2011-2012 Lemelson Center Fellowships, Travel to Collections
Awards
The Lemelson Center's Fellowship Program and Travel
to Collections Awards support projects that present creative approaches to
the study of invention and innovation and draw upon the holdings of the
Archives Center and curatorial divisions at the National Museum of American
History. Projects may include, but are not limited to, historical
research and documentation projects resulting in publications, exhibitions,
educational initiatives, and multimedia products. Both programs provide access
to the Smithsonian's vast artifact and archival collections, as well as to the
expertise of the Institution's research staff. The Center offers
fellowships and travel grants to pre-doctoral graduate students, post-doctoral
scholars, and other professionals who have completed advanced training.
The Archives Center holds more than 20,000 feet of archival
materials. The collections are particularly strong in documenting the history of
technology, invention, and innovation in the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries. Both individuals and companies are documented in subject areas
including railroads, pianos, television, radio, plastics, ivory, and sports
equipment. One of the largest collections is the Western Union Telegraph
Company Records, ca. 1840-1994. Other collections of significance include the
Earl S. Tupper Papers, documenting the inventor Tupper, and his invention,
Tupperware; the Darby Windsurfing Collection, 1946-1998, documenting the
invention of the sailboard; and the Records of Small Beginnings, Inc., a
medical supply company that designs, invents, manufactures, and distributes
products for premature infants. For a comprehensive list of Archives
Center collections, see http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/d-10.htm.
The Lemelson Center Fellowship Program annually
awards 2 to 3 fellowships to qualified researchers. Fellowship tenure is based
on the applicants’ stated needs (and available funding) up to a maximum
of ten weeks. Fellows are expected to reside in the Washington, D.C.
area, to participate in the Center's activities, and to make a presentation of
their work at the museum. Stipends for 2011-2012 are $575/week for
pre-doctoral fellows and $870/week for post-doctoral and professional
fellows. Applications will be accepted from 1 October 2010 thru 14
January 2011 and notifications will be made by 15
April 2011. Fellows can begin their residence at the museum on or after 1
June 2011. For application procedures and additional information, please
see http://invention.smithsonian.org/resources/research_fellowships.aspx. All applicants are required to consult with the fellowship coordinator prior to
submitting a proposal – please contact historian Eric S. Hintz, Ph.D. at
+1 202-633-3734 or [log in to unmask].
The Lemelson
Center Travel to Collections Program annually awards 4 to 5 short-term travel
grants to encourage the use of its invention-related collections. Awards
are $150 per day for a maximum of 10 business days and may be used to cover
transportation, living, and reproduction expenses. Only applicants who
reside or attend school beyond commuting distance of the National Museum of
American History are eligible for this program. Awards may not be used to
extend other Smithsonian appointments. Only one award can be offered to a
visitor within a twelve-month period. Applications will be accepted from
1 October 2010 thru 30 November 2010 and will be announced by mid-December
2010. Recipients must commence their research at the museum within one
year of being notified of the award. Recipients are asked to submit a
short report following their research and provide the Center with a copy of any
publications resulting from their funded research. For application
procedures and additional information, please see http://invention.smithsonian.org/resources/research_travel.aspx. All applicants are required to consult with the travel award coordinator prior to
submitting a proposal – please contact archivist Alison Oswald at +1
202-633-3726 or [log in to unmask].
For more information, visit: http://www.invention.smithsonian.org/resources/default_research.aspx
Application Deadlines:
Travel to Collections Awards: November 30, 2010
Fellowships: January 15, 2011
Contacts:
Eric S. Hintz, Ph.D.
Fellowship Coordinator
Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation
National Museum of American History
Smithsonian Institution
MRC 604, P. O. Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012
PHONE: 202-633-3734
FAX: 202-357-4517
[log in to unmask]
Alison Oswald, M.A.
Travel Award Coordinator
Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation
National Museum of American History
Smithsonian Institution
MRC 601, P. O. Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012
PHONE: 202-633-3726
FAX: 202-786-2453
[log in to unmask]
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