Funder: Smithsonian Institution
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $45,000 per year plus up to $5,000 per year for research; 3–12 months
Summary: Supports doctoral candidates at participating Big Ten Academic Alliance universities in Smithsonian-based research advancing their dissertations.
Key Information: Applicants must complete all doctoral requirements except the dissertation before the fellowship begins.
Description
The Big Ten Academic Alliance and Smithsonian Institution support doctoral dissertation research in residence at Smithsonian facilities. Fellows work with Smithsonian advisers and use the Institution’s collections, facilities, and research expertise to advance their theses. The program connects participating universities with Smithsonian scholars through independent research and study.
Supported fields include animal behavior, ecology, and environmental science, with an emphasis on the tropics; anthropology, including archaeology, cultural anthropology, linguistics, and physical anthropology; earth sciences and paleobiology; evolutionary and systematic biology; materials research; and molecular biology. Humanities fields include folklife, history of science and technology, and U.S. social and cultural history. Art history priorities include American, contemporary, African, and Asian art, twentieth-century American crafts, and decorative arts. Interdisciplinary projects and work that broadens and diversifies Smithsonian research are encouraged.
