Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program 2027: Up to $60,000 a Year for Museum-Based Research

Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program 2027: Up to $60,000 a Year for Museum-Based Research

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP) gives researchers a funded period of independent study connected to the Smithsonian’s collections, facilities, field stations, and professional research staff. It is designed for several career stages, from graduate students who need a focused research placement to established investigators developing a substantial project. The 2027 cycle is useful to prepare for now because the official program page lists an October 15, 2026 application deadline and says fellowship tenures must begin between June 1, 2027 and May 30, 2028.

This is a research fellowship, not a general scholarship or an internship with an open-ended topic list. The central question is whether the proposed project belongs at the Smithsonian and whether the applicant has a credible plan for completing it during the requested tenure. A successful application therefore needs more than an interesting subject. It needs a specific research question, a workable method, an appropriate Smithsonian host, and a clear explanation of how the Institution’s people and resources change what the applicant can accomplish.

Key details

The Smithsonian labels the 2027 deadline as anticipated in the introductory notice, while the application instructions later on the same official page give October 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST as the submission deadline. Treat that date as the working deadline and recheck the page and SOLAA before submitting in case the Office posts an update.

What the fellowship supports

SIFP supports independent research and study in disciplines pursued by the Smithsonian. The official list includes animal behavior, ecology and environmental science; anthropology; astronomy and astrophysics; earth sciences and paleobiology; evolutionary and systematic biology; folklife; history of science and technology; history of art; materials research; molecular biology; and the social and cultural history of the United States. The program also encourages interdisciplinary applications.

The Smithsonian’s role is more substantial than simply providing a location. Fellows work with members of the Institution’s professional research staff as advisors and hosts. Depending on the project, the relevant contribution might be access to collections, archives, laboratories, field facilities, library resources, conservation expertise, or a specialist who can guide the research. The official page says applicants should consult the Smithsonian’s Opportunities for Research and Study publication to identify staff research specialties and current departmental interests.

The fellowship supplies space within the department where the fellow works. Fellows also receive access to Smithsonian Institution Libraries, including borrowing, interlibrary loans, document delivery, database searching, and reference assistance. These are practical research benefits, but they also create a test for fit: an application should explain which resources are needed and how they will be used, rather than treating the Smithsonian name as a generic prestige signal.

Funding by career stage

The amount depends on the fellowship category. A ten-week Graduate Student Fellowship provides a $10,000 stipend. The applicant must have completed at least one full-time semester of graduate study, and the official table says master’s students and predoctoral candidates may be eligible for this tier. Graduate student fellowships do not include a research allowance.

Predoctoral fellowships last from three to twelve months and pay $45,000 per year, prorated for a shorter tenure. They are intended for doctoral candidates who have advanced to candidacy and completed all Ph.D. candidacy requirements, with the dissertation research to be carried out at the Smithsonian. The university must approve the Smithsonian research undertaking and certify that all doctoral requirements other than the dissertation have been met by the appointment start.

Postdoctoral and senior fellowships pay $60,000 per year, also prorated for appointments shorter than twelve months. The official page says postdoctoral applicants in science may request up to twenty-four months, while the general postdoctoral and senior terms are three to twelve months. Earth and Planetary Sciences senior and postdoctoral stipends are listed at $65,000 per year. Senior applicants must have held a Ph.D. or equivalent for at least five years.

Eligible predoctoral, postdoctoral, and senior applicants may request up to $5,000 per year for research-related expenses. The budget can cover equipment, supplies, research travel, and other support needed for the project, but it cannot include direct hires. Relocation support may also be possible, and the budget for research expenses should not include relocation. The Office states that it cannot provide funds for dependents’ travel or living costs.

These stipends are not salary or compensation. The Smithsonian says the funds support study and research and that stipends, research allowances, and travel allowances are subject to tax. Build tax planning into your decision, especially if you are comparing SIFP with an employment-based postdoctoral appointment.

Who is eligible

The right application category depends on both enrollment status and career stage at the time the appointment begins. Graduate Student Fellowship applicants must be formally enrolled in a graduate program at a degree-granting institution when they apply and must remain enrolled through the start of the fellowship. Doctoral students in this category should not yet have advanced to candidacy.

