Latino Studies Fellowship Program 2000 Application

The attached application materials for the Office of Fellowships and Grants’ Latino Studies Fellowship Program 2000 include the program guidelines, instructions, cover sheets, letters for your referees, and the publication, Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study. All these materials are also available at our Web site: www.si.edu/research+study.

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 and Grants under the charter of the Institution, 20 U.S. Code section 41 et seq.

The enclosed publication, Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and 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 and Grants. Separate, complete applications must be submitted for consideration in each program.

1. 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 and Grants.

Determination of 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, 1993. 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, 1993 are eligible to apply for senior fellowships. Senior Fellowship applications may be submitted two years in advance.

 

2. Application Submission and Deadline

All applications must be postmarked by January 15, 2000. Applications mailed after the deadline or received too late in the review process cannot be considered. Faxed or electronically submitted applications will not be accepted. Send applications to: Office of Fellowships and Grants, MRC 902, Smithsonian Institution, 955 L'Enfant Plaza, Suite 7000, Washington, DC 20560-0902.

Exceptions to the above deadline and submission requirements may be made for certain supporting materials (such as transcripts, and letters of recommendation if sent directly by the referee).

Notification of decisions will be mailed on April 15, 2000.

3. 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.

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.

4. 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 and Grants.

Predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowship tenures must begin between June 1, 2000 and March 1, 2001. Senior fellowship tenures must begin between June 1, 2000 and March 1, 2002. 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. 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. Appointments must begin on the 1^st or 15^th of the month.

In submitting an application for a fellowship at the Institution, the applicant does not incur any obligation to accept the appointment if selected.

 

5. 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.

 

6. Stipends and Allowances 2000 - 2001

The stipend for Predoctoral Fellows is $15,000 per year (twelve months) and the stipend for Postdoctoral and Senior Fellows is $27,000 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 expenses (including research-related travel) and for temporary relocation to the Smithsonian are possible. A maximum research allowance of $4,000 is available for these fellowships, and 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 and Grants 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.

 

If you have any questions about completing this application, please feel free to write or call this office. We look forward to receiving your application.

- The importance and significance of the work in relation to U.S. Latino studies, the broader discipline, and to your own scholarly goals.

- Justification for conducting your research at the Smithsonian and utilization of research facilities and resources at the Institution and at other sites.

- Identification of the member of the Smithsonian's research staff who might serve as your principal advisor/host. Also identify potential co-advisor(s) and/or consultant(s) if applicable. The enclosed publication, Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study, contains the necessary information on staff research specialties and current departmental interests to help you

determine which staff member is best suited to your research needs. Research staff may be named by applicants to serve as principal advisors, co-advisors or consultants. Affiliated research staff, who are in residence during at least a portion of the tenure period proposed, may be named as a co-advisors or consultants by applicants. You are strongly encouraged to correspond with your proposed advisor(s) as you prepare your proposal.

C. Estimate of time period for each phase of the research proposed, including time spent in residence at the Smithsonian and at other research sites.

4. Transcripts (or other materials when transcripts are not issued) from all appropriate graduate institutions are required. Applicants for senior fellowships are not required to submit transcripts. Unofficial photocopies are acceptable. If transcripts or other materials are not in English the applicant should provide translations.

5. Letters of reference evaluating your proposal from two persons familiar with your work. Enclosed are copies of an explanatory letter to send to your referees along with your proposal. Please note that all reference letters are considered confidential unless confidentiality has been specifically waived by the referee. Do not list Smithsonian staff members as your referees; they will have the opportunity to review your application after it is submitted.

Letters of reference should be ENCLOSED WITH YOUR APPLICATION in sealed envelopes signed by the referee across the flap. Therefore, be sure to obtain these letters in sufficient time to meet the deadline date. If necessary, reference letters can be submitted after the deadline date; however, they may arrive too late to be included for review.

6. Notification card: The enclosed card should be self-addressed and sent with your application so that it may be returned to you when your application is received. No postage is required. If you are submitting forms that were downloaded from the internet (or if for any other reason you do not have a notification card), please include with your application a self-addressed envelope or mailing label so that a card can be sent to you.

The application should be sent to the Office of Fellowships and Grants, Smithsonian Institution, 955 L'Enfant Plaza, Suite 7000, MRC 902, Washington, D.C. 20560-0902.

APPLICATIONS POSTMARKED AFTER JANUARY 15 CANNOT BE ACCEPTED.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

OFFICE OF FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. 2056-0902

APPLICATION FOR THE LATINO STUDIES FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Please read the instructions and the information for applicants carefully, then prepare SIX SETS of the complete application (original plus five copies) in accordance with those instructions. DEADLINE: JANUARY 15 (POSTMARK)

1. Applying For (check only one): Predoctoral Postdoctoral Senior

2. Name: Dr. Ms. Mr.

               (circle one)              (family name) (first name) (middle initial)

3. Female Male 

4a. U.S. Social Security Number:

4b. Citizenship:

4c. Country of Permanent Residence:

5a. Complete residence address:

Telephone number:

5b. Complete office address:

Telephone number:

5c. Address to which all correspondence should be sent: Residence Office

5d. E-mail address (optional):

6. Short title of proposed research:

7. Please indicate the name of the proposed Smithsonian staff member(s), and their Smithsonian museum or research unit, with whom you wish to work. Please list additional members of the Smithsonian research staff with whom you wish to consult as indicated in your proposal:

Principal Advisor: Museum/Unit

Consultant(s): Museum/Unit

Museum/Unit

Museum/Unit

COVER SHEET 1 of 2

  Latino Studies Fellowship Application

SI-1875 Rev. 10-99 

To Referees of Smithsonian Fellowship Applicants:

The Smithsonian Institution offers fellowships to provide opportunities for graduate students and scholars to conduct research at the Institution, in association with members of its research staff. You are being asked by an applicant for a Smithsonian Fellowship to serve as a referee and to evaluate the enclosed proposal.

Please provide an evaluation of the proposal, considering the scholarly merit of the proposed research, and the likelihood of the applicant conducting it successfully at the Smithsonian. We also solicit your comments regarding the applicant's ability and his or her potential contribution to the field. In addition, we ask that you disclose any perceived conflict of interest in providing a reference for this applicant.

The application, consisting of the proposal, academic records, and two supporting letters, will be reviewed by members of the Smithsonian's research staff. Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the proposal's merit, the ability of the applicant to carry out the proposed research and study, and the extent to which the Smithsonian, through its staff members and resources, can contribute to the fellow's proposed research.

Your careful assessment of this application will help us to maintain high standards in our fellowship programs. We appreciate your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Roberta W. Rubinoff

Director