Interns / Fellowships / Advisors
Internships
The Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA)offers internships to students interested in gaining experience in archival methods, institutional history, oral history, history of science, and the conservation and perservation of documents.
The Archives Division serves as a repository for documents of historic value about the Smithsonian, as the official memory of the Smithsonian, and as a resource for scholars. In the Division, work is chiefly, but not exclusively, in the arrangement and description of institutional records, personal papers, and photographic and other collections in special media. These internships are considered apprenticeships under the tutelage of an archivist.
The Institutional History Division conducts research on the history of the Smithsonian, prepares scholarly and popular publications, exhibits, lectures, electronic and paper guides to specialized research areas, and records oral history and video history interviews. Internships provide an overview of the research and dissemination activities of an institutional history program, with intern projects focused on specific topics such as the legal history of the Institution or digitizing historic images of the Smithsonian. Prior course work in American history is a prerequisite.
The Technical Services Division carries out preservation of collections in all formats. Preservation internships provide hands-on experience in preservation techniques, working with nineteenth- and twentieth-century Smithsonian records and personal papers of prominent administrators and scientists. Two kinds of internships are available through TSD. The first emphasizes preservation management of archival records and considers such issues as proper environment, housing, handling, and preservation reproduction of records. The second is on conservation of archival materials, working with the Smithsonian Center for Archives Conservation. These internships are on a limited basis.
The Electronic Records Program provides guidance to offices within the Smithsonian Institution on the proper management of electronic records, including electronic mail, to insure that all records created by the Smithsonian Institution are properly managed.
More About SIA Internships
Applying for an Internship
Internship applications are accepted for spring, summer, and fall semesters. Your application must include the following materials:
- Completed application form with essay of between 500 and 1,000 words (see question #25)
- Transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended
- Two letters of reference
- Completed academic credit and tuition status form
- Resume (optional)
Applications should be submitted by November 1 for the spring semester; by March 15 for the summer semester; and by July 1 for the fall semester. If you missed a deadline but are still interested in applying, let the Intern Coordinator know as soon as you can when we might expect your application. Please mail your application to the Intern Coordinator at the address below. Applications will not be accepted by email or fax.
Information about other Smithsonian internships is available through two offices in the Institution.
First, the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies operates a central internship referral service, and publishes the booklet "Internship Opportunities at the Smithsonian." In addition, the Center maintains a list of Washington-area universities and apartments that have provided housing to interns in the past, which it will send to you upon request.
Second, the Office of Research Training and Services publishes the booklet "Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study."
For further information, contact the Intern Coordinator at the following address:
Smithsonian Institution Archives
MRC 507
PO Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012
202.633.5933 Telephone
202.633.5928 Fax
damianie@si.edu Email
Prior to Your Arrival - What to do if nominated for an internship
All internship positions at the Smithsonian are now characterized as Non-Critical Sensitive. Internship placements require successful adjudication of a pre-appointment background check. If local to the DC area and reporting for fingerprinting in-person to the Smithsonian Office of Protective Services, we anticipate the background check process to take approximately 10 - 14 days. If non-local, please allow at least 4 weeks for this process to complete BEFORE your planned arrival. All individuals, U.S. citizens and Internationals, nominated for an internship position must undergo a pre-appointment background investigation before an appointment can be confirmed if:
- Requesting an appointment in-residence for 6 weeks or longer
- Meeting the 18 years or older specifications (i.e. Minors, those 16 & 17 years old are exempt)
Nominees are required to complete an OF 306 Declaration for Federal Employment, a standard form issued by the Office of Personnel Management. The OF 306 is available at the OPM web site as an on-line fill-in form at: http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of0306.pdf.
Nominees are also required to complete an SF 87 Fingerprint Chart (fingerprint card). The SF 87 will be mailed directly by the Smithsonian to individuals nominated for an internship. The SF 87 is not available electronically and cannot be sent via email.
Non-local (to DC/NY) nominees must take the SF 87 to their local law enforcement agency or courthouse to obtain fingerprints. A minimal fee is usually involved. The nominee must then mail the completed OF 306 and SF 87 to the Office of Protection Services.
GENERAL MAIL: Please send your response via the US Postal Service to:
Smithsonian Institution
Office of Protection Services, MRC 504
Personnel Security Division
P.O. Box 23793
Washington, DC 20026-3793
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We recommend that, minimally, you select First Class mail for timely delivery. To help ensure quicker service we suggest USPS Priority Mail and advise that you request Delivery Confirmation to track and confirm delivery of your response.
EXPRESS MAIL: Should you wish to use a delivery service (FedEx, UPS, etc.), address your response to:
Smithsonian Institution
Office of Protection Services
Personnel Security Division
600 Maryland Avenue SW, Suite 4160
Washington, DC 20024
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If the nominee is within commuting distance to Washington, DC, they may hand-deliver the completed OF 306 and be fingerprinted on-site at no cost. In addition, nominees having difficulty obtaining the proper fingerprints at their home location may request a deferment to be fingerprinted at the Smithsonian upon their arrival to DC.
The Smithsonian Office of Protection Services is located at 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Suite 4036. Office Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
If you have questions regarding the process, or the status of your submitted documents, please contact Karen B. Perry, Personnel Security Office, at: phone: 202-633-1722 or email: PerryK2@si.edu.
The Smithsonian Office of Protection Services (OPS) contracts the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to conduct all investigations. Based upon the investigation results, OPS determines the nominee's suitability for a position at the Smithsonian. The turnaround time for investigation results is about 10 days from the time information is received by OPS from the nominee.
OPS will notify SIA when an investigation is closed. SIA will then contact the nominee to extend a formal internship offer, and provide further details.