Predoctoral applicants must be enrolled as Ph.D. or equivalent candidates. By the start date, their university must approve the Smithsonian research and confirm that every requirement except the dissertation has been completed. Postdoctoral applicants need to have completed the doctorate by the time the fellowship begins. Senior applicants need a Ph.D. or equivalent held for at least five years. The page also describes a possible postdoctoral application route for someone who has taken a research leave of absence, but that applicant must explain the situation in the additional information section.

The program requires English-language application materials. Applicants whose native language is not English are expected to be able to write and converse fluently in English, and foreign transcripts must be translated. Former Smithsonian employees or contractors need a year of separation before applying. Current employees and contractors cannot hold a Smithsonian fellowship during their employment or contract without prior OAAI approval.

Eligibility alone does not establish fit. The proposed research must match an area pursued by the Smithsonian, and the project must be feasible with the proposed host unit and resources. The official page specifically advises applicants to contact possible advisors and check the availability of staff, collections, archives, library materials, equipment, and facilities before applying.

How to choose a project and host

Start with the research problem, then test whether the Smithsonian is genuinely necessary. A useful proposal can name the collection, dataset, specimen, archive, instrument, field station, or specialist that makes the project possible or materially stronger. If the project could be completed with the same quality at the applicant’s home institution, the Smithsonian justification will be weak even if the subject sounds relevant.

Use the Smithsonian’s research publication and fields-of-research pages to build a short list of potential advisors. Read each person’s specialty and current interests, then send a concise inquiry that identifies the question, proposed methods, relevant Smithsonian resource, preferred timing, and the kind of guidance being requested. The official program strongly encourages this correspondence. It is also important operationally: the host unit is the unit of the proposed primary advisor, and that unit must match the preferred unit entered in SOLAA.

An advisor’s interest is not the same as a promise of selection. The application still has to show independent scholarly value and a realistic timetable. Treat the conversation as a feasibility check. Ask whether the needed materials can be accessed, whether permissions are required, whether the facilities will be available during the proposed dates, and whether the intended tenure is practical for the host unit.

How to apply

Applications are submitted through SOLAA, the Smithsonian Academic Appointment System. When starting the application, enter 2027 for the cycle. The official instructions say the complete application must be submitted by October 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. The program is listed in SOLAA under the Office of Academic Appointments and Internships.

The application asks for a preferred unit and proposed principal advisor or host. Make those entries consistent. If a proposed advisor cannot serve as primary advisor, the Smithsonian says another advisor at the host unit may be assigned, but that possibility is not a reason to skip the advisor and unit research before applying.

Plan to finish the application before the final evening. The system limits uploaded files to 3 MB each and accepts a defined set of document formats. References are requested through SOLAA, and referees can submit before or after the applicant submits, although the Smithsonian encourages them to submit by the due date and does not guarantee that late references will be included once review begins. Applicants can check the portal for submission status and follow up with referees whose letters are missing.

Required materials

The core application includes a one-page, double-spaced abstract and a research proposal of no more than six pages, double-spaced. The proposal limit excludes the bibliography and other application parts, but images and tables count toward the six pages. The page format should be equivalent to 8.5 by 11 inches with one-inch margins and at least 11-point type.

The proposal must describe the research and methodology, explain the importance of the work to the broader discipline and the applicant’s scholarly goals, justify using Smithsonian facilities and resources, and identify the likely principal advisor, co-advisors, or consultants. It should also address permissions if the project uses non-Smithsonian collections or Smithsonian collections and facilities outside the advisor’s unit. Applicants are strongly encouraged to correspond with proposed advisors while preparing the proposal.

Other required materials include a research timeline, a budget and justification where the fellowship category permits a research allowance, a relevant bibliography, a current CV of no more than four pages, transcripts, and the names and email addresses of two appropriate references. Senior fellowship applicants are exempt from the transcript requirement. Graduate student applicants submit undergraduate and graduate transcripts; predoctoral and postdoctoral applicants submit graduate transcripts. Non-English transcripts need translations.

Applicants researching with Indigenous communities should include the current state of consultation, appropriate contacts, and plans for sharing findings with those communities. The official page says a tribal approval or community endorsement letter can strengthen the proposal and may be submitted as an additional reference. That is best handled as part of the research design, not as a last-minute attachment.

