Enfilade

2018–19 James Smithson Fellowship: History, Memory, and Authenticity
Applications due by 15 January 2018

The Smithsonian Institution invites applications for the 2018–19 James Smithson Fellowship. The theme for this coming year is “History, Memory, and Authenticity.”

After hearing the Declaration of Independence read aloud on the night of July 9, 1776, a group of American colonists proceeded to Lower Manhattan, tied ropes around an equestrian statue of King George III, and pulled it down. Although debate about public symbols and what they represent is as old as our nation itself, recently the volume of public discourse attempting to reconcile meaning attached to historic people, objects, and places has increased. As discussion about history’s ‘authenticity’ in social media and modern society has surged, so too has dialogue about the meaning of scientific research and its uses in public life.

This public desire for modern life to be better informed by history and science presents an opportunity for researchers to engage in a number of pressing conversations on the national and global level.

The James Smithson Fellowship is open to post-doctoral students in the fields of science, the humanities, and the arts. The James Smithson Fellowship Program was created to offer early career opportunities for post-doctoral researchers interested in gaining a better understanding about the interplay between scholarship and public policy through a Smithsonian lens. While this fellowship provides an immersion experience working with Smithsonian researchers and relevant collections, it also affords fellows a hands-on opportunity to explore relationships between research and public policy through direct interaction with Smithsonian leaders, and with policy leaders throughout the Washington, DC network.

The program is designed for a new generation of leaders, who seek a experience that leverages both scholarly and practical expertise in an environment of innovation like no other. Among the goals of the James Smithson Fellowship are to provide fellows with the opportunity to
• Conduct scholarly research at the Smithsonian
• Strengthen understanding of the interplay between research and public policy
• Gain skills at leveraging research to inform conversations about public policy

To support independent research and study, the fellowship includes a base stipend of $53,000. In addition to this base stipend, allowances may also be provided to help cover relocation, health insurance, and research expenses.

Additional information is available here»