Fellowships at the National Museum of the American Indian

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

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 will commence in the fall of 2006 and include a
stipend in the low $30K's with $3000 for travel and research plus
medical insurance. Fellows will 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, and loans. 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 includes community consultations both at NMAI and in the field.

Applicant Qualifications: The applicant should be a recent graduate
of a recognized conservation training program or have equivalent
training and experience. The candidates with the best qualifications
will be those who are pursuing a career in the conservation of
material culture of the Indigenous peoples of North, Central and
South America.  The applicant should have a proven record of
research, writing ability, and English language skills (written and
spoken). Fellowships are awarded without regard to age, sex, race,
or nationality of the applicant.

Application Procedure: Interested candidates must submit the
following materials in English: 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; A
curriculum vitae including basic biographical information, current
and permanent addresses, phone numbers, and e mail addresses; At
least two examples of pertinent publications, lectures, or other
written material; A cover letter explaining candidate's interests
and intent in applying for the fellowship; Two letters of
recommendation from conservation professionals familiar with the
candidate's work and one letter of personal reference.

The material must be received by March 15, 2006 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

Email 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, 2006 of the selection committee's decision.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 19:31
                  Distributed: Friday, January 6, 2006
                       Message Id: cdl-19-31-009
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