Timeline and preparation strategy

The first preparation task is category selection. Confirm whether your status at the intended start date makes you a graduate student, predoctoral, postdoctoral, or senior applicant. Then select a realistic start date between June 1, 2027 and May 30, 2028. Appointments must begin on the first or third Monday of a month, and proposed dates should be agreed with the principal advisor.

Next, map the project into a full-time work plan. The Smithsonian evaluates whether the research can be completed in the requested time, so divide the tenure into phases such as permissions and orientation, collection or field work, analysis, drafting, and final outputs. The timeline should fit the requested months and should not depend on access that the host has not confirmed.

Give referees enough time to write specific letters. Choose people familiar with the work who can speak to research ability, independence, methods, and the proposed next step. Do not use the proposed Smithsonian advisor or consultant as a referee because the official instructions exclude them. Before submitting, check that every file is readable, within the page and size limits, and named clearly enough to identify its role.

The stated decision timing is mid-March through SOLAA. A selected fellow will then need to coordinate appointment dates, host-unit arrangements, relocation questions, and any required institutional approvals. Keep copies of the submitted proposal and budget so that those discussions can proceed from the same plan.

What reviewers are likely to look for

The official selection criteria are proposal merit, the applicant’s ability to carry out the research, the likelihood that the work can be completed during the requested period, and the extent to which Smithsonian staff and resources contribute to the applicant’s research and professional goals. Those criteria suggest four practical tests for a draft.

First, is the question important and clearly defined? A broad topic is not enough. Second, does the method match the question and the available evidence? Third, does the applicant’s record show the skills needed for the proposed work? Fourth, does the Smithsonian connection appear necessary and specific?

Write the abstract for a knowledgeable reader outside your narrow specialty. Then use the longer proposal to supply method, sequence, evidence, permissions, and resource justification. A reviewer should be able to see what will happen during the fellowship, why the requested duration is reasonable, and what progress the applicant will make by the end.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most damaging mistake is naming a Smithsonian unit without showing what the project needs from it. Replace general statements about reputation with concrete resource and advisor details. A second mistake is applying under the wrong career-stage category because the applicant’s status will change before the appointment begins. Resolve that question early with the official eligibility rules and, if necessary, the fellowship office.

Do not ask for a research allowance in a graduate student application. Do not put relocation costs into the research budget, and do not assume dependents’ costs will be covered. Remember that the stipend is taxable and is not salary. Finally, do not leave reference requests until the deadline day. Late submission may not be included once review starts.

A proposal can also fail by promising too much. The fellowship is full-time, but the requested tenure is still finite. A smaller project with a complete method, confirmed access, and a credible output is more persuasive than an ambitious catalogue of tasks with no evidence that the host unit can support them.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2027 application open now?

The official page provides the 2027 application instructions and deadline, and it says to enter 2027 in SOLAA. Because the page describes the date as an anticipated deadline in its introductory notice, check the official page and SOLAA immediately before submission.

Can a master’s student apply?

Yes, a master’s student can be eligible for the ten-week Graduate Student Fellowship if formally enrolled at application time and still enrolled when the appointment begins, with at least one full-time semester completed by then. The official stipend for that category is $10,000, and no research allowance is offered.

Does every fellowship last a year?

No. Graduate student fellowships last ten weeks. Predoctoral, postdoctoral, and senior appointments generally run from three to twelve months, with science postdoctoral applicants able to apply for up to twenty-four months under the stated program terms.

Can I work remotely?

SIFP is an in-residence fellowship. Fellows are expected to devote full-time effort to the proposed research and spend most of the tenure at the Smithsonian, apart from approved fieldwork or research travel.

Is the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory covered by this call?

No assumption should be made. The official SIFP page directs applicants interested in SAO research to a separate application route because its requirements and deadlines may differ.

When are decisions announced?

The Smithsonian says notifications will be made through SOLAA in mid-March.

Official links and next steps

Begin with the official Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program page. Use its fields-of-research information and the linked Opportunities for Research and Study publication to identify possible hosts. The live submission route is the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System. Before finalizing a proposal, confirm the deadline, cycle selection, advisor and preferred unit, appointment dates, file limits, and reference status in SOLAA.

Questions about the application can be sent to the Smithsonian Office of Academic Appointments and Internships at [email protected]. The most useful immediate action is to make a one-page project outline and match each planned research step to a Smithsonian person or resource. If that match is not specific, the project probably needs more development before the October deadline.