Fellowships
Smithsonian Opportunities For Research And Study
The Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) is the institutional memory of a unique American cultural resource and a steward of the national collections. In order to ensure institutional accountability and enhance public appreciation of a great national treasure, we are committed to serving the Smithsonian community, scholars, and the general public by: appraising, acquiring, and preserving the records of the institution and related documentary materials; offering a range of reference, research, and records services; and creating products and services which promote understanding of the Smithsonian and its history.
Institutional History Division
The Institutional History Division is dedicated to advancing the knowledge and understanding of the history of the Smithsonian Institution. Division staff conduct research and prepare reports, scholarly and popular publications, website resources, and exhibits on the history of the Institution, its legal history, and its role in American museums and intellectual and social history. The Oral History Program supplements existing documentation in the Archives through audio and videotaped interviews with administrative and scholarly staff. The Oral History and Smithsonian Video History Collections document the history of the Institution and staff research in the history of science and technology.
Institutional History Division staff serve as advisors to scholars interested in the history of the Smithsonian, legal history of the Smithsonian, American social and cultural history, history of science, history of women in science, history of museums and oral history, and to interns interested in public history, and oral history.
Archives Division
As the Smithsonian Institution Archives proper, the Archives Division serves several major functions. As a repository for records and papers of historic value about the Smithsonian and the fields of science, art, history, and the humanities, it serves as the official memory of the Smithsonian and as a resource for scholars. The Archives Division also engages in research and training in the administration of archives and manuscript collections.
The Smithsonian Archives was organized in 1965 to collect, preserve, and make accessible the official records of the Smithsonian. The archival collections document the full range of Smithsonian activities, including American history, art history, science and art related exhibitions, astrophysics, botany, ecology, tropical biology and zoology, but are particularly strong in nineteenth-century American science. The Archives contains a diverse collection of papers which include Robert Goddard's papers on his early work in rocketry and the papers of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, founder of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, as well as the papers of the Institution's secretaries, with significant collections for Joseph Henry, Spencer F. Baird, Charles D. Walcott, and Alexander Wetmore, representing such scientific fields as physics, meteorology, ornithology, and paleontology.
The Archives has a number of collections that complement the official records of the Smithsonian concerning expeditions, international expositions, scientists, collectors, professional societies, projects and institutions. Additionally it contains a substantial collection of photographs and small collections of architectural drawings, scientific illustrations, moving images, and sound recordings.
The Archives sponsors students interested in gaining experience in archival administration. Staff provide guidance and supervision in the full range of archival practices, including accessioning and appraisal, arrangement and description, preservation, and reference services. The Archives also supports research associates, fellows, and interns interested in scholarly research in its holdings in such areas as the history of science, cultural history, the history of art, and museology.
The Smithsonian Archives is open to all researchers. The holdings of the Archives described in online finding aids and in SIRIS (Smithsonian Institution Research Information System). The staff offers research assistance and refers scholars to relevant sources of information elsewhere in the Smithsonian and Washington, D.C.
Technical Services Division
The Technical Services Division (TSD) provides support both within SIA and to the Smithsonian Institution in the area of preservation of records in all formats. Its purview includes concerns for the environment and security of archival collections, proper housing and shelving of records, reformatting of selected materials, and training. TSD provides facilities maintenance support at the various SIA locations, oversight of its underground facility in Boyers, Pennsylvania, and manages the Smithsonian's nitrate roll and sheet film facility. Staff is involved with space planning, environmental and technical needs for future relocation of the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Through the Smithsonian Center for Archives Conservation, TSD offers a full range of conservation survey and treatment services to the Smithsonian archival community, including preservation planning for collections, examination, documentation, and treatment actions such as de-acidification, mending and repair and other stabilization efforts. TSD's Preservation Team's expertise is available to any Smithsonian archival unit in need of conservation advice or treatment. In addition, TSD works with national and international organizations to advance research in the proper preservation of records in all formats, and conducts workshops and other training opportunities. The Technical Services Division hosts fellows working in preservation management or in conservation of archival materials.
Electronic Records Program
The Electronic Records Program provides guidance to offices within the Smithsonian Institution on the proper management of electronic records, including electronic mail, to insure that all records created by the Smithsonian Institution are properly managed.
ADVISORS
ALERS, Ellen, Assistant Archivist. B.A. (1982) St. John's College; M.A. (2006) Johns Hopkins University. Research specialties: Smithsonian history.
BAIN, Alan L., Archivist. B.A. (1967) Colorado State University; M.A. (1971) University of Illinois. Research specialties: history and development of museum archives; archives administration; Korean and Japanese archival programs; records management.
FERRANTE, Riccardo A., IT Archivist. B.S. Northwestern University. Research specialties: Software development; client server applications; electronic records preservation and management; automated information management systems; information standards.
HENSON, Pamela M., Historian. B.A. (1971); M.A. (1975) George Washington University; Ph.D. (1990) University of Maryland. Research specialties: history of the Smithsonian; history of science, especially natural history and women in science; American studies; oral history.
PETERS, Tammy L., Supervisory Archivist. B.A. (1990) Bethel College; M.A. (1994) Purdue University. Research specialties: museum archives; records management; Smithsonian Institution history.
STAUDERMAN, Sarah, Preservation Manager. B.A. (1986) History, Amherst College; M.A. (1997) State University College at Buffalo. Research specialties: non-aqueous deacidificants; magnetic media preservation.
TODA, Mitch, Assistant Archivist. B.A. (1999) University of California, Irvine; M.A. (2004) University of California, Los Angeles. Research specialities: records management, acquisitions/accessioning, cataloging.
WRIGHT, Jennifer, Assistant Archivist. B.A. (1999) Susquehanna University; M.L.S. (2001) University of Maryland. Research specialities: audio-visual research and processing; records management, acquisitions/accessioning.
Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study
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