit. Please note: Former employees or contractors of the Smithsonian Institution must have a year of separation before applying for a fellowship. At the Smithsonian Institution, plagiarism is taken very seriously.

If it is identified that an internship or fellowship application or any of its components has been plagiarized, the applicant will be disqualified. “Plagiarism is presenting work or ideas from another source as your own, with or without consent of the original author, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement. It is a breach of academic integrity.

Plagiarism is unethical and can have serious consequences for your future career; it also undermines the standards of your institution and of the degrees it issues. “ ( Plagiarism | University of Oxford.

) - Any - Anacostia Community Museum (ACM) Archives of American Art (AAA) Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (CFCH) Conservation Commons (CC) Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum (CHNDM) Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (HMSG) Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) National Air and Space Museum (NASM) National Asian Art Museum - Freer and Sackler Galleries (FSG) National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) National Museum of American History (NMAH) National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL) National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) National Portrait Gallery (NPG) National Portrait Museum (NPM) National Zoological Park (NZP) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery (SAAM) Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (SLA) Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology (OET) Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) Central Fellowship Programs Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP) Now accepting applications, all applications must be submitted by October 15, 2026 11:59 PM ET.

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program offers in-resident opportunities for independent research or study related to Smithsonian collections, facilities, and/or research interests of the Institution and its staff.

Fellowships are offered to graduate students, predoctoral students, and postdoctoral and senior researchers to conduct independent research and to utilize the resources of the Institution with members of the Smithsonian professional research staff serving as advisors and hosts.

Smithsonian Biodiversity Genomics Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (BioG) Now accepting applications, all applications must be submitted by October 15, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

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.

Smithsonian Postgraduate/Postdoctoral Fellowships in Conservation of Museum Collections Program Now accepting applications, all applications must be submitted by October 15, 2026 11:59 PM ET. The Smithsonian Postgraduate/Postdoctoral Fellowship in Conservation of Museum Collections offers opportunities to conduct research and gain further training in the conservation of museum collection objects.

Big Ten Academic Alliance Smithsonian Fellowship Now accepting applications, all applications must be submitted by October 15, 2026 11:59 PM ET.

The Big Ten Academic Alliance established in 1958, is a consortium of research universities that collaborate on a wide range of academic and administrative initiatives to advance their academic missions, generate unique opportunities for students and faculty, and serve the common good by sharing expertise, leveraging campus resources, and collaborating on innovative programs.

Life on a Sustainable Planet (LSP) Fellowships Life on a Sustainable Planet (LSP) Fellowship is a vital initiative from the Smithsonian designed to advance and inspire global engagement in environmental stewardship. The Life on a Sustainable Planet Fellowship program is currently under review. Once a more definite budget scenario is established, updates will be available at https://science.

si. edu/ George Burch Fellowship in Theoretical Medicine and Affiliated Theoretical Science The purpose of the George E. Burch Fellowship is to support a distinguished scholar in residence at the Smithsonian.

The fellow may work in any discipline, but the creative effort should, in accordance with the wishes of the donor, be related to human medicine. Dr. Burch’s goal is to permit the fellowship recipient time to think with freedom and creativity, and thereby stimulate new medically related theories in his or her discipline.

James Smithson Fellowship Program Theme for 2027: Regeneration The 2027 James Smithson Fellowship invites proposals that explore how societies, environments, and cultural traditions renew and adapt over time. From ecological adaptation to the conservation of cultural heritage, this theme emphasizes processes of renewal while preserving continuity.

It encourages interdisciplinary research examining restoration, resilience, adaptation, and continuity. Fulbright-Smithsonian Awards The Smithsonian welcomes Fulbright 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 Scholars should engage with us to discover the unlimited possibilities for research and study.

Museums, Research Institutes, Centers, and Office's Fellowship Programs National Air and Space Museum (NASM) 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. Each fellow will work closely with staff members who have similar interests.

Staff members of the Aeronautics Department currently conduct research into aviation history including such themes as the growth and impact of aeronautics on society; the evolution of aircraft technology; and the development of air transport and military aviation. Charles A. Lindbergh Chair in Aerospace History National Air and Space Museum (NASM) The Charles A.

Lindbergh Chair in Aerospace History is a competitive 12-month fellowship open Oct 15, to senior scholars with distinguished records of publication who are at work on, or anticipate being at work on, books in aerospace history.

Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Fellowship National Air and Space Museum (NASM) The Guggenheim Fellowships are competitive three- to twelve-month in-residence fellowships for pre- or postdoctoral research in aviation and space history.

Candidates are encouraged to pursue programs of research and writing that support publication of works that are scholarly in tone and substance and intended for publication as articles in peer-reviewed journals or in book form from a reputable publisher (in the case of post postdoctoral applicants) or in a doctoral dissertation (in the case of pre-docs).

Engen Conservation Fellowship National Air and Space Museum (NASM) The Engen fellowship will introduce the candidate to conservation techniques for a wide range of composite objects, metals, organic materials, and painted surfaces.

This fellowship is intended to contribute to the education of recent graduates by allowing them to delve into the complexities of working with modern composite materials, refine treatment process, learn management, and conduct a small-scale research project. The Fellow's independent research will be derived from our diverse collection materials.

Postdoctoral Earth and Planetary Sciences Fellowship National Air and Space Museum (NASM) The National Air and Space Museum has established the Postdoctoral Earth and Planetary Sciences Fellowship to support scientific research in this area.

The Anne van Biema Fellowship National Asian Art Museum - Freer and Sackler Galleries (FSG) 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.

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. The J.

S. Lee Memorial Fellowship National Asian Art Museum - Freer and Sackler Galleries (FSG) In honor of the late Dr. J. S.

Lee, a distinguished Hong Kong philanthropist and lifelong supporter of the study of Chinese art, this 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.

The Robert Frederick Smith Applied Public History Fellowship For HBCU Graduates National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) The Robert Frederick Smith Applied Public History Fellowship for HBCU Graduates offers a two-year appointment providing advanced training and scholarly support in public history, museum management, outreach programming, and partnership building.

Arthur Molella Distinguished Fellowship National Museum of American History (NMAH) Applications for 2027-2028 are now open! Lemelson Center Fellowship Program National Museum of American History (NMAH) Applications for 2027-2028 are now open! The Lemelson Center Fellowship Program 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 dissertations, publications, exhibitions, educational initiatives, documentary films, or other multimedia products. Margaret S. Vining and Barton C.

Hacker Fellowship in Women's Military History National Museum of American History (NMAH) The Division of Military & Society at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) is pleased to accept applications for the 2025-26 Margaret S. Vining and Barton C. Hacker Fellowship in Women’s Military History.

The theme for this year’s fellowship is “Volunteers: Military and Beyond. ” The successful candidate will carry out a research project exploring women’s contributions to and experiences of service related to national defense up to 1945.

Botany Travel Awards: Cuatrecasas / Smith/ Robinson-Funk Fellowship Program National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Department of Botany Travel Awards are presented annually to support the resident study of collections in the United States National Herbarium, with preference given to students working on tropical plants. Typically, about four awards are made. This year, awards will be for six weeks, with a stipend of $6,000.

Deep Time Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship Program National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Please note that the Deep Time Peter Buck Fellowship Program is separate from the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program and will be accepting applications in early 2026. Edward B. and Phyllis E.

Reed Research Fellowship National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) The Edward B. and Phyllis E. Reed Research Fellowship is available to fund independent research by graduate students through senior researchers on North American freshwater copepods.

Proposals utilizing the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Copepod Collection will be given preference. Kenneth Jay Boss Fellowship in Invertebrate Zoology National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Kenneth Jay Boss fellowships provide financial support enabling graduate students to conduct independent collections-based research in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology (IZ) at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH).

Kristian Fauchald Polychaete Research Fellowship National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) The Kristian Fauchald Polychate Research Fellowships provide support to researchers to conduct independent collections-based research in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology (IZ) at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH).

All polychaete biologists actively engaged in collections-based research (e.g., systematics, phylogeny, biogeography, comparative morphology, functional morphology, diversity). Fellowships proposals are solicited biannually for projects ranging from four weeks to six months.

Link Foundation Graduate Fellowship Program National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Each year since 1998, the Link Foundation has awarded 12-week graduate student fellowships to conduct marine science research at the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce.

Students work in association with members of the Smithsonian professional research staff - either resident Marine Station investigators, or marine scientists from other Smithsonian entities who carry out a part of their research at the Station.

Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship Program National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) The purpose of the Peter Buck Fellowship program is to support full-time, resident, independent research focused on utilizing the NMNH collections and facilities. Awardees are expected to be actively involved in the scholarly activities of the Museum and the NMNH community in general. Sara E.

and Bruce B. Collette Postdoctoral Fellowship in Systematic Ichthyology National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) The purpose of the Collette Postdoctoral Fellowship is to support full-time, resident, independent research focused on the study of systematics, including comparative morphology, of fishes using the NMNH collections. This is a one-year award with the possibility of renewal.

Awardees are expected to be actively involved in the scholarly activities of the Division of Fishes as well as collections-based systematic ichthyology both nationally and internationally.

Deadline : 1 September 2023 Short Term Fellowships at the Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) The Short-Term Fellowship Program allows selected candidates to come to the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Florida at any time of the year and is an excellent resource to provide support for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the marine sciences.

These fellowships enable selected candidates to work in the marine sciences and explore research possibilities at the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce. Smithsonian Marine Station Postdoctoral Fellowship Program National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) The Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Florida is pleased to offer annual 1–2 year postdoctoral fellowships, including a new fellowship supported by the Link Foundation.

The Smithsonian Marine Station is part of the National Museum of Natural History and is a research center specializing in marine ecosystems of Florida. Research efforts focus on the Indian River Lagoon, a highly biodiverse estuary of national significance that spans 250 km along the east coast of Florida, and adjacent offshore waters, with comparative studies conducted throughout coastal Florida. The Robert D.

Hevey, Jr. and Constance M. Filling Fellowship in Anthropology National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) This short-term fellowship provides support to a graduate student focused on anthropological studies related to contemporary indigenous communities, linguistics and endangered languages, or cultural diversity while in-residence in the Department of Anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington, DC.

The Robert D. Hevey, Jr. and Constance M. Filling Fellowship in Invertebrate Zoology National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Deadline: October 15, 2026, 11:59 ET.

The Robert D. Hevey, Jr. and Constance M. Filling Fellowship in Invertebrate Zoology was established to support short-term, resident, graduate student fellowships focused on invertebrate zoological studies in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington, DC.

Priority will be given to applicants who have not previously had an opportunity to visit and conduct research at NMNH. Robert Hevey is currently pursuing a PhD in Plant Conservation Biology at Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden focused on tolerance ranges of native bush clovers. The Robert D.

Hevey, Jr. and Constance M. Filling Fellowship in Mineral Sciences National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Deadline: October 15, 2026, 11:59 ET. The Robert D.

Hevey, Jr. and Constance M. Filling Fellowship in Mineral Sciences was established to support short-term, resident, graduate student fellowships focused on geological studies in the Department of Mineral Sciences at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington, DC. Priority will be given to applicants who have not previously had an opportunity to visit and conduct research at NMNH.

Robert Hevey is currently pursuing a PhD in Plant Conservation Biology at Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden focused on tolerance ranges of native bush clovers. Andrew W.

Mellon Fellowship National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is committed to equity and social justice for the Native/Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere through education, inspiration, and empowerment.

NMAI stewards one of the most extensive collections of Native American cultural heritage in the world - approximately 825,000 items - representing over 12,000 years of history and more than 1,200 Indigenous cultures throughout the Americas.

Native American Collections Fellowship National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) The Native American Collections Fellowship supports emerging and mid-career Native community-focused researchers to pursue independent research projects that utilize the NMAI collections. This fellowship is intended to support researchers who engage with Native communities and perform research in a way that benefits Native peoples.

National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) The Native Arts Fellowship supports emerging and mid-career artists to pursue collections research projects that utilize NMAI collections. Artists may access both object and archival collections, along with research materials, housed at the museum’s Cultural Resources Center (CRC) and Vine Deloria, Jr. Library.

National Museum of the American Latino Postdoctoral Fellowship National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL) The National Museum of the American Latino offers Postdoctoral Fellowship opportunities to emerging scholars (up to five years beyond the Ph. D.) interested in conducting research for publication at various Smithsonian museums and centers utilizing U.S. Latino collections.

National Museum of the American Latino Predoctoral Fellowship National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL) The National Museum of the American Latino offers Pre-doctoral Fellowship opportunities to doctoral candidates interested in conducting research to complete their dissertations at various Smithsonian museums and centers utilizing U.S. Latino collections.

