Fellowships at the National Museum of the American Indian

Andrew W. Mellon Advanced Training Fellowships in Ethnographic and
Archaeological Object and Textile Conservation
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of the American Indian

The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is offering two
fellowships in ethnographic and archaeological object and textile
conservation, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.  These
fellowships are for one year with a possible renewal of a second
year. Fellowships commence fall 2008 and include a $32,000 stipend,
$5000 travel/research allowance, $2000 for medical insurance, and
benefits. Fellows work on the Conservation Department's major
projects and research related to the projects and collections. The
current projects include the preparation of artifacts for exhibit at
both NMAI sites: Washington, DC, and New York City. The fellowships
are located in Suitland, MD (outside of Washington, DC).

The fellowships are intended to cultivate practical skills as well
as to foster a solid understanding of the contexts of material
culture, the philosophies of conservation at NMAI, and the ethics of
the conservation profession.  Museum programming involves
collaboration with Native Peoples in the development of appropriate
methods of care for, and interpretation of their cultural materials,
this may include community consultations both at NMAI and in the
field.

Applicant Qualifications: Applicant should be recently graduated
from a recognized conservation training program or have equivalent
training and experience. The best qualified candidates are those
pursuing conservation careers specializing in material culture of
indigenous peoples from North, Central and South America.  The
applicant should have a proven record of research, writing ability,
and proficient English language skills (written and spoken).
Fellowships are awarded without regard to age, sex, race, or
nationality of the applicant.

Application Procedure

Applicant is responsible for submitting all the following materials
in English:

    A cover letter explaining applicant's interests and intent in
    applying for the fellowship;

    A curriculum vitae including basic biographical information,
    current and permanent addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail
    addresses;

    Transcripts of both undergraduate and graduate courses of
    academic study with an explanation of the evaluation system if
    it is not equivalent to that of the US;

    At least two examples of pertinent publications, lectures, or
    other written material;

    Two letters of recommendation from conservation professionals
    familiar with the applicant's work and one letter of personal
    reference.

All material must be received by March 15, 2008 and sent to:

    Marian A. Kaminitz, Head of Conservation
    National Museum of the American Indian/Smithsonian Institution
    Cultural Resources Center, MRC 538
    4220 Silver Hill Road
    Suitland MD 20746

E-mail address for inquiries only: kaminitzm [at] si__edu

Finalists will be invited for an interview and asked to submit a
portfolio of completed projects.

All applicants will be notified by May 25, 2008 of the selection
committee's decision.

For more information please see:

    <URL:http://www.nmai.si.edu/
        subpage.cfm?subpage=collections
        &second=conserv&third=training#andrew

    **** Moderator's comments: The above URL has been wrapped for
    email. There should be no newline.

Marian A. Kaminitz
Head of Conservation
National Museum of the American Indian
Cultural Resources Center
Office of Conservation
4220 Silver Hill Road
Suitland, MD  20746
301-238-1415
Fax: 301-238-3201


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:32
                Distributed: Thursday, November 29, 2007
                       Message Id: cdl-21-32-006
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