Organizer Information
The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) education and cultural institution located in Manhattan's Chinatown, New York City. Founded in 1980 by historian John Kuo Wei Tchen and community activist Charles Lai as the New York Chinatown History Project, MOCA has spent over four decades preserving and presenting the living history, heritage, culture, and diverse experiences of Chinese Americans through exhibitions, educational services, public programs, and archival work. Its Collections and Research Center holds tens of thousands of artifacts, photographs, documents, and oral histories, much of which was damaged in a January 2020 fire and subsequently restored before the museum reopened to the public in July 2021. MOCA is recognized as one of 20 national institutions designated as an America's Cultural Treasure and continues to run a rotating exhibition programme alongside its core exhibition, With a Single Step: Stories in the Making of America. As stated in the source, MOCA is dedicated to preserving, illuminating, and celebrating the rich history and contributions of Chinese in America, fostering understanding and greater recognition of their experiences to inspire and connect all Americans.
Title & Description
Betty Lee Sung Research Fellowship
The Museum of Chinese in America is launching the Betty Lee Sung Research Fellowship to support an emerging scholar, post-doctoral academic, or independent curator in conducting object-based research for an upcoming exhibition. Beyond research in MOCA's own Collections and in other libraries and archives, the fellow will take part in planning and content development discussions alongside an exhibition team of scholars, artists, designers, curators, and other MOCA staff. Working directly with MOCA's curatorial team, the fellow will receive mentorship, training, and guidance throughout the research, development, and production of a major multimedia historical exhibition. The fellowship is named in honor of Betty Lee Sung (1924–2023), a pioneering scholar of Chinese and Asian American history who founded the first Asian American Studies program on the East Coast at City College of New York in 1970, and whose archives are held at MOCA.
Theme
Object-based research supporting the development of an upcoming major multimedia exhibition on Chinese American history, drawing on MOCA's Collections and the archives of Betty Lee Sung.
Categories
- Research
- Curatorial
- Culture
- History (covered under Art Management / Curatorial in the absence of a dedicated history category)
- Fellowship
- Multimedia
- Archaeology (archival research, closest taxonomy match)
Eligibility
- Emerging scholars, post-doctoral academics, or independent curators
- Bachelor's degree in Chinese American history, Asian American history, American history, art history, media studies, anthropology, or a related field, or experience in public history projects
- Master's degree in a related field preferred
- Academic and/or critical writing competency required
- Availability to work on-site at MOCA at least once a week or more, depending on project needs
- Prior experience securing image rights and permissions
- Proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
- Bilingual Mandarin and/or Cantonese, written and spoken, preferred
- MOCA states that applicants need not meet 100% of the listed qualifications to apply
- Open regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or citizenship
Program Benefits & Awards
- $10,000 stipend for the six-month fellowship term
- Mentorship, training, and guidance from MOCA's curatorial team
- Direct involvement in the research, development, and production of a major multimedia historical exhibition
- Participation in planning and content development discussions with an exhibition team of scholars, artists, designers, and curators
- Flexible schedule, with at least one in-person day per week
- Possible domestic travel as part of the research process
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Resume
- Cover letter addressing interest in the fellowship and research focus
- Two writing samples, maximum 500 words each (excerpts from academic papers, exhibition texts, art criticism, personal writing, etc.)
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 31 July 2026
- Fellowship Start Date: 8 September 2026
- Fellowship Term Ends: February 2027
Location
New York, New York, United States
Additional Details
- Fellowship term: 6 months, 24 hours per week, September 2026–February 2027
- MOCA explicitly encourages applicants who do not meet 100% of the listed qualifications to still apply, noting that women and people from underrepresented groups often self-select out of applying when they don't meet every criterion
- MOCA is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law