Funder: Smithsonian Institution
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $62,000 annual stipend, up to $5,000 annual research allowance, $5,000 annual health insurance allowance, and relocation support; up to 24 consecutive months
Summary: Supports full-time, resident postdoctoral research using National Museum of Natural History collections and facilities.
Key Information: Apply through SIFP with an NMNH research scientist as primary advisor; top candidates receive automatic consideration.
Description
The Smithsonian Institution’s Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship Program supports full-time, resident, independent research using the National Museum of Natural History’s (NMNH) collections and facilities. Established in 2011 through a donation from longtime NMNH Board member Peter Buck, it complements the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP) by providing additional postdoctoral positions, often for longer periods.
The program aims to train the next generation of scientists and museum professionals while bringing new ideas, perspectives, and skills into the museum. It primarily awards multi-year fellowships to external scholars who received a PhD or equivalent within the previous five years. Fellows work under an NMNH staff scientist’s advisership and participate actively in the museum’s scholarly community. Citizens of any country may apply.
