Deadline: 15-Oct-2025
The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program offers in-resident opportunities for independent research and study related to Smithsonian collections, facilities, and/or research interests of the Institution and its staff.
Focus: Animal behavior, ecology, and environmental science, including an emphasis on the tropics; anthropology, including archaeology, cultural anthropology, linguistics, and physical anthropology; astrophysics and astronomy; earth sciences and paleobiology; evolutionary and systematic biology; folklife; history of science and technology; history of art, especially American, contemporary, African, and Asian art, twentieth-century American crafts, and decorative arts; materials research; molecular biology; and social and cultural history of the United States.
Ten-Week Graduate Student Fellowships provide a stipend of $10,000 for a 10-week term. Predoctoral Fellowships are awarded for periods ranging from three to twelve months, with an annual stipend of $45,000 and a research allowance of up to $5,000 per year.
Postdoctoral Fellowships and Senior Fellowships are available for terms of three to twelve months, with postdoctoral applicants in the sciences eligible for up to twenty-four months. These fellowships provide an annual stipend of $57,000 and a research allowance of up to $5,000 per year. In Earth and Planetary Sciences, the stipend for Postdoctoral and Senior Fellows is set at $62,000 per year.
Smithsonian fellowship stipends are intended to support study and research during the appointment and are not considered salary or compensation. All funds provided under Smithsonian fellowships, including stipends and research or travel allowances, are subject to tax. Fellows receive a financial summary at the end of each calendar year and are responsible for their own state and federal tax obligations.
Fellowships are offered to graduate students, predoctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and senior investigators who wish to conduct independent research and use Smithsonian resources. Each fellow works in residence with members of the Smithsonian’s professional research staff, who serve as advisors and hosts. Applicants must submit a detailed proposal that explains the research plan and why the Smithsonian is the appropriate place for the study. Projects that broaden and diversify the disciplines pursued at the Institution are strongly encouraged.
Applicants may identify principal advisors, co-advisors, or consultants from the Smithsonian’s research staff, conservation staff, or affiliated research staff as appropriate. Fellows are expected to spend most of their tenure in residence at the Smithsonian, though fieldwork and research travel may be arranged.
Applicants who have taken a leave of absence from research and are more than five years beyond the completion of their Ph.D. may apply under the Postdoctoral Fellowship category instead of the Senior Fellowship category. Fellowships range from ten weeks for graduate students to three to twenty-four months for predoctoral, postdoctoral, and senior fellowships, with stipends varying by category. Additional allowances are available for research expenses and temporary relocation.
Applications are evaluated on the merit of the proposal, the applicant’s ability to complete the research within the requested timeframe, the potential contributions of Smithsonian resources to the project, and the applicant’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Research conducted must align with the fields supported by the Smithsonian and demonstrate clear scholarly goals.
Application materials must include an abstract, a full research proposal, a timeline, budget and justification, bibliography, curriculum vitae, transcripts where required, and two reference letters. Applicants are also encouraged to establish contact with potential advisors before submitting their application to confirm feasibility and resource availability.
All fellowship applications must be submitted through the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA). The deadline for submission is October 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST. Fellowships must begin between June 1, 2026, and May 30, 2027, with appointments starting on either the first or third Monday of the month.
For more information, visit Smithsonian.
