Arthur Molella Distinguished Fellowship
Arthur Molella Distinguished Fellowship supports experienced authors and senior scholars in researching and writing about the history of technology, invention, and innovation, including major publications.
Funder: Smithsonian Institution
Due Dates: October 15, 2026 (Application, 11:59 p.m. ET) | June 1, 2027–May 30, 2028 (Tenure start window)
Funding Amounts: $35,000 USD stipend; residences up to seven months
Summary: Supports experienced authors and senior scholars researching and writing about the history of technology, invention, and innovation.
Key Information: Applicants must be experienced authors or senior scholars at associate, full, or emeritus professor level or equivalent.
Description
The Arthur Molella Distinguished Fellowship is administered by the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH). It supports research and writing across the history of technology, invention, and innovation. Fellows may arrange a research residency, several shorter visits, a sabbatical supplement, or a series of lectures leading to a major publication.
The Center especially encourages work on under-represented inventors and technologies; the people and institutions supporting inventors; sports innovation and technology; invention education, educational psychology, and learning theory; and connections between art, invention, and human experience. Art includes visual art, photography, music, and dance. Fellows are invited to engage in the museum’s intellectual and programmatic life, consult its research staff, and use invention and technology collections across the Smithsonian.
