Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP)

About the opportunity

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP) offers in-residence opportunities for independent research and study related to Smithsonian collections, facilities, and the research interests of the Institution and its staff. Open to graduate students, predoctoral students, and postdoctoral and senior investigators, the program supports research in disciplines such as animal behavior, anthropology, astrophysics, earth sciences, evolutionary biology, folklife, history of science and technology, art history, materials research, molecular biology, and social and cultural history of the United States. Fellows are expected to spend most of their tenure in residence at the Smithsonian, utilizing its resources and working with professional research staff who serve as advisors and hosts.

Funding and benefits

• Ten-Week Graduate Student Fellowships: $10,000 stipend.
• Predoctoral Fellowships: $45,000 annual stipend and up to $5,000 annual research allowance.
• Postdoctoral Fellowships: $60,000 annual stipend (Earth and Planetary Sciences: $65,000) and up to $5,000 annual research allowance.
• Senior Fellowships: $60,000 annual stipend (Earth and Planetary Sciences: $65,000) and up to $5,000 annual research allowance.
• Temporary relocation allowances are possible.
• Access to Smithsonian Institution Libraries, including borrowing privileges, interlibrary loans, and database searching.
• Research space provided within the host department.

Who can apply?

• Graduate Student Fellowships: Must be formally enrolled in a graduate program at a degree-granting institution; must have completed at least one full-time semester or equivalent before appointment begins. Intended for students not yet advanced to candidacy.
• Predoctoral Fellowships: Must be enrolled as candidates for the Ph.D. or equivalent; university must approve dissertation research at the Smithsonian and certify that all other doctorate requirements have been met.
• Postdoctoral Fellowships: Doctorate degree must be completed by the time the fellowship begins.
• Senior Fellowships: Must have held a Ph.D. or equivalent for at least 5 years (eligible if Ph.D. received before October 15, 2021).
• General: Applicants must propose research in a discipline pursued at the Smithsonian and be able to write and converse fluently in English.
• General: Former Smithsonian employees or contractors must have a year of separation before applying.

Required documents

• Abstract (max 1 page, double spaced)
• Research Proposal (max 6 pages, double spaced, including methodology, importance, justification for SI, and identification of proposed advisor)
• Timeline (estimated time period for each phase of research)
• Budget and Justification (for equipment, supplies, and travel; not required for graduate students)
• Bibliography of relevant literature
• Curriculum Vitae (max 4 pages)
• Transcripts (unofficial acceptable; graduate transcripts for predoc/postdoc; undergraduate and graduate for graduate students)
• References (names and email addresses of two referees)

When to apply

• Deadline: October 15, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.
• Fellowship tenures must begin between June 1, 2027 and May 30, 2028.
• Notification of decisions: mid-March.

How to apply

• Complete general information in the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA).
• Upload required application materials as individual documents.
• Submit the application through SOLAA at https://solaa.si.edu.