Application Deadline: Friday December 1, 2017

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP) is the Smithsonian Institution’s centrally-funded flagship in-residence fellowship program. SI Fellowships are awarded annually to graduate students, predoctoral students, postdoctoral, and senior investigators to conduct independent study or research at one or more of the Smithsonian’s 19 units and research centers. These fellowships are offered through the Smithsonian’s Office of Fellowships 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 independent 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.

Requirements:

• Applicants must propose to conduct research at the Smithsonian in one of its areas of research as outlined in the Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study (SORS), for a period of three to twelve months, or ten weeks for the Graduate Student Fellowship. Past or current SIFP fellowship recipients are eligible to apply for another SIFP 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 of Fellowships.
• 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

Conditions of Appointment:

• In submitting an application for a fellowship at the Institution, the applicant does not incur any obligation to accept the appointment if selected.
• Smithsonian Institution Fellows must begin their fellowship within one (1) year from the date of their award letter.
• The fellowship must be completed within two (2) years of the start date.
• In accepting an appointment, the fellow will be expected to devote full time effort to the research proposed and to be in residence at the Smithsonian except for approved absences.
• Financial support 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 and Internships.

Stipends:

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship award amounts are as follows:

Graduate Student Fellowship**: $7,500.00 for 10 weeks.

Predoctoral Fellowship: $36,000 annually; research allowance up to $4,000.

Postdoctoral Fellowship: $50,400 annually; research allowance up to $4,000.

Senior Fellowship: $50,400 annually; research allowance up to $4,000.

How to Apply:

Apply Through the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA)

Applications for centrally funded Smithsonian Institution Fellowships are not listed under the museum, research facility or office in which the applicant proposes to conduct research. Applicants for centrally funded Smithsonian Institution Fellowships need to select one of the applications found under the Office of Fellowships in SOLAA.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP) 2018