SMITHSONIAN OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH AND STUDY 2020 Office of Fellowships and Internships Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC The Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study Guide Can be Found Online at http://www.smithsonianofi.com/sors-introduction/ Version 1.7 (Updated September 2019) Copyright © 2019 by Smithsonian Institution Table of Contents Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 How to Use This Book .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Anacostia Community Museum (ACM) ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 Archives of American Art (AAA) ....................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) .......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (CFCH) ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (CHNDM) ............................................................................................................................ 10 Freer Gallery of Art/Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (FSGA) ............................................................................................................................ 14 Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (HMSG) ............................................................................................................................... 18 Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) ........................................................................................................................................................ 20 National Air and Space Museum (NASM) ................................................................................................................................................... 23 National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) ........................................................................................ 29 National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) .................................................................................................................................................. 31 National Museum of American History (NMAH) ...................................................................................................................................... 33 National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) ................................................................................................................................. 45 National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) .......................................................................................................................................... 50 National Portrait Gallery (NPG) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 91 National Postal Museum (NPM) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 94 National Zoological Park (NZP) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 96 Office of Fellowships and Internships (OFI) ........................................................................................................................................... 107 Office of International Relations (OIR) ...................................................................................................................................................... 108 Office of the Provost (Provost) .................................................................................................................................................................... 110 Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) ......................................................................................................................................... 111 Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) .................................................................................................................................... 114 Smithsonian Center For Learning and Digital Access (SCLDA) ....................................................................................................... 134 Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) ........................................................................................................................ 136 Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) ..................................................................................................................................................... 140 Smithsonian Libraries (SIL) ........................................................................................................................................................................... 143 Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) .......................................................................................................... 149 Smithsonian Latino Center (SLC) ............................................................................................................................................................... 152 Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) ..................................................................................................................................... 155 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) .................................................................................................................................... 156 The Smithsonian Associates (Associates)................................................................................................................................................ 167 How to Use This Book Are you interested in doing independent research or study related to Smithsonian collections, facilities, or experts? Are you interested in having a learning experience guided by a Smithsonian mentor with specific expertise? Are you interested in maintaining a scholarly affiliation with the Smithsonian on a subject that is a particular area of your expertise? If so, this could be the book for you. For over fifty years, in various iterations, the Smithsonian Opportunities for Study and Research (SORS) guide has been a resource for connecting prospective fellows, interns, and research associates with the Smithsonian. If you are applying to an existing Smithsonian program (fellowship, internship, etc), you can use this book to identify a potential advisor/mentor and reach out to them to discuss whether they might be in a position to host you. Alternatively, if there is not an existing program in the area of your interest, but you would like to explore the possibility of doing an internship or fellowship with a particular SI expert on your own – this book can be used for that too. If you approach a would-be Smithsonian advisor or mentor with a question or proposal, be specific as possible, and do some research ahead of time to verify that the person you are approaching is doing work in a field that matches your idea or question. Smithsonian research and program staff often have many competing commitments. If you reach out and don’t hear back, it may that the person you reach out to just isn’t in a position to host you. On the other hand, broadening access is a priority for the Smithsonian; if the person you contact can offer a response, they will. I honor you for your commitment to increasing your knowledge and diffusing it to others. Thank you for your interest in the Smithsonian! Eric Woodard, Ed.D. Director of Fellowships and Internships Smithsonian Institution August 2019 SMITHSONIAN OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH AND STUDY 2020 | 1 Anacostia Community Museum (ACM) Lisa Sasaki, Acting Director The mission of the Anacostia Community Museum is focused on the examination of contemporary urban issues and community life, and on community-focused approaches to research, documentation, and educational and cultural programming. The geographic scope of museum work incorporates the Washington, D.C. Metro area as well as urban communities in other parts of the United States. Core to the work of the museum is the belief that active citizen participation in the recovery and preservation of community historical assets, in cultural and arts activities, and in community advocacy are important and powerful instruments in creating and maintaining a sense of community and civic ownership. The permanent collection supports the museum’s investigation of contemporary community life, and of issues and themes that shape and resonate within urban communities. An important goal of museum collections is the development of strategies to engage public audiences with the artifacts and other materials