Remote Sensing Postdoctoral Fellowship National Zoological Park (NZP) Note: This is an employment opportunity and not a stipended fellowship OCIO Biodiversity Genomics Postdoctoral Fellowship Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) The OCIO Data Science Lab was formed in response to the dramatic increase in all forms of digital data across the Smithsonian.

We seek to build collaborations both across Smithsonian units, as well as universities and other institutions. Members of our group work on a variety of data-intensive research topics including biodiversity genomics and machine learning applications of digitized museum collections and archives.

OCIO Machine Learning Postdoctoral Fellowship Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) The OCIO Data Science Lab was formed in response to the dramatic increase in all forms of digital data across the Smithsonian. We seek to build collaborations both across Smithsonian units, as well as universities and other institutions.

Members of our group work on a variety of data-intensive research topics including biodiversity genomics and machine learning applications of digitized museum collections and archives.

Smithsonian American Art Museum Fellowship Program Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery (SAAM) Deadline: October 15, 2025 he Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and its Renwick Gallery invite applications to its premier fellowship program, the oldest and largest in the world for the study of American art.

Scholars from any discipline whose research engages the art, craft, and visual culture of the United States are encouraged to apply, as are those who foreground new perspectives, materials, and methodologies. Fellowships are residential and support full-time research in the Smithsonian collections. SAAM is devoted to advancing excellence in art history and encourages candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

The Audrey Flack Short Term Fellowship Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery (SAAM) Application submission for the Audrey Flack Short-Term Fellowship will open on December 1, 2026. The Audrey Flack Short-Term Fellowship is open to predoctoral, postdoctoral, and senior scholars researching topics in American art who reside, work, or attend school outside of commuting distance from Washington, D. C.

Researchers whose personal circumstances (i.e., financial constraints, employment conditions, care-giving responsibilities, or other limitations) preclude them from participating in longer-term residencies are encouraged to apply. Applicants must submit a statement justifying the rationale for a short-term fellowship.

The Betsy James Wyeth Fellowship in Native American Art Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery (SAAM) Deadline: October 15, 2025 This one-year fellowship seeks to foster new scholarship on Native art of the United States that centers and elevates Indigenous methodologies, knowledges, and communities.

The fellowship is jointly hosted by the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) and provides scholars with access to the resources of both museums.

Center for Astrophysics (CfA) Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) The mission of the CfA Postdoctoral Fellowship program at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is to support innovative astrophysics research by offering to the next generation of developing independent researchers full access to the unique facilities, research staff and resources of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian.

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Predoctoral Fellowship Program Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) Since 1985, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) Pre-doctoral Program has welcomed graduate students from universities around the world interested in carrying out all or part of their research under the guidance of SAO Scientists.

Baird Society Resident Scholar Program Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (SLA) The Baird Society Resident Scholar Program supports scholarly research in all 16 Special Collections of the Smithsonian Libraries in an extensive range of subject areas.

The Dibner Library Resident Scholar Program Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (SLA) The Dibner Library Resident Scholar Program supports scholarly research using the history of science and technology rare books and manuscripts at SLA's Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology.

3-Year Tupper Postdoctoral Fellowship Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) invites applications for the Earl S. Tupper three-year postdoctoral fellowship.

We strongly encourage applicants in disciplines including ecology, anthropology, paleontology, paleoecology, evolutionary biology, conservation biology, functional genomics, microbial ecology, sensory ecology, chemical ecology, animal behavior, neurobiology, soils sciences, and physiology of tropical plants and animals. Research should be based at one of the STRI facilities.

Proposals that include comparative research in other tropical countries will be considered. D. Ross Robertson Research Award Fellowship for Field Studies of Neotropical Deep-Reef fishes Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) This endowment was established to support field research by early-career fish biologists on deep-reef fishes in the neotropics.

Such research includes all aspects of the biology of living deep-reef fishes found between 40-300m depths anywhere in the Neotropics. Proposals for collaborative research involving both the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and the Division of Fishes of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) are encouraged.

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) The Short-Term Fellowship Program allows selected candidates to come to STRI at any time of the year and is an excellent resource to provide support for graduate students and introduce them to tropical research. Although focused primarily on graduate students, awards are occasionally given to undergraduate and postdoctoral candidates.

These fellowships enable selected candidates to work in the tropics and explore research possibilities at STRI.