Elementary | Middle School | High
School Students
Undergraduate Students | Graduate Students | Professionals
Elementary
Student References
At
the Museum
At
your Home
Natural
History Information especially for Elementary students
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Middle
School Student References
At
the Museum
At
your Home
Natural
History Information especially for Middle School students
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High School Student References
At
the Museum
At
your Home
Natural
History Information especially
for High School students
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References and Opportunities for Undergraduate
Students
General
Undergraduate Opportunities Information
Internships
and Volunteer Appointment Information
Alphabetical
Listing of NMNH Scientific Staff
The
National Museum of Natural History hosts many opportunities
for professional development through internship and
volunteer appointments. There are a wide variety of
opportunities, from short-term appointments to long-term
relationships, that welcome students and dedicated individuals
interested in contributing to the efforts of the Museum.
Through formal programs or informal appointments, our
initiatives allow a diverse group of people with varied
interests strengths, and goals to encounter the many
facets of the NMNH by working with, and learning from,
our professionals and scholars. Applicants must be at
least 16 years of age to qualify for placement.
Smithsonian Internship Opportunities
Internship
Opportunities at Natural History
Volunteering
at the Smithsonian
Research
Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
Special
Programs
Employment
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Smithsonian
Opportunities and References for Graduate Students and
Professional
Alphabetical
Listing of NMNH Scientific Staff
Fellowships
There are limited funding resources to accommodate
research visits to the National Museum of Natural
History. Students seeking in-residence opportunities
to conduct research using NMNH collections and facilities
are encouraged to seek support from other granting
institutions.
Smithsonian in-residence Fellowship Programs
FELLOWSHIP
INFORMATION
for graduate students and professionals
Office
of Fellowships
PO Box 37012
Victor Bldg Suite 9300, MRC 902
Washington, DC 20013-7012
phone: 202-275-0655 | email: siofg@ofg.si.edu
http://www.si.edu/ofg/ |
Special
Programs
Other
sources of Fellowship support
Local
Universities
College
and University Home Pages
Employment
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Elementary | Middle School | High
School Students
Undergraduate Students | Graduate Students | Professionals
Information
for Professional Visitors
Arranging your visit
Approval
Protocol: The protocol for gaining approval
for professional visits to the research facilities
and collections of the National Museum of Natural
History requires professionals with bona fide research
interests needing to visit the NMNH research staff
and/or collections to contact the appropriate Collections
Manager. In some cases a statement of intent and confirmation
of institutional affiliation may be required before
visits authorized.
When requesting professional visits, please provide
the following information: name, institutional affiliation,
dates of visit, and purpose of visit.
Requests
may be submitted on-line or by e-mail, telephone,
or mailed letter of request.
To
ensure that staff and facilities are available for
your visit, sufficient prior notice is required. Please
note that the collections and library facilities are
not open on weekends or government holidays. If necessary,
special access can be arranged, at the discretion
of the individual unit head.
Unit
Specific Information
Location: The majority of the NMNH research staff and collections
are housed at the Smithsonian's Natural History Building
located at 10th Street and Constitution, NW. However,
a portion of the collection has been moved to our
Museum Support Center (MSC) in suburban Maryland.
The Smithsonian provides free, regular shuttle bus
service to and from the Museum Support Center, departing
the Natural History building every hour on the hour
and arriving at MSC on the half hour.
Visitors wishing to examine specimens at the Museum
Support Center must make arrangements with the appropriate
unit prior to arrival. In addition, a staff member
must accompany all guests to the collections at the
MSC facility to authorize access. Visitors to this
facility should allow extra time during their visit
to accommodate travel time to and from this location.
Sterile
Entry of Specimens: Visitors seeking to
bring comparative materials into the research collections
must notify the Collections Management Staff prior
to their arrival. Most units have sterile entry requirements,
mandating that specimens first be treated according
to the policies of the unit. In some cases protocol
treatments yield the specimens unavailable for several
days/weeks while undergoing treatment. Please plan
accordingly.
The
Museum Support Center also maintains strict inventory
control over specimen movement in and out of the building
through its shipping office. Visitors planning to
bring comparative material into the MSC facility must
notify Collections Management Staff prior to their
arrival. A list of specimens being brought into the
building must be presented, along with the specimens,
to the shipping officer.
