Engen Conservation Fellowship
Engen Conservation Fellowship supports recent conservation graduates in hands-on treatment and collection-based research at the National Air and Space Museum to strengthen research and conservation skills.
Funder: Smithsonian Institution
Due Dates: February 15, 2027 (Application and recommendation letters) | October 1, annually (Applications open and fellowship starts)
Funding Amounts: $46,000 stipend plus $7,000 for travel and research expenses; 12 months, potentially renewable for another 12 months
Summary: Supports recent conservation master's graduates in hands-on treatment and independent collection-based research at the National Air and Space Museum.
Key Information: An in-residence fellowship in Chantilly, Virginia, requiring a 40-hour workweek and an identified Smithsonian staff advisor.
Description
The Engen Conservation Fellowship at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum helps recent conservation graduates strengthen their research, analysis, and treatment skills. Fellows work with the Conservation Department on exhibition-driven projects involving composite objects, metals, organic materials, and painted surfaces. The experience emphasizes the complexities of modern composite materials, refinement of treatment processes, and conservation management.
A small-scale independent research project draws on the museum’s diverse collection. Fellows examine and treat objects independently and in teams, with mentors helping tailor research to the collection and fellowship timeframe. Training includes analytical tools, research methodology, experimental design, and hypothesis development. Fellows work closely with a Smithsonian advisor, report regularly, and are encouraged to publish or present their research at the end of their tenure.
