Program Descriptions
Program Number
85.601
Title
Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program
Federal Agency
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Authorization
Smithsonian's Office of Fellowships, administered under the charter of the Institution, 20 U.S.C. Section 41 et seq.
Status
Active
Objectives
Fellowships are offered by the Smithsonian Institution to provide opportunities for graduate students, predoctoral students, and postdoctoral and senior investigators to conduct research in association with members of the Smithsonian professional research staff, and to utilize the resources of the Institution.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants (Fellowships).
Uses and Use Restrictions
The Smithsonian Institution offers fellowships and internships for research and study in fields that are actively pursued by the museums and research organizations of the Institution. At present these fields are: Animal behavior, ecology, and environmental science, including an emphasis on the tropics; Anthropology, including archaeology; Astrophysics and astronomy; Earth sciences and paleobiology; Evolutionary and systematic biology; History of science and technology; History of art, especially American, contemporary African, and Asian art, twentieth-century American crafts, and decorative arts; Social and cultural history of the United States; Folklife.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Postdoctoral Fellowships are offered to scholars who have held the degree or equivalent for less than seven years. Senior Fellowships are offered to scholars who have held the degree or equivalent for seven years or more. Applicants must submit a detailed proposal including a justification for conducting research in residence at the Institution. Predoctoral Fellowships are offered to doctoral candidates who have completed preliminary course work and examinations. The applicant must submit a detailed proposal including a justification for conducting the research in-residence at the Institution. Graduate Student Fellowships are offered to students formally enrolled in a graduate program of study, who have completed at least one semester, and not yet have been advanced to candidacy if in a Ph.D. Program. Graduate students or postdoctoral researcher conducting research in the fields pursued by the Smithsonian, from any country, are welcome to apply.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Citizens from all countries will benefit.
Credentials/Documentation
Transcripts (or other materials when transcripts are not issued) from all appropriate institutions are required, except for senior fellowship applications. Applicants for graduate student fellowships must submit undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Applicants for predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships need only submit graduate transcripts. Unofficial photocopies are acceptable. If transcripts or other materials are not in English the applicant should provide translations.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
To obtain application materials please go to http://www.si.edu/research+study Applicants must submit 6 complete copies including - completed cover sheets, research proposal, curriculum vitae, transcripts, and two letters of reference.
Award Procedure
Applications are evaluated and fellows are selected, by scholars in appropriate fields, on the basis of the proposal's merit, the applicant's ability to carry out the proposed research and study, the likelihood that the research could be completed in the requested time, and the extent to which the Smithsonian, through its research staff members and resources, could contribute to the proposed research. The number of appointments made each year is determined by the availability of funds for the program. The Smithsonian Fellowship Program does not discriminate on grounds of race, creed, sex, age, marital status, condition of handicap, or national origin of any applicant. For more information, lists of past recipients and/or applications go to http://www.si.edu/research+study
Deadlines
January 15 postmark annually.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Notification after April 15th.
Appeals
None.
Renewals
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Financial support, in addition to a Smithsonian fellowship, for such purposes as research travel and equipment may be received from other sources provided that no special demands are made upon the fellow's time. Permission to receive additional stipend support must be requested in writing from the Office of Fellowships.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
10 week to one year.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Fellows will be required to submit a final report to the Office of Fellowships.
Audits
None.
Records
None.
Financial Information
Account Identification
33-0100-0-1-503.
Obligations
(Research Fellowships) FY 07 $1,000,000; FY 08 est not available; and FY 09 est not reported.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Stipend levels range from $4,500 to $40,000.
Program Accomplishments
None.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
To receive applications or more information contact: Office of Fellowships, Smithsonian Institution, http://www.si.edu/research+study siofg@si.edu, 202.275.0655. For the mailing address, see below.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
None.
Headquarters Office
Office of Fellowships, Smithsonian Institution, Victor Building, Suite 9300, MRC 902, PO Box 37012, Washington DC 20013-7012.
Web Site Address
http://www.si.edu/research+study
Related Programs
None.
Examples of Funded Projects
Past recipients can be found at http://www.si.edu/research+study
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Applications are evaluated and fellows are selected, by scholars in appropriate fields, on the basis of the proposal's merit, the applicant's ability to carry out the proposed research and study, the likelihood that the research could be completed in the requested time, and the extent to which the Smithsonian, through its research staff members and resources, could contribute to the proposed research. The number of appointments made each year is determined by the availability of funds for the program.
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