GENERAL INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS
Fellowships in Latino Studies are offered by the Smithsonian Institution to provide opportunities for U.S. Latino/a predoctoral students and postdoctoral and senior investigators to conduct research related to U.S. Latino history, art and culture in association with members of the Smithsonian professional research staff, and utilizing the resources of the Institution. These fellowships are administered by the Office of Fellowships under the charter of the Institution, 20 U.S. Code section 41 et seq. Fellowship awards under this program are contingent upon the availability of funds.
This program has been supported by federal funds for Latino programming, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center (SLC). The SLC also offers other opportunities for research and professional development to Latino/a students and scholars. Information on its programs can be found at: http://latino.si.edu.
The publication, Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study (www.si.edu/research+study),
outlines Smithsonian research activities and lists the research staff. Applicants
are strongly encouraged to contact staff members to help identify potential
advisors, determine the feasibility of the proposed research being conducted
at the Smithsonian Institution, and the availability of relevant resources
such as staff, collections, archives and library materials during the proposed
tenure dates.
Applicants for Latino Studies Fellowships may also apply to the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program, but application materials specific to that program should be requested from the Office of Fellowships. Separate, complete applications must be submitted for consideration in each program.
PROGRAM GUIDELINES
Qualifications for Application
Applicants must propose to conduct research related to U.S. Latino history, art or culture at one or more of the Smithsonian museums or research institutes, in one or more of its areas of research, as outlined in the publication, Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study. Tenure periods are three to twelve months. Up to one third of the fellowship tenure may be spent away from the Smithsonian conducting research at another institution or in the field (but not at the applicant’s home institution).
No employee or contractor of the Smithsonian Institution may hold a Smithsonian
fellowship during the time of his/her employment or contract, nor may an award
be offered to any person who has been employed by or under contract to the
Institution in the previous year, without the prior approval of the Office
of Fellowships.
Determination of the fellowship category for which to apply should be based
on the anticipated academic level at the time the fellowship would begin:
Predoctoral Fellowships: Students enrolled in a university as candidates for
the Ph.D. or equivalent are eligible for predoctoral fellowships. By the time
the appointment begins, the university must approve the undertaking of dissertation
research at the Smithsonian Institution and certify that requirements for the
doctorate, other than the dissertation, have been met.
Postdoctoral Fellowships: Applicants are eligible to apply for postdoctoral
fellowships who have or will have received the Ph.D. or equivalent after January
15, 2005. The degree must be completed by the time the fellowship begins.
Senior Fellowships: Applicants who have received the Ph.D. or equivalent before
January 15, 2005 are eligible to apply for senior fellowships. Senior Fellowship
applications may be submitted one and a half years in advance (see below).
Application Submission and Deadline
All applications must be submitted by January 15, 2012 at https://solaa.si.edu.
Notification of decisions will be made on April 15, 2012.
Criteria for Selection
Applications are evaluated and fellows are selected, by scholars in appropriate fields, on the basis of the proposal’s merit, including: the significance of the study to the discipline in general and to Latino research in particular; the methodology to be used; the applicant’s ability to carry out the proposed research and study; the likelihood that it could be completed in the requested time; and the extent to which the Smithsonian, through its various resources, could contribute to the proposed research. Included in the proposal evaluation will
be it's relevance in terms of the Smithsonian’s
Strategic Plan and how the research reflects one or more of the Four Grand
Challenges outlined in the plan (see details at http://www.si.edu/Content/Pdf/About/SI_Strategic_Plan_2010-2015.pdf ).
As part of its mandate for “the increase and diffusion of knowledge,” including the diverse ideas, skills, and cultures of our nation, the Smithsonian Institution pursues policies of equal opportunity and cultural diversity. Latino Studies Fellowships are awarded on the basis of these policies.
Conditions of Appointment
Latino Studies predoctoral, postdoctoral and senior fellowships are usually awarded for periods of three to twelve months. Appointment periods are in accordance with the applicant’s proposal for the research, unless the length of tenure requested is considered by reviewers to be more than required. If necessary and appropriate to the research, applicants may propose to spend up to one third of the fellowship tenure away from the Smithsonian (but not at the applicant’s home institution) working on their projects at other museums, research facilities, and/or in communities where primary material may be collected.
Financial support, in addition to a Smithsonian fellowship, for such purposes
as research travel and equipment may be received from other sources provided
that no special demands are made upon the fellow's time. Permission to receive
additional stipend support must be requested in writing from the Office of
Fellowships.
Predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowship tenures must begin
between June 1, 2012 and March 1, 2013. Senior fellowship tenures must begin
between June 1, 2012 and September 15, 2013. It is important that applicants
consider the following factors carefully when choosing the dates for the proposed
fellowship: their academic schedule; completion dates of their preliminary
exams, course work, or dissertation (if applicable); the schedule of their
proposed advisor/host and the availability of required resources. Appointments
of three months or longer must begin on either the 1st or 15th of the month.
The dates of tenure proposed in the application (and any change of dates if
the fellowship is awarded) should be selected in agreement with the proposed
principal advisor.
In submitting an application for a fellowship at the Institution, the applicant
does not incur any obligation to accept the appointment if selected.
Use of Smithsonian Facilities
Fellows will be provided with space to conduct their research within the department
in which they are working. Applicants should consult in advance with their
proposed advisor(s) regarding the availability of facilities and necessary
equipment. The amount of support services available to the fellow will be determined
by the workload of the department and the policy of the department chairperson
and/or unit director. Fellows have access to the Smithsonian Institution
Libraries with privileges which include borrowing library materials, interlibrary
loans, intralibrary loans, document delivery, database searching, and reference
assistance.
Stipends and Allowances 2012 - 2013
Predoctoral, Postdoctoral and Senior Fellowships: The stipend for Predoctoral
Fellows is $30,000 per year (twelve months). The stipend for Postdoctoral and
Senior Fellows
is $45,000 per year (twelve months). Stipends are prorated for periods of less
than twelve months. In addition to the stipend, allowances to assist with the
fellow's research related expenses and for temporary relocation to the Smithsonian
are possible. A maximum research allowance of $4,000 is available. The amount awarded will be determined based upon
the budget and justification presented by the applicant. The budget for the
research allowance should not include costs for relocation to the Smithsonian,
which is awarded separately. The Office of Fellowships cannot provide funds
for the travel or living expenses of dependents.
All funds provided under Smithsonian fellowships, including stipends and research
and travel allowances, are subject to tax.
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