James Smithson Fellowship Program
James Smithson Fellowship Program supports early-career postdoctoral researchers studying regeneration with Smithsonian resources to deepen scholarly expertise and explore public policy implications.
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Funder: Smithsonian Institution
Due Dates: October 15, 2026, 4:59 pm ET (Application and reference letters) | June 1, 2027–May 1, 2028 (Fellowship start window)
Funding Amounts: $62,000 stipend plus $5,000 research allowance for 12 months
Summary: Supports early-career postdoctoral research on regeneration using Smithsonian resources and exploring potential public policy implications.
Key Information: Applicants must be U.S. citizens and identify a Smithsonian research advisor to receive review.
Description
The James Smithson Fellowship Program offers early-career postdoctoral researchers an immersive opportunity to examine the relationship between scholarship and public policy through the Smithsonian Institution. Fellows pursue independent research using Smithsonian experts, facilities, collections, and databases, while engaging with perspectives across science, the humanities, and the arts. The program aims to deepen disciplinary expertise and help researchers consider their work’s wider significance and develop skills to inform policy conversations.
The 2027 theme, Regeneration, explores how societies, environments, and cultural traditions renew and adapt while preserving continuity. Relevant work may examine ecosystem restoration, revitalization of cultural practices, community rebuilding following disruption, or technological innovation. Interdisciplinary inquiry into restoration, resilience, adaptation, and continuity across diverse temporal and spatial contexts is encouraged.
