Short Description
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. Fellowships are offered to graduate students, predoctoral students, and postdoctoral and senior investigators 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. These fellowships are offered through the Smithsonian’s Office of Academic Appointments and Internships, and are administered under the charter of the Institution, 20 U.S. Code section 41 et seq.
Applicants to the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program must propose to conduct research in a discipline pursued at the Smithsonian and must submit a specific and detailed research proposal indicating why the Smithsonian is an appropriate place to carry out the study. Projects that broaden and diversify the research conducted within these disciplines are encouraged. Fellowships are offered to support research at Smithsonian facilities or field stations. Fellows are expected to spend most of their tenure in residence at the Smithsonian, except when arrangements are made for periods of field work or research travel.
Individuals listed in SORS are divided into three categories; research staff, conservation staff and affiliated research staff. Each listing contains information regarding the individual’s educational background and their research specialties. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact potential advisors and co-advisors to determine the feasibility of the proposed research being conducted at the Smithsonian Institution, and the availability of relevant resources, including collections, archives, and library materials during the proposed tenure dates.
Research staff may be named by applicants to serve as principal advisors, co-advisors or consultants.
Conservation Staff may be named by applicants to serve as principal advisors for conservation fellowships, co-advisors or consultants.
Affiliated research staff who are in residence during most of the tenure period proposed may be named as a co-advisor or as a consultant by an applicant.
Eligibility
Applicants are encouraged to propose to conduct research in-residence at the Smithsonian in one of its areas of research as outlined in the publication, Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study, for a period of three to twelve months, or ten weeks for the Graduate Student Fellowship. Past or current fellowship recipients are eligible to apply for another award.
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 Academic Appointments and Internships (OAAI).
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 (foreign transcripts may be translated, see below).
Determination of the fellowship category for which to apply should be based on the anticipated academic level at the time the fellowship would begin:
Graduate Student Fellowships: When they apply, students must be formally enrolled in a graduate program of study at a degree-granting institution. Before the appointment begins fellows must still be enrolled and must have completed at least one full-time semester or its equivalent. Graduate Student Fellowships are intended for students who have not yet been advanced to candidacy if in a doctoral program.
Predoctoral Fellowships: Students enrolled in a university as candidates for the Ph.D. or equivalent are eligible for predoctoral fellowships. By the time the appointment begins, the university must approve the undertaking of dissertation research at the Smithsonian Institution and certify that requirements for the doctorate, other than the dissertation, have been met.
Postdoctoral Fellowships: The doctorate degree must be completed by the time the fellowship begins.
Senior Fellowships: Applicants must have held a Ph.D. or equivalent for at least 5 years. Applicants who have received the Ph.D. or equivalent before June 1, 2018 are eligible to apply for senior fellowships. If you have taken a “leave of absence” from research and wish to apply under the postdoctoral fellowship application instead of senior fellowship application you will need to provide a justification in the additional information section at the end of the application.
Submission Requirements
- Research Proposal
- Timeline
- Budget and Justification
- Bibliography
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Transcripts (unofficial are acceptable) (you may upload up to three 3MB files)
- References – from two appropriate persons selected by you.
How to Apply
Online Application
Program Benefits & Awards
| Fellowship Category | Term | Stipend | Research Allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ten-Week Graduate Student Fellowships – Completed one semester of grad school.- Master’s students and pre-doctoral candidates are eligible. | 10 weeks | $10,000 | N/A |
| Predoctoral Fellowships – Advanced to candidacy.- Satisfied all Ph.D. candidacy requirements.- For doctoral candidates to conduct dissertation research. | 3 to 12 months | $45,000 per year | up to $5,000 per year |
| Postdoctoral Fellowships – Completed Ph.D. less than 5 years ago.- Predocs may apply if eligible to be postdocs by start date. | 3 to 12 months** | $57,000 per year*** | up to $5,000 per year |
| Senior Fellowships – Must have held Ph.D. for at least 5 years. | 3 to 12 months | $57,000 per year** | up to $5,000 per year |
Entry Fee
None
Location
Washington, D.C., United States
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 15 October 2025
Website Link: https://americanart.si.edu/research/fellowships
