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Department of Mineral Sciences

Opportunities

Positions

Permanent and temporary positions in the Department of Mineral Sciences, including both federal and trust-funded positions, will be listed below as they become available.

No positions are currently available.

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 the anticipated arrival to ensure approvals, availability of collections, appropriate workspace, and other details. Researchers must comply with all export compliance regulations. For additional information contact the staff member appropriate for your area of research interest.

Fellowships

Fellowships provide an opportunity for scholars to conduct resident, independent study under the guidance of an NMNH staff advisor. The Department of Mineral Sciences invites fellowship applications for graduate student, postdoctoral, and senior fellows. Active areas of research include geochemistry, petrology, experimental petrology, volcanology, mineralogy, biomineralogy, environmental mineralogy, meteorite studies, solar system formation, and planetary formation and evolution. The department houses the National Meteorite Collection, the National Rock and Ore Collection, the National Gem and Mineral Collection, and the Global Volcanism Program. A description of facilities, staff profiles, and collections resources can be found on this website.

Postdoctoral candidates may request up to 24 months and predoctoral candidates up to 12 months of support; 10-week graduate fellowships (not yet advanced to candidacy) may also be proposed. Stipends and research funding are provided through the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program, the Big Ten Academic Alliance Program, the Hevey Graduate Fellowship, and the NMNH Peter Buck Fellowship Program. Stipends in Earth and Space Sciences may exceed those listed. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Smithsonian research staff to identify potential advisors and discuss project feasibility. Additional information and further instructions for the application process are available at the Office of Fellowships.

Fellowships for research and study in the Department are available through the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program, which provides funding for graduate students, post-doctoral 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. Multi-year postdoctoral fellowships are generally awarded, often paired with first year awards through the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP), to external postdoctoral scholars who have received a Ph.D. or equivalent within the last five years.

The Robert Hevey and Constance M. Filling Ten-Week Graduate Student Fellowship in Mineral Sciences was established in 2018 to support short-term, resident, graduate student fellowships focused on geological studies in the Department of Mineral Sciences at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Smithsonian Fellowship allows current PhD students from Big 10 universities to work with Smithsonian researchers on research and scholarship that will further the development of their respective theses. Students who have been admitted into doctoral candidacy and satisfied all requirements except completion of dissertation are eligible for this fellowship.

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

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 NHRE 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 the Smithsonian, including many available for placement at NMNH, visit the Smithsonian Office of Internship Programs.

Research Assistantships

Grant-funded assistantships provide additional opportunities for students and researchers to conduct research in the Department of Mineral Sciences. Assistantships are not evaluated on the same timeline as institutional fellowships. Announcements will be posted below as assitantships become available.

Volunteering

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

For more information, visit our volunteer page.

Contracting

No contracting opportunities are currently available in Mineral Sciences. However, contracting opportunities elsewhere in the Smithsonian can be found on the website for the Smithsonian National Collections Program under Request for Bids.