Funder: Helen Frankenthaler Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Predoctoral: $45,000 for 12 months; postdoctoral/senior: nine months at published annual rates of $57,000–$60,000 (confirm rate); additional allowances available
Summary: Supports residential research on modern and contemporary American art, craft, and visual culture at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Key Information: Apply through SIFP with a SAAM primary advisor for automatic consideration; full-time residence in Washington, D.C., is required.
Description
The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Fellowship supports research on modern and contemporary art through a full-time residential appointment at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). Awarded through the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP), it welcomes scholars from any discipline whose work engages the art, craft, and visual culture of the United States. The fellowship emphasizes original, high-quality research that expands perspectives on American art, including new materials, methodologies, and interdisciplinary approaches.
Research must use Smithsonian collections and resources. Fellows join a scholarly community with seminars, writing groups, gallery talks, lectures, symposia, and professional development activities. SAAM’s holdings, archives, library, and staff expertise support independent research, while staff of the museum’s peer-reviewed journal American Art provide publishing guidance.
