Fellowship and Travel Grant Opportunities

These two-year benefit-eligible positions are for those interested in a public history or curatorial career.

Curatorial Fellows are integrated as members of Institute staff and benefit from professional development, portfolio building, networking, and mentorship opportunities. Project outcomes build fellows’ resumes in the museum and library fields while advancing the Institute’s strategic goals.

Curatorial fellowships are intended for individuals with advanced degrees who are interested in a professional trajectory outside the academy. Both early career and career-changing researchers are encouraged to apply. Scholars from any relevant field with a demonstrated interest in the history of science, broadly defined, will be considered.

As part of their professional development and networking, curatorial fellows participate in relevant seminars at the Institute (approximately ten percent of the fellows’ time), including the Beckman Center’s Work-in-Progress Workshops and Fellows’ Talks.

2025–2027 Curatorial Fellow

The Science History Institute seeks a Curatorial Fellow to serve as a content creator for a rich suite of digital products. The Institute reaches a diverse global audience by offering free resources that are both carefully researched and accessibly written. We seek a Curatorial Fellow with demonstrated interest in the public history of science, who is excited by the challenges and opportunities of communicating history to non-specialist audiences in ways that are engaging, surprising, and critical. Possible outputs include articles published in Distillations magazine, entries in our Scientific Biographies web resource, or collaborations with our digital production teams on videos or digital exhibitions. Fellows interested in using our library and museum collections would also have opportunities to curate physical exhibitions. Those interested in learning how to conduct oral history interviews may also participate in the Oral History Training Institute and embark on a small guided project.

The salary for the Curatorial Fellowship is $55,000. The application deadline is January 15, 2025. Offers will be made by May 2025, with a start date of September 2025. Curatorial fellows who meet the criteria of the Institute’s Relocation Assistance Program receive a $1,500 payment upon moving to the Philadelphia area. Funds may also be available to support conference, research, or professional development travel.

This is a two-year, limited-duration staff position that will end in August 2027.

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• Ability to work both collaboratively within a team and, at times, independently
• Advanced degree in a humanities, social science, or science field; master’s degree required, PhD preferred
• Demonstrated interest in communicating complicated topics with non-specialist and public audiences
• Research interests aligned with the history of science
• Strong project management skills

All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Applications must include a cover letter, CV, short writing sample for a non-specialist audience, and contact information for three professional references.

Our NEH postdoctoral fellowship is open to researchers who have earned a doctoral degree or who have completed all requirements of the doctoral degree, including the defense, by the application deadline (January 15, 2025). These fellowships are intended to support 12 months of full-time research and writing that will make use of the Institute’s collections. NEH Postdoctoral Fellows will participate in Beckman Center scholarly programs, including the Works in Progress writing group and Fellows’ Talks lecture series. Applicants for the NEH fellowship must be United States citizens or foreign nationals who have lived in the United States for the three years immediately preceding the application deadline. Postdoctoral fellowship stipends are US$60,000, paid in monthly installments, with an annual US$1,000 stipend for travel and professional development and an additional available reimbursement of up to US$2,500 for health insurance. Candidates should apply via the postdoctoral research fellowship application and may opt for their project to be considered within both categories.

Postdoctoral research fellowships are open to researchers who have earned a doctoral degree and graduate students who will have defended their dissertations by the end of July 2025. These fellowships are intended to support 12 months of full-time research and writing in residence that will make use of our collections. Fellows will participate in Beckman Center scholarly programs, including the Works in Progress writing group and Fellows’ Talks lecture series. Applicants may be citizens of any country. Postdoctoral fellowship stipends are US$50,000, paid in monthly installments, with an annual US$1,000 stipend for travel and professional development and an additional available reimbursement of up to US$2,500 for health insurance.

These four-month fellowships are open to established scholars who are able to spend a semester or equivalent period in residence at the Institute. Distinguished Fellows work closely with the Institute’s collections on an independent research project addressing the history of chemical or molecular science, broadly construed. They also participate in Beckman Center scholarly programs and contribute to the fellowship community in a mentorship capacity. For this fellowship, eligibility extends to tenured professors and academics at the rank of senior lecturer or above, established scholars in independent research libraries or museums, and independent scholars with a commensurate record of scholarly achievement. Applicants may be citizens of any country. The stipend is US$20,000, paid in monthly installments. Candidates should apply via the short-term fellowship application and may opt for their project to be considered within both categories. Distinguished Fellows are also eligible to apply for the ATBL research fellowship.

The Othmer Library offers travel grants for periods of up to two weeks for research and scholarly exploration of our primary materials which include rare and modern books, manuscripts, archival collections, oral histories, fine art, artifacts, and instruments. Travel grants are $1,000 per week and are intended to help defray the costs of travel and accommodation. Applicants must currently reside more than 75 miles from Philadelphia to be eligible. Applications and research visits are accepted and approved on a rolling basis.

Please contact travelgrants@sciencehistory.org with any questions.