Deadline: 15-Oct-2025
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.
The stipend levels are set according to the applicant’s status. Postgraduate conservation or predoctoral fellows receive $45,000 per year, while postdoctoral fellows receive $57,000 per year. Both awards also include a maximum research allowance of $5,000. Stipends are pro-rated for shorter periods, and all fellowship funds are subject to tax. These stipends are intended to support research and study during the appointment, not as salary or compensation, and cannot be issued retroactively. Relocation allowances may also be provided, but funds for dependents’ travel or living expenses are not available. Additional financial support from outside sources may be used with prior approval, as long as it does not conflict with fellowship responsibilities.
The fellowship term is twelve months, though shorter periods may be considered with a minimum of three months. Fellows are expected to be in residence at the Smithsonian during their appointment, except for approved absences.
This opportunity is open to recent graduates of masters programs in art and archaeological conservation (or the equivalent) and materials scientists (including those at the postdoctoral level). Applicants must propose to conduct research in the conservation of objects in museum collections in conservation laboratories at the Smithsonian Institution.
Past or current Smithsonian fellowship recipients are eligible to apply for future Smithsonian awards. No employee or contractor of the Smithsonian Institution may hold a Smithsonian fellowship during the time of his/her employment or contract, nor may an award be offered to any person who has been employed by or under contract to the Institution in the previous year, without the prior approval of the Office of Academic Appointments and Internships.
Applications are reviewed by a Smithsonian Peer Review Committee composed of scholars in the relevant fields. Fellows are selected on the basis of merit, feasibility of the project, commitment to diversity and inclusion, and the extent to which Smithsonian staff and resources can contribute to the proposed research.
Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the proposal’s merit, the ability of the applicant to carry out the proposed research and study, the likelihood that the research could be completed in the requested time, demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion, and the extent to which the Smithsonian, through its staff members and resources, can contribute to the proposed research. As part of its mandate for “the increase and diffusion of knowledge,” including the diverse ideas, skills, and cultures of our nation, the Smithsonian Institution pursues policies of equal opportunity and cultural diversity. The Smithsonian Fellowship program does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, gender stereotyping, pregnancy, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, parental status, or marital status.
Applicants whose native language is not English are expected to have the ability to write and converse fluently in English. All application materials must be presented in English. Applicants must submit a complete set of application materials through the Smithsonian’s SOLAA system. Required uploads include an abstract, a research proposal limited to three pages, a diversity statement, a budget and justification, a bibliography, a curriculum vitae, and transcripts. Applicants must also identify a Smithsonian research staff member as their principal adviser or host, with the option of including co-advisers or consultants. A bibliography of relevant literature must be included, along with two confidential letters of reference submitted directly by referees through SOLAA.
Proposals should describe the research to be undertaken, the methodology to be used, the importance of the work to both the discipline and the applicant’s scholarly goals, and the justification for conducting the research at the Smithsonian using its resources and facilities. The proposal must also include identification of a Smithsonian adviser, with correspondence encouraged before submission. The deadline for application is 15 October 2025.
For more information, visit Smithsonian.