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Department of Botany

Opportunities

Visiting Researchers

The Department welcomes qualified scholars and professionals from around the world who are interested in utilizing the collections and facilities of the NMNH for on-site research and study.  Visiting researchers must request a visit well in advance of their anticipated arrival to ensure the appropriate approvals, collections, workspace, and other details are in place. Researchers must comply with all export compliance regulations. For additional information contact the Botany Chair.

Botany Travel Awards

Dr. José Cuatrecasas
José Cuatrecasas

Travel Awards sponsored by the Department of Botany are awarded through an annual competition. Typically, about four awards of up to US$3000 are made. The intent of these awards is to support the study of specimens housed in the U.S. National Herbarium and preference is given to students or researchers who work on tropical plants. Those interested in being considered for these awards are asked to submit a curriculum vitae, a short proposal, and a letter of support. A call for applications is usually made in the fall, with application materials due in the winter, and recipients announced in early spring. Successful applicants are expected to visit the U.S. National Herbarium within a year of receiving an award. For more information, see the call for applications link below or email Eric Schuettpelz, travel awards committee chair (schuettpelze@si.edu).

This award commemorate the late Dr. José Cuatrecasas, who was associated with the U.S. National Herbarium for over fifty years. He dedicated his career to the study of the high elevation flora of northern South America, and he monographed or revised a number of Neotropical angiosperm families.

This award is intended to provide career development opportunities for young scientists. The fellowship was created to honor the legacy of the late Dr. Lyman B. Smith and his wife Ruth C. Smith. Dr. Smith, former Curator of Botany at the U.S. National Herbarium, monographed a number of Neotropical angiosperm families and his wife’s support was instrumental in his success.

This award is restricted to the study of Asteraceae. It honors Dr. Harold E. Robinson, Curator Emeritus at the U.S. National Herbarium, who devoted the majority of his career to understanding the systematics and phylogeny of this large and diverse family, especially in the Neotropics.

Botany Travel Awards - Call for Applications

Fellowships

Fellowships provide an opportunity for scholars to conduct independent research, in residence, under the guidance of an NMNH staff scientist.  

Fellowships for research and study in the Department are available through the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP), which provides funding for graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and senior investigators to conduct research in association with Smithsonian scientists. Fellowship durations range from three months to three years depending on fellowship category.

The Department hosts fellows through the Peter Buck Fellowship Program for full-time, resident, independent research focused on utilizing the NMNH collections and facilities.  Second-year postdoctoral fellowships are generally awarded, often paired with first-year awards through the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP), to external applicants who have received a Ph.D. or the equivalent within the last five years. 

For a complete listing of fellowship opportunities available for placement at the NMNH, visit the Smithsonian Office of Fellowships & Internships.

Internships

Internships offer undergraduate, graduate and advanced high school students a mentor-guided experience designed to meet their learning objectives.

Students selected for participation in the Natural History Research Experiences Internship Program may be placed in the Department. Through the NHRE program, undergraduate students are paired with a scientific mentor of their choice to develop and investigate a research project.

A variety of other internship opportunities are available, including paid and unpaid appointments, resident and virtual projects, and short and long-term tenure. For a complete listing of internship opportunities at NMNH visit the Smithsonian Office of Fellowships & Internships. 

For a complete listing of internship opportunities at the Smithsonian, many available for placement at NMNH visit the Smithsonian Office of Internships & Fellowships. 

Volunteering

The Department hosts many volunteers who assist in research and collections task. A minimum commitment of 3 consecutive months is required and at least 6 hours per week.

For more information visit our volunteer page.

Contribute

The José Cuatrecasas Botanical Endowment was established to honor the lifelong botanical work and achievements of this pioneering botanist who spent many years working in the Department of Botany at the Smithsonian. His research, especially in the flowering plant family Asteraceae, was devoted to the discovery, classification, biogeography, and ecology of plants of the paramo and subparamo regions of Andean South America. The Cuatrecasas Botanical Endowment supports significant research projects that emulate the spirit of the research of Don José Cuatrecasas. The endowment supports projects within the NMNH Department of Botany as well as projects initiated outside the Institution. Projects that focus on Latin America and make use of the collections and facilities at the United States National Herbarium in the Department of Botany receive priority. The fund also supports special lectures, which are delivered periodically at the Smithsonian by distinguished botanists.

The Endowment is administered by the Department of Botany. The results of projects supported by the fund must be communicated to the botanical and broader biological communities through publications and presentations at scientific meetings. Collections made during the course of investigations supported by the fund are intended to enhance the diversity of collections in the U.S. National Herbarium and relevant herbaria in the countries where the materials were collected.

Friends and colleagues of José Cuatrecasas and the Department of Botany are invited to contribute to this important endowment that perpetuates the innovative and pioneering botanical work carried out by José Cuatrecasas. Contributions to the Fund can be sent to:

The José Cuatrecasas Botanical Endowment
Smithsonian Institution
Department* 0561
Washington, DC 20073-0561

For further information concerning the fund or the life and accomplishments of José Cuatrecasas, please contact Dr. Laurence J. Dorr, Chairman, Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Tel. (202) 633-0920, Fax (202) 786-2563, or e-mail.

Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the Botany Travel Awards fund should send a check to the Chairman, Department of Botany, using the address listed below.

Department of Botany
Smithsonian Institution
P.O. Box 37012
NMNH MRC 166
Washington DC 20013-7012 USA
FAX 202-786-2563

e-mail: SchuettpelzE@si.edu