Curatorial Fellowship, The Science History Institute, Philadelphia

Hosted by the Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry, curatorial fellowships are two-year benefit-eligible positions integrate Fellows as members of Institute staff. Fellows benefit from professional development, portfolio building, networking, and mentorship opportunities in the library and museum fields. Project outcomes build fellows’ resumes while advancing the Institute’s strategic goals.

Curatorial fellowships are intended for individuals with advanced degrees who are seeking professional opportunities outside of academia. Both early career and career-changing researchers are encouraged to apply. Scholars from any relevant field with a demonstrated interest in the history of science, broadly defined, will be considered.

Twenty percent of each fellow’s time is reserved for independent research with the aim of producing a publication appropriate for their professional goals. Publications can range from a traditional academic journal article to the production of a museum exhibition. Fellows also receive a professional development stipend of $1,000 per year, for a total of $2,000 over the course of the two-year appointment. Curatorial fellows who meet the criteria of the Institute’s Relocation Assistance Program receive a $1,500 payment upon moving to the Philadelphia area.

As part of their professional development and networking, Curatorial fellows participate in relevant seminars at the Institute (approximately ten percent of the fellows’ time), including the Beckman Center’s Work-in-Progress Workshops and Fellows’ Talks, and the one-week Oral History Training Institute.

Scientific Biographies Curatorial Fellow

The Institute seeks a Curatorial Fellow to contribute to our Scientific Biographies online resource. The Fellow will contribute to the reimagining and expansion of the Institute’s collection of scientific biographies. This online resource shares the stories of individuals who have made historically significant contributions to our knowledge of the world and is the Institute’s single largest source of website traffic. Responsibilities will include auditing the current collection according to contemporary historiography; developing a strategy for growing and diversifying the collection (with special attention paid to identity, geography, and forms of knowledge); and creating workflows for editing existing biographies and generating new biographies. This position may also include opportunities to pursue grant and foundation support for the project or to create additional interpretive content by creating a physical or digital exhibition. Some experience writing for the public, educational audiences, and for the web is desirable.

The application deadline for the Curatorial Fellowship is Sunday, January 15, 2023. Offers will be made in May 2023, with a start date of September 2023. This is a two-year, limited-duration staff position that will end in August 2025.

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• Advanced degree in a humanities, social science, or science field; master’s degree required; PhD preferred
• Demonstrated interest in communicating complicated topics with non-specialist and public audiences
• Research interests aligned with the history of science
• Strong project management skills
• Experience using primary source collections for research, teaching, or interpretation
• Ability to work both collaboratively within a team and, at times, independently

Please note: The Science History Institute has a COVID vaccine mandate policy for its employees, subject to any reasonable accommodation required by law.

Salary: $50K

To be considered for this position, please send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, short writing sample for a non-specialist audience, and contact information for three professional references to: CuratorialFellow2022@sciencehistory.org