Arrival
and Check-in
Professional visitors to NMNH research and collections
areas are required to first check in at the guard
station located in the Constitution Avenue entrance
lobby.
Museum
security procedures require that all visitors have
a picture ID available (not passport) to exchange
for a behind-the-scenes identification badge so as
to gain admission to the non-public areas of the museum.
For
extended visits of more than 1 week, it may be possible
to arrange for a visiting scientist ID badge. After
registering with security, visitors are then asked
to notify the host unit of their arrival. Security
regulations require that guests be escorted to their
work station by a Smithsonian employee. All guests
are requested to register their visit by also signing
the guest register of their host unit. Additional
registration procedures may be required for specific
units.
Logistics: In general, administrative staff in the host unit
make arrangements for visiting scientist badges to
authorize extended (more than one week) access to
the research collections. Unit administrative staff
distributes general supplies and can provide information
on parking, lodging, etc.
The
sponsoring scientist or collections manager will assist
the scientific needs of professional visitors. Such
needs may include access and use of items such as:
microscopes, computers (in short supply, visitors
are encouraged to bring their own laptop computers),
specimen preparation and evaluations items, and literature.
Access/use of specialized laboratories, sensitive
literature, and/or collections, especially type material,
must be arranged and approved prior to arrival.
Parking: Parking
is very limited at NMNH, but fully available at the
Museum Support Center. Parking permits are necessary
at both localities. Visitors to NMNH are encouraged
to use carpools, busses or the subway system. Carpool
space may be gained by posting needs to museum staff,
either by electronic mail or on museum bulletin boards.
The subway system is available from many suburban
areas. There are two subway stations near NMNH: Smithsonian
and Federal Triangle.
Accommodations
Professional visitors are responsible for arranging
their own accommodations. The NMNH does not have any
lodging facilities. To facilitate your search for
accommodations during your stay, following are some
useful web links. In addition, lists of short-term
housing options in the local area are available on
request. Contact
Us. The Museum also hosts a housing exchange
bulletin board. To post information on this bulletin
board, Contact
Us. Current daily costs for lodging in the District
of Columbia is generally $90. to $120.
Links to housing resources
Transportation
Washington
is served by three major airports - Ronald Reagan National
Airport (most convenient for domestic travelers), Dulles
International, and Baltimore-Washington International
(BWI).
 From Ronald
Reagan National (703-685-8000) you can take either
a taxi (around $8-10) or the Metro
subway to Smithsonian station.
From Dulles (703-661-2700) a taxi cab may cost up to
$25 or more depending on the time of day. Another option
is to take the Washington Flyer shuttle (703-685-1400)
to the West Falls Church station on the Metro,
or the WMATA bus (#5A) from the Rosslyn and L'Enfant
Plaza metro stops that go to/from Dulles airport, and
it only costs $1.10 one-way OR if you get a transfer
from the metro station, it only costs 25 cents. Other
Dulles ground transportation is available at http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/parking_transportation_3/ground_transportation
From BWI (410-859-7111) you may take an Airport Connection
limousine (301-441-2345) that stops at the New Carrollton
Metro or transfer to the BWI Amtrak Station (410-672-6167)
and take Maryland Rail Commuter (MARC) trains to Union
Station in Washington... (202-906-3104). Union Station
is served by the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter
train system.
For all kinds of metro DC airport information, visitors
can go to www.metwashairports.com
Weather
in DC
Getting
around / Metro:
For all Metro (subway and bus) information, call 202/637-7000
from 6 am- 11:30 pm or review information at the Metro
website: www.wmata.com for updates.
Natural
History's Professional Events
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Note: This material is being provided as a convenience and for
informational purposes only. The National Museum of Natural
History bears NO responsibility for information provided
through, or any aspect of, any other sites and computer
systems. Providing a link to these other sites should
not be construed as an endorsement or approval of these
sites or the companies or organizations.
For
general
Smithsonian Information
phone:
202-633-1000 |
|
There
are many resources available for students and professionals
to learn more about natural history topics and to participate
in the activities of the Smithsonian's National Museum
of Natural History. Here are links to our web resources
to help you find what you're